Chapter 5

017:018 A few of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some of them asked, "What has this beggarly babbler to say?" "His business," said others, "seems to be to cry up some foreign gods." This was because he had been telling the Good News of Jesus and the Resurrection.

017:019 Then they took him and brought him up to the Areopagus, asking him, "May we be told what this new teaching of yours is?

017:020 For the things you are saying sound strange to us. We should therefore like to be told exactly what they mean."

017:021 (For all the Athenians and their foreign visitors used to devote their whole leisure to telling or hearing about something new.)

017:022 So Paul, taking his stand in the centre of the Areopagus, spoke as follows: "Men of Athens, I perceive that you are in every respect remarkably religious.

017:023 For as I passed along and observed the things you worship, I found also an altar bearing the inscription, `TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' "The Being, therefore, whom you, without knowing Him, revere, Him I now proclaim to you.

017:024 GOD who made the universe and everything in it--He, being Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries built by men.

017:025 Nor is He ministered to by human hands, as though He needed anything-- but He Himself gives to all men life and breath and all things.

017:026 He caused to spring from one forefather people of every race, for them to live on the whole surface of the earth, and marked out for them an appointed span of life and the boundaries of their homes;

017:027 that they might seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not far from any one of us.

017:028 For it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and have our being; as in fact some of the poets in repute among yourselves have said, `For we are also His offspring.'

017:029 Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to imagine that His nature resembles gold or silver or marble, or anything sculptured by the art and inventive faculty of man.

017:030 Those times of ignorance God viewed with indulgence. But now He commands all men everywhere to repent,

017:031 seeing that He has appointed a day on which, before long, He will judge the world in righteousness, through the instrumentality of a man whom He has pre-destined to this work, and has made the fact certain to every one by raising Him from the dead."

017:032 When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection of dead men, some began to scoff. But others said, "We will hear you again on that subject."

017:033 So Paul went away from them.

017:034 A few, however, attached themselves to him and believed, among them being Dionysius a member of the Council, a gentlewoman named Damaris, and some others.

018:001 After this he left Athens and came to Corinth.

018:002 Here he found a Jew, a native of Pontus, of the name of Aquila. He and his wife Priscilla had recently come from Italy because of Claudius's edict expelling all the Jews from Rome. So Paul paid them a visit;

018:003 and because he was of the same trade--that of tent-maker-- he lodged with them and worked with them.

018:004 But, Sabbath after Sabbath, he preached in the synagogue and tried to win over both Jews and Greeks.

018:005 Now at the time when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was preaching fervently and was solemnly telling the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

018:006 But upon their opposing him with abusive language, he shook his clothes by way of protest, and said to them, "Your ruin will be upon your own heads. I am not responsible: in future I will go among the Gentiles."

018:007 So he left the place and went to the house of a person called Titius Justus, a worshipper of the true God. His house was next door to the synagogue.

018:008 And Crispus, the Warden of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, and so did all his household; and from time to time many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and received baptism.

018:009 And, in a vision by night, the Lord said to Paul, "Dismiss your fears: go on speaking, and do not give up.

018:010 I am with you, and no one shall attack you to injure you; for I have very many people in this city."

018:011 So Paul remained in Corinth for a year and six months, teaching among them the Message of God.

018:012 But when Gallio became Proconsul of Greece, the Jews with one accord made a dead set at Paul, and brought him before the court.

018:013 "This man," they said, "is inducing people to offer unlawful worship to God."

018:014 But, when Paul was about to begin his defence, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it had been some wrongful act or piece of cunning knavery I might reasonably have listened to you Jews.

018:015 But since these are questions about words and names and your Law, you yourselves must see to them. I refuse to be a judge in such matters."

018:016 So he ordered them out of court.

018:017 Then the people all set upon Sosthenes, the Warden of the synagogue, and beat him severely in front of the court. Gallio did not concern himself in the least about this.

018:018 After remaining a considerable time longer in Corinth, Paul took leave of the brethren and set sail for Syria; and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had shaved his head at Cenchreae, because he was bound by a vow.

018:019 They put in at Ephesus, and there Paul left his companions behind. As for himself, he went to the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews.

018:020 When they asked him to remain longer he did not consent,

018:021 but took leave of them with the promise, "I will return to you, God willing." So he set sail from Ephesus.

018:022 Landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and inquired after the welfare of the Church, and then went down to Antioch.

018:023 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out on a tour, visiting the whole of Galatia and Phrygia in order, and strengthening all the disciples.

018:024 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, a man of great learning and well versed in the Scriptures.

018:025 He had been instructed by word of mouth in the way of the Lord, and, being full of burning zeal, he used to speak and teach accurately the facts about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's.

018:026 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Priscilla and Aquila, after hearing him, took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately.

018:027 Then, as he had made up his mind to cross over into Greece, the brethren wrote to the disciples in Corinth begging them to give him a kindly welcome. Upon his arrival he rendered valuable help to those who through grace had believed;

018:028 for he powerfully and in public overcame the Jews in argument, proving to them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

019:001 During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples.

