Paul Returns to Antioch

18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of ^xthe brothers¹ and set sail for Syria, and with him ^yPriscilla and Aquila. At ^zCenchreae ^ahe had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.

19 And they came to ^bEphesus, and he left them there, but ^che himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you ^dif God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he ^ewent up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and ^fwent from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, ^gstrengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus

24 Now a Jew named ^hApollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, ⁱcompetent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in ^jthe way of the Lord. And ^kbeing fervent in spirit,¹ he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only ^lthe baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when ^mPriscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him ⁿthe way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to ^oAchaia, ^pthe brothers encouraged him and ^qwrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, ^rhe greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures ^sthat the Christ was Jesus.

Paul in Ephesus

1 And it happened that while ^tApollos was at Corinth, Paul passed ^uthrough the inland² country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, ^v“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, ^wwe have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, ^x“Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into ^yJohn’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, ^y“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people ^zto believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, ^athey were baptized in³ the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And ^bwhen Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and ^cthey began speaking in tongues and ^dprophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

8 And ^ehe entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them ^fabout the kingdom of God. 9 ^gBut when some became stubborn and ^hcontinued in unbelief, speaking evil of ⁱthe Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.⁴ 10 This continued for ^jtwo years, so that ^kall the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.