1Depois disto, Paulo saiu de Atenas e foi para Corinto,2onde conheceu um judeu chamado Áquila, nascido no Ponto e que chegara recentemente da Itália com a sua mulher, Priscila. Tinham sido expulsos da Itália, quando Cláudio César ordenou que todos os judeus saíssem de Roma.3Paulo vivia e trabalhava com eles, pois, como ele próprio, tinham o ofício de fazer tendas.4Todos os sábados Paulo ia para a sinagoga, tentando convencer tanto judeus como gregos.5Depois de Silas e Timóteo chegarem da Macedónia, Paulo passava o seu tempo a pregar e a provar aos judeus que Jesus era o Cristo.6Mas quando os judeus se lhe opuseram e o insultaram, Paulo sacudiu a sua capa em sinal de protesto e disse: “Vocês recusam-se a aceitar e permanecem perdidos! Pois agora a responsabilidade é inteiramente vossa[1]. Quanto a mim, estou inocente do que vier a acontecer-vos e passarei a ir pregar aos gentios.”7Depois disto, ficou em casa de Tito Justo, que adorava a Deus e vivia ao lado da sinagoga.8Crispo, líder da sinagoga, e toda a sua casa creram no Senhor. E muitas outras pessoas em Corinto que o ouviram creram e foram batizadas.9Certa noite, o Senhor falou a Paulo numa visão: “Nada receies! Fala! Não desistas!10Estou contigo e ninguém te pode fazer mal. Há nesta cidade muita gente que me pertence.”11Assim, Paulo ficou ali mais um ano e meio, ensinando a palavra de Deus.12Contudo, quando Gálio se tornou governador da Acaia, os judeus uniram-se contra Paulo e levaram-no à presença do governador para ser julgado,13acusando-o: “Este convence os homens a adorarem a Deus de uma forma contrária à lei.”14Todavia, justamente quando Paulo ia começar a sua defesa, Gálion voltou-se para os acusadores e disse-lhes: “Escutem, judeus! Se neste caso houvesse matéria de crime, ver-me-ia obrigado a ouvir-vos.15Mas uma vez que se trata de uma questão de palavras e nomes, e da vossa Lei judaica, encarreguem-se vocês do caso. Não estou interessado em ser juiz dessas coisas.”16E expulsou-os do tribunal.17Então agarraram em Sóstenes, o líder da sinagoga, e espancaram-no diante do tribunal, mas Gálion não ligou a menor importância.
Priscila, Áquila e Apolo
18Paulo ficou na cidade de Corinto ainda vários dias e, despedindo-se dos cristãos, embarcou para a costa da Síria, levando consigo Priscila e Áquila. Em Cencreia tinha rapado a cabeça, de acordo com o costume judaico, pois fizera um voto.19Chegado ao porto de Éfeso, deixou os outros em Éfeso, foi à sinagoga e ali argumentou com os judeus sobre o evangelho.20Estes pediram-lhe que ficasse mais alguns dias, mas Paulo não aceitou a proposta.21“Tenho forçosamente de estar em Jerusalém para as festas”, disse. No entanto, prometeu regressar mais tarde a Éfeso, se Deus o permitisse. E assim continuou a viagem.22A próxima paragem foi no porto de Cesareia. Dali, foi visitar a igreja em Jerusalém, seguindo depois para Antioquia.23Após passar ali algum tempo, tornou a partir para a província da Ásia, atravessando a Galácia e a Frígia, visitando todos os discípulos, animando-os.24Sucedeu que acabara de chegar a Éfeso, vindo de Alexandria no Egito, um judeu chamado Apolo, que conhecia bem as Escrituras.25Tinha sido instruído sobre o caminho do Senhor e falava e ensinava os outros com grande entusiasmo no espírito e com exatidão acerca de Jesus. Contudo, conhecia apenas o batismo de João.26Quando Priscila e