019:002 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit."

019:003 "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.

019:004 "John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus."

019:005 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus;

019:006 and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.

019:007 They numbered in all about twelve men.

019:008 Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God.

019:009 But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall.

019:010 This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message.

019:011 God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality.

019:012 Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them.

019:013 But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches."

019:014 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this.

019:015 "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"

019:016 And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded.

019:017 All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour.

019:018 Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been,

019:019 and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins.

019:020 Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph!

019:021 When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome."

019:022 But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia.

019:023 Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith.

019:024 There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ.

019:025 He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours;

019:026 and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands.

019:027 There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank-- she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world."

019:028 After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"

019:029 The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul.

019:030 Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so.

019:031 A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre.

019:032 The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together.

019:033 Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people.

019:034 No sooner, however, did they see that he was a Jew, than there arose from them all one roar of shouting, lasting about two hours. "Great is the Ephesian Diana," they said.

019:035 At length the Recorder quieted them down. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who is there of all mankind that needs to be told that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

019:036 These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly.

019:037 For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

019:038 If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another.

019:039 But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly.

019:040 For in connexion with to-day's proceedings there is danger of our being charged with attempted insurrection, there having been no real reason for this riot; nor shall we be able to justify the behaviour of this disorderly mob."

019:041 With these words he dismissed the assembly.

020:001 When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia.

020:002 Passing through those districts he encouraged the disciples in frequent addresses, and then came into Greece, and spent three months there.

020:003 The Jews having planned to waylay him whenever he might be on the point of taking ship for Syria, he decided to travel back by way of Macedonia.

020:004 He was accompanied as far as the province of Asia by Sopater the Beroean, the son of Pyrrhus; by the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and by the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

020:005 These brethren had gone on and were waiting for us in the Troad.

020:006 But we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined them in the Troad, where we remained for a week.

020:007 On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul, who was going away the next morning, was preaching to them, and prolonged his discourse till midnight.

020:008 Now there were a good many lamps in the room upstairs where we all were,

020:009 and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead.

020:010 Paul, however, went down, threw himself upon him, and folding him in his arms said, "Do not be alarmed; his life is still in him."

020:011 Then he went upstairs again, broke bread, and took some food; and after a long conversation which was continued till daybreak, at last he parted from them.

020:012 They had taken the lad home alive, and were greatly comforted.

020:013 The rest of us had already gone on board a ship, and now we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had arranged, he himself intending to go by land.

020:014 Accordingly, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

020:015 Sailing from there, we arrived the next day off Chios. On the next we touched at Samos; and on the day following reached Miletus.

020:016 For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival.

020:017 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him.

020:018 Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time,

020:019 serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews--

020:020 and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes,

020:021 and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord.

020:022 "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

020:023 except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me.

020:024 But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.

020:025 "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face.

020:026 Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you.

020:027 For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth.

020:028 "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood.

020:029 I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock;

020:030 and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them.

020:031 Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears.

020:032 "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people.

020:033 No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted.

020:034 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me.

020:035 In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "`It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

020:036 Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all;

020:037 and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly,

020:038 grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.

021:001 When, at last, we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran in a straight course to Cos; the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

021:002 Finding a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and put to sea.

021:003 After sighting Cyprus and leaving that island on our left, we continued our voyage to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

021:004 Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem.

021:005 When, however, our time was up, we left and went on our way, all the disciples and their wives and children coming to see us off. Then, after kneeling down on the beach and praying,

021:006 we took leave of one another; and we went on board, while they returned home.

021:007 As for us, our voyage was over when having sailed from Tyre we reached Ptolemais. here we inquired after the welfare of the brethren, and remained a day with them.

021:008 On the morrow we left Ptolemais and went on to Caesarea, where we came to the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

021:009 Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses;

021:010 and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea.

021:011 When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, `So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

021:012 As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

021:013 His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

021:014 So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!"

021:015 A few days afterwards we loaded our baggage-cattle and continued our journey to Jerusalem.

021:016 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also joined our party, and brought with them Mnason, a Cyprian, one of the early disciples, at whose house we were to lodge.

021:017 At length we reached Jerusalem, and there the brethren gave us a hearty welcome.

021:018 On the following day we went with Paul to call on James, and all the Elders of the Church came also.

021:019 After exchanging friendly greetings, Paul told in detail all that God had done among the Gentiles through his instrumentality.

021:020 And they, when they had heard his statement, gave the glory to God. Then they said, "You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of Jews there are among those who have accepted the faith, and they are all zealous upholders of the Law.

021:021 Now what they have been repeatedly told about you is that you teach all the Jews among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, and that you forbid them to circumcise their children or observe old-established customs.

021:022 What then ought you to do? They are sure to hear that you have come to Jerusalem;

021:023 so do this which we now tell you. We have four men here who have a vow resting on them.