Acts 16:36-21:16

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

³⁶ The jailer reported the[se] words to Paul, “The magistrates have sent orders that you be released. Now, then, come out and go in peace.” ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, even though we are Roman citizens and have not been tried, and have thrown us into prison.^(A) And now, are they going to release us secretly? By no means. Let them come themselves and lead us out.”^{[a] 38} The lictors reported these words to the magistrates, and they became alarmed when they heard that they were Roman citizens.^{(B) 39} So they came and placated them, and led them out and asked that they leave the city. ⁴⁰ When they had come out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and then they left.

Chapter 17

Paul in Thessalonica. ¹ When they took the road through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they reached Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.^{(C) 2} Following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three sabbaths he entered into discussions with them from the scriptures, ³ expounding and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that “This is the Messiah, Jesus, whom I proclaim to you.”^{(D) 4} Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas; so, too, a great number of Greeks who were worshipers, and not a few of the prominent women. ⁵ But the Jews became jealous and recruited some worthless men loitering in the public square, formed a mob, and set the city in turmoil. They marched on the house of Jason,^(E) intending to bring them before the people’s assembly. ^6 [b]When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city magistrates, shouting, “These people who have been creating a disturbance all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them.^(F) They all act in opposition to the decrees of Caesar and claim instead that there is another king, Jesus.”^{[c] 8} They stirred up the crowd and the city magistrates who, upon hearing these charges, ⁹ took a surety payment from Jason and the others before releasing them.

Paul in Beroea. ¹⁰ The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas to Beroea during the night. Upon arrival they went to the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ These Jews were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all willingness and examined the scriptures daily to determine whether these things were so.^{(G) 12} Many of them became believers, as did not a few of the influential Greek women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had now been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea also, they came there too to cause a commotion and stir up the crowds. ¹⁴ So the brothers at once sent Paul on his way to the seacoast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.^{(H) 15} After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens, they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Paul in Athens.^{[d] 16} While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he grew exasperated at the sight of the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he debated in the synagogue with the Jews and with the worshipers, and daily in the public square with whoever happened to be there. ¹⁸ Even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers^[e] engaged him in discussion. Some asked, “What is this scavenger trying to say?” Others said, “He sounds like a promoter of foreign deities,” because he was preaching about ‘Jesus’ and ‘Resurrection.’ ¹⁹ They took him and led him to the Areopagus^[f] and said, “May we learn what this new teaching is that you speak of?^{(I) 20} For you bring some strange notions to our ears; we should like to know what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians as well as the foreigners residing there used their time for nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

Paul’s Speech at the Areopagus. ²² Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:^[g]

“You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’^[h] What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. ²⁴ The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,^{(J) 25} nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. ²⁶ He made from one^[i] the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, ²⁷ so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us.^{(K) 28} For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’^[j] as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ²⁹ Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.^{(L) 30} God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent ³¹ because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.”^(M)

³² When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We should like to hear you on this some other time.” ³³ And so Paul left them. ³⁴ But some did join him, and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Chapter 18

Paul in Corinth. ¹ After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila,^(N) a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla^[k] because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them ³ and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. ⁴ Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. ⁶ When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments^[l] and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^{(O) 7} So he left there and went to a house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;^[m] his house was next to a synagogue.^{(P) 8} Crispus,^[n] the synagogue official,^(Q) came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized. ^9 (R)One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, ¹⁰ for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them.

Accusations Before Gallio. ¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,^[o] the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal, ¹³ saying, “This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”^{[p] 14} When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews; ¹⁵ but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.” ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the tribunal. ¹⁷ They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full view of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Return to Syrian Antioch. ¹⁸ Paul remained for quite some time, and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut^(S) because he had taken a vow.^{[q] 19} When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, while he entered the synagogue and held discussions with the Jews. ²⁰ Although they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, ²¹ but as he said farewell he promised, “I shall come back to you again, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² Upon landing at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church^[r] and then went down to Antioch. ^23 [s]After staying there some time, he left and traveled in orderly sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to all the disciples.

Apollos. ²⁴ A Jew named Apollos,^(T) a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the scriptures.^{[t] 25} He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ 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]^[u] more accurately. ²⁷ And when he wanted to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. ²⁸ He vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.

Chapter 19

Paul in Ephesus. ^1 [v]While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came [down] to Ephesus where he found some disciples. ² He said to them, “Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a holy Spirit.” ³ He said, “How were you baptized?” They replied, “With the baptism of John.” ⁴ Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”^{(U) 5} When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul laid [his] hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.^{(V) 7} Altogether there were about twelve men.

⁸ He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when some in their obstinacy and disbelief disparaged the Way before the assembly, he withdrew and took his disciples with him and began to hold daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This continued for two years with the result that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and Greeks alike. ¹¹ So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul ¹² that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.^(W)

The Jewish Exorcists. ¹³ Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ When the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, tried to do this, ¹⁵ the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I recognize, Paul I know, but who are you?” ¹⁶ The person with the evil spirit then sprang at them and subdued them all. He so overpowered them that they fled naked and wounded from that house. ¹⁷ When this became known to all the Jews and Greeks who lived in Ephesus, fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in great esteem. ¹⁸ Many of those who had become believers came forward and openly acknowledged their former practices. ¹⁹ Moreover, a large number of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in public. They calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces. ²⁰ Thus did the word of the Lord continue to spread with influence and power.

