1Potom Pavol opustil Atény a prišiel do Korintu.2Tam sa zoznámil so židovskými manželmi Akvilom a Priscilou. Akvila bol rodák z Pontu, nedávno sa prisťahoval aj s manželkou z Itálie. Cisár Klaudius totiž vydal rozkaz, aby všetci Židia opustili Rím. Pavol u nich býval aj pracoval,3lebo mali rovnaké remeslo ako on – vyrábali stany.4Každú sobotu vyučoval v synagóge a usiloval sa získať Židov aj Grékov.5Keď však došli do Macedónska Sílas a Timotej, venoval sa Pavol výlučne šíreniu evanjelia a presviedčal Židov, že Ježiš je zasľúbený Mesiáš.6No keď mu Židia odporovali a posmešne sa vyjadrovali o Kristovi, vytriasol si prach z odevu na znamenie, že s nimi nič nechce mať, a povedal: „Ak zahyniete, sami za to ponesiete zodpovednosť. To nebude moja vina. Odteraz sa budem venovať pohanom.“7Potom sa presťahoval k Títovi Justovi, ktorý býval hneď vedľa synagógy. Justus bol pohan, ktorý uveril v Boha.8Po nejakom čase uveril aj predstavený synagógy Krispos aj s celou svojou rodinou. Aj mnohí ďalší z Korintu uverili a dali sa pokrstiť.9Jednej noci sa mu ukázal vo videní Pán a povedal mu: „Neboj sa! Len smelo hovor a nemlč!10Veď ja som s tebou a nikto ti neublíži. Mnohí tu v Korinte patria ku mne.“11A tak zostal Pavol ešte pol druha roka v Korinte a hlásal tam Božie slovo.12Ale keď sa stal rímskym miestodržiteľom v Achajsku Gallio, Židia sa spolčili proti Pavlovi, predviedli ho pred súd13a obžalovali ho: „Tento muž navádza ľudí, aby uctievali Boha spôsobom, ktorý sa prieči rímskym zákonom.“14No len čo Pavol otvoril ústa a chcel sa obhajovať, Gallio sa obrátil k jeho obžalobcom: „Keby šlo o nejaké bezprávie alebo zločin, vypočul by som vás.15Ale spory o slová, mená osôb alebo vaše židovské zákony, to si vyriešte sami. Do toho sa vám miešať nemienim.“16A vyhnal žalobcov zo súdnej siene.17Tu sa všetci vrhli na Sostena, nového predstaveného židovskej synagógy, a bili ho rovno pred Galliovými očami. Ale on do toho nezasiahol.
Návrat do Antiochie a Pavlova tretia misijná cesta
18Pavol tam zostal ešte dlhší čas. Potom sa rozlúčil s bratmi a pobral sa loďou do Sýrie. Spolu s ním odišli aj manželia Priscila a Akvila. Predtým si dal Pavol v Kenchreách, východnom korintskom prístave, ostrihať vlasy podľa židovského zvyku, lebo sa načas zaviazal dodržiavať nazarejský sľub (nestrihať si vlasy a nepiť opojné nápoje).19V Efeze sa s priateľmi rozlúčil a pobral sa do synagógy, kde besedoval so Židmi.20Prehovárali ho, aby sa u nich zdržal dlhšie, ale neprijal ich pozvanie.21No pri lúčení im povedal: „Rád by som bol na sviatky v Jeruzaleme. Ale ak to bude Božia vôľa, ešte sa k vám vrátim.“22Z Efezu sa odplavil do Cézarey v Judsku a odtiaľ sa pešo dostal do Jeruzalema. Tam navštívil miestnych kresťanov a odcestoval do sýrskej Antiochie.23Strávil tam nejaký čas a znova sa pobral do Galácie a Frýgie. Ponavštevoval rad za radom všetky zbory, povzbudzoval veriacich a pomáhal im rásť vo viere.
