Acts 15–18: A quarrel at Antioch, a road the Spirit shut, and the crossing into Europe

Acts 15:1ESV

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Acts 15:2ESV

And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

Acts 15:3ESV

So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

Acts 15:4ESV

When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

Acts 15:5ESV

But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

Acts 15:6ESV

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

Acts 15:7ESV

And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

Acts 15:8ESV

And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

Acts 15:9ESV

and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 15:10ESV

Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

Acts 15:11ESV

But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Acts 15:12ESV

And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Acts 15:13ESV

After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.

Acts 15:14ESV

Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.

Acts 15:15ESV

And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

Acts 15:16ESV

“‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,

Acts 15:17ESV

that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things

Acts 15:18ESV

known from of old.’

Acts 15:19ESV

Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

Acts 15:20ESV

but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

Acts 15:21ESV

For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Acts 15:22ESV

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,

Acts 15:23ESV

with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.

Acts 15:24ESV

Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,

Acts 15:25ESV

it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Acts 15:26ESV

men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:27ESV

We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.

Acts 15:28ESV

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:

Acts 15:29ESV

that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

Acts 15:30ESV

So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

Acts 15:31ESV

And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

Acts 15:32ESV

And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.

Acts 15:33ESV

And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.

Acts 15:35ESV

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

Acts 15:36ESV

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

Acts 15:37ESV

Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.

Acts 15:38ESV

But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

Acts 15:39ESV

And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,

Acts 15:40ESV

but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

Acts 15:41ESV

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Acts 16:1ESV

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

Acts 16:2ESV

He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

Acts 16:3ESV

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Acts 16:4ESV

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.

Acts 16:5ESV

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Acts 16:6ESV

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Acts 16:7ESV

And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Acts 16:8ESV

So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

Acts 16:9ESV

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Acts 16:10ESV

And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 16:11ESV

So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,

Acts 16:12ESV

and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.

Acts 16:13ESV

And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

Acts 16:14ESV

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Acts 16:15ESV

And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:16ESV

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

Acts 16:17ESV

She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

Acts 16:18ESV

And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

Acts 16:19ESV

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

Acts 16:20ESV

And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.

Acts 16:21ESV

They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

Acts 16:22ESV

The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

Acts 16:23ESV

And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

Acts 16:24ESV

Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:25ESV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Acts 16:26ESV

and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.

Acts 16:27ESV

When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Acts 16:28ESV

But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

Acts 16:29ESV

And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Acts 16:30ESV

Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Acts 16:31ESV

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Acts 16:32ESV

And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

Acts 16:33ESV

And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

Acts 16:34ESV

Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Acts 16:35ESV

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.”

Acts 16:36ESV

And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”

Acts 16:37ESV

But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”

Acts 16:38ESV

The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

Acts 16:39ESV

So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.

Acts 16:40ESV

So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Acts 17:1ESV

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

Acts 17:2ESV

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Acts 17:3ESV

explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

Acts 17:4ESV

And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

Acts 17:5ESV

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

Acts 17:6ESV

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

Acts 17:7ESV

and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Acts 17:8ESV

And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

Acts 17:9ESV

And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Acts 17:10ESV

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Acts 17:11ESV

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Acts 17:12ESV

Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

Acts 17:13ESV

But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

Acts 17:14ESV

Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

Acts 17:15ESV

Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Acts 17:16ESV

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

Acts 17:17ESV

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

Acts 17:18ESV

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities” — because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

Acts 17:19ESV

And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

Acts 17:20ESV

For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.”

Acts 17:21ESV

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Acts 17:22ESV

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

Acts 17:23ESV

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

Acts 17:24ESV

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

Acts 17:25ESV

nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Acts 17:26ESV

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

Acts 17:27ESV

that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

Acts 17:28ESV

for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Acts 17:29ESV

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

Acts 17:30ESV

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Acts 17:31ESV

because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Acts 17:32ESV

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

Acts 17:33ESV

So Paul went out from their midst.

Acts 17:34ESV

But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Acts 18:1ESV

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

Acts 18:2ESV

And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,

Acts 18:3ESV

and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Acts 18:4ESV

And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Acts 18:5ESV

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

Acts 18:6ESV

And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Acts 18:7ESV

And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.

Acts 18:8ESV

Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

Acts 18:9ESV

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,

Acts 18:10ESV

for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

Acts 18:11ESV

And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Acts 18:12ESV

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,

Acts 18:13ESV

saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.”

Acts 18:14ESV

But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.

Acts 18:15ESV

But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.”

Acts 18:16ESV

And he drove them from the tribunal.

Acts 18:17ESV

And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

Acts 18:18ESV

After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.

Acts 18:19ESV

And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

Acts 18:20ESV

When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined.

Acts 18:21ESV

But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

Acts 18:22ESV

When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

Acts 18:23ESV

After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Acts 18:24ESV

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

Acts 18:25ESV

He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Acts 18:26ESV

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Acts 18:27ESV

And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,

Acts 18:28ESV

for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.