Paul’s Plans. ²¹ When this was concluded, Paul made up his mind to travel through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.”^{(X) 22} Then he sent to Macedonia two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for a while in the province of Asia.

The Riot of the Silversmiths. ²³ About that time a serious disturbance broke out concerning the Way. ²⁴ There was a silversmith named Demetrius who made miniature silver shrines of Artemis^[w] and provided no little work for the craftsmen. ²⁵ He called a meeting of these and other workers in related crafts and said, “Men, you know well that our prosperity derives from this work. ²⁶ As you can now see and hear, not only in Ephesus but throughout most of the province of Asia this Paul has persuaded and misled a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.^{(Y) 27} The danger grows, not only that our business will be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be of no account, and that she whom the whole province of Asia and all the world worship will be stripped of her magnificence.”

²⁸ When they heard this, they were filled with fury and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed with one accord into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians, Paul’s traveling companions.^{(Z) 30} Paul wanted to go before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him, ³¹ and even some of the Asiarchs^[x] who were friends of his sent word to him advising him not to venture into the theater. ³² Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, others something else; the assembly was in chaos, and most of the people had no idea why they had come together. ³³ Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, as the Jews pushed him forward, and Alexander signaled with his hand that he wished to explain something to the gathering. ³⁴ But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ³⁵ Finally the town clerk restrained the crowd and said, “You Ephesians, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple^[y] of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from the sky? ³⁶ Since these things are undeniable, you must calm yourselves and not do anything rash. ³⁷ The men you brought here are not temple robbers, nor have they insulted our goddess. ³⁸ If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ If you have anything further to investigate, let the matter be settled in the lawful assembly, ⁴⁰ for, as it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today’s conduct. There is no cause for it. We shall [not]^[z] be able to give a reason for this demonstration.” With these words he dismissed the assembly.

Chapter 20

Journey to Macedonia and Greece. ¹ When the disturbance was over, Paul had the disciples summoned and, after encouraging them, he bade them farewell and set out on his journey to Macedonia.^{(AA) 2} As he traveled throughout those regions, he provided many words of encouragement for them. Then he arrived in Greece, ³ where he stayed for three months. But when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return by way of Macedonia.

Return to Troas. ^4 (AB)Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus, from Beroea, accompanied him, as did Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia ⁵ who went on ahead and waited for us^[aa] at Troas.^{(AC) 6} We sailed from Philippi after the feast of Unleavened Bread,^[ab] and rejoined them five days later in Troas, where we spent a week.

Eutychus Restored to Life. ⁷ On the first day of the week^[ac] when we gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them because he was going to leave on the next day, and he kept on speaking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered, ⁹ and a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the window sill was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Once overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and when he was picked up, he was dead. ^10 (AD)Paul went down,^[ad] threw himself upon him, and said as he embraced him, “Don’t be alarmed; there is life in him.” ¹¹ Then he returned upstairs, broke the bread, and ate; after a long conversation that lasted until daybreak, he departed. ¹² And they took the boy away alive and were immeasurably comforted.

Journey to Miletus. ¹³ We went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos where we were to take Paul on board, as he had arranged, since he was going overland. ¹⁴ When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ We sailed away from there on the next day and reached a point off Chios, and a day later we reached Samos, and on the following day we arrived at Miletus. ^16 [ae]Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus in order not to lose time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if at all possible, for the day of Pentecost.

Paul’s Farewell Speech at Miletus. ¹⁷ From Miletus he had the presbyters of the church at Ephesus summoned. ¹⁸ When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, ²⁰ and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. ²¹ I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. ²² But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, ²³ except that in one city after another the holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me.^{(AE) 24} Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace.^(AF)

²⁵ “But now I know that none of you to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face again. ²⁶ And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, ²⁷ for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God. ^28 (AG)Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,^[af] in which you tend the church of God that he acquired with his own blood. ²⁹ I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock.^{(AH) 30} And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them.^{(AI) 31} So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.^{(AJ) 32} And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. ³³ I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions.^{(AK) 35} In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”^(AL)

³⁶ When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, ³⁸ for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

Chapter 21

Arrival at Tyre. ^1 [ag]When we had taken leave of them we set sail, made a straight run for Cos, and on the next day for Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² Finding a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went on board and put out to sea. ³ We caught sight of Cyprus but passed by it on our left and sailed on toward Syria and put in at Tyre where the ship was to unload cargo. ⁴ There we sought out the disciples and stayed for a week. They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to embark for Jerusalem. ⁵ At the end of our stay we left and resumed our journey. All of them, women and children included, escorted us out of the city, and after kneeling on the beach to pray, ⁶ we bade farewell to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

Arrival at Ptolemais and Caesarea. ⁷ We continued the voyage and came from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed a day with them. ⁸ On the next day we resumed the trip and came to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven,^[ah] and stayed with him.^{(AM) 9} He had four virgin daughters gifted with prophecy. ¹⁰ We had been there several days when a prophet named Agabus^[ai] came down from Judea. ^11 (AN)He came up to us, took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the holy Spirit: This is the way the Jews will bind the owner of this belt in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.”^{[aj] 12} When we heard this, we and the local residents begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am prepared not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ^14 (AO)Since he would not be dissuaded we let the matter rest, saying,^(AP) “The Lord’s will be done.”^[ak]

Paul and James in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ After these days we made preparations for our journey, then went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea came along to lead us to the house of Mnason, a Cypriot, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to stay.