Apolo v Efeze a Korinte
24Medzitým prišiel do Efezu Žid z Alexandrie, ktorý sa volal Apolo. Bol to výborný rečník a znalec Starého zákona.25Už sa aj zoznámil s Ježišovým učením a nadšene a správne hovoril o ňom, hoci ešte nevedel všetko a poznal iba krst Jánov.26So zápalom kázal o ňom aj v efezskej synagóge. Tam ho počuli Priscilla a Akvila, pozvali ho k sebe a dôkladnejšie mu vysvetlili Kristovo evanjelium.27Apolo sa potom rozhodol ísť do Grécka a zvestovať radostnú správu. Efezskí kresťania mu to schvaľovali a dali mu aj odporúčajúci list pre tamojších kresťanov, aby ho srdečne prijali. Keď ta prišiel, Boh jeho obdarovanie použil na posilnenie veriacich,28lebo vedel vynikajúco vyvracať argumenty Židov a na základe Písma dokazoval, že Ježiš je naozaj Mesiáš.
1After this Paul[1] left Athens and went to Corinth.2And 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, (Sk 11,28; Sk 18,18; Sk 18,26; Rim 16,3; 1 Kor 16,19; 2 Tim 4,19)3and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. (Sk 20,34; 1 Kor 4,12; 1 Kor 9,15; 2 Kor 11,7; 2 Kor 12,13; 1 Sol 2,9; 2 Sol 3,8)4And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. (Sk 13,5; Sk 13,14; Sk 17,17)5When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. (Jób 32,18; Jer 6,11; Jer 20,9; Am 3,8; Sk 2,36; Sk 3,20; Sk 5,42; Sk 8,5; Sk 9,22; Sk 17,3; Sk 17,15; Sk 18,28; Sk 20,21; 2 Kor 5,14; 1 Sol 3,6)6And 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.” (2 Sam 1,16; Neh 5,13; Ez 3,18; Ez 18,13; Ez 33,4; Mt 27,25; Sk 13,46; Sk 13,51; Sk 20,26)7And 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. (Sk 1,23; Sk 16,14; Kol 4,11)8Crispus, 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. (Sk 11,14; 1 Kor 1,14)9And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, (Joz 1,5; Jer 1,8; Mt 28,20; Sk 23,11; Sk 26,16; Sk 27,23; Sk 27,24; 2 Kor 12,1)10for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” (Lk 21,18; Jn 10,16; Sk 18,9; 2 Sol 3,2)11And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.12But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews[2] made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, (Sk 13,7; Sk 13,50; Sk 16,19)13saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” (Sk 18,15)14But 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. (Sk 13,10)15But 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.” (Sk 18,13; Sk 23,29; Sk 25,19; 1 Tim 6,4; 2 Tim 2,14)16And he drove them from the tribunal.17And 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.
Paul Returns to Antioch
18After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers[3] and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. (Nm 6,2; Nm 6,18; Jn 21,23; Sk 18,2; Sk 21,23; Rim 16,1)19And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. (Sk 18,4; Sk 19,1; Sk 20,16; 1 Kor 15,32; 1 Kor 16,8; Ef 1,1; 1 Tim 1,3; 2 Tim 1,18)20When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined.21But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus. (Rim 15,32; 1 Kor 4,19; 1 Kor 16,7; Hebr 6,3; Jak 4,15; 1 Pt 3,17)22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. (Sk 11,2; Sk 21,15)23After 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. (Sk 14,22; Sk 16,6)
Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus
24Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. (Ezd 7,6; Sk 19,1; 1 Kor 1,12; 1 Kor 3,5; 1 Kor 4,6; 1 Kor 16,12; Tit 3,13)25He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit,[4] he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. (Lk 7,29; Sk 9,2; Sk 19,3; Rim 12,11)26He 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. (Mt 22,16; Sk 18,2; Sk 18,25)27And 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, (Sk 11,21; Sk 11,23; Sk 15,11; Sk 18,18; Sk 19,1; 1 Kor 3,6; 2 Kor 3,1; Ef 2,8)28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. (Sk 18,5)