Acts 18:17–23

¹PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

²³But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

³²¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

⁶That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

²⁴Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

¹⁸And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

²⁰And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

²And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

⁵All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

⁶All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body.

⁷He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

⁸All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.

⁹And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.

¹I COMMEND unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

²³And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

²¹Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

²Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord:

⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

²⁶And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

³Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

³As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

¹⁸The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

¹PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

³²If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

²⁴¶ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

¹AND it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

⁸But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.

¹²And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

²And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

³Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

¹⁷And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

²⁶Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

¹¹Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

¹UNTO the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

²¹But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

¹²As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.

¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

¹³Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

³⁷And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

³⁸And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

¹⁵For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

³And this will we do, if God permit.

¹⁰Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

³²That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

¹OBSERVE the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

⁷For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

¹⁷For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

¹¹Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

²⁹That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

²¹¶ After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

³⁹And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

¹⁹But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

²⁰For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

²¹For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

²²But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

²³Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

²⁴But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

⁶¹And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea.

¹THERE was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

²⁴And the morrow after they entered into Cæsarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

¹¹And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Cæsarea unto me.

¹⁹¶ Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

²²¶ Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

²³Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

²⁵Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

²⁷¶ And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

¹NOW there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

²⁶And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

²³And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

³⁰So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

³⁵Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

⁴And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

²¹But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

²²And when he had landed at Cæsarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

¹⁷And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²³And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;

¹NOW when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Cæsarea to Jerusalem.

⁹But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

³²And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

¹NOW concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

¹⁴Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

¹⁴And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

²And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

⁴⁰And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

¹ALSO I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

²⁸But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

⁶And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

²And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

¹²Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

¹³And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

³¶ Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

⁴Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

³²But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

⁴³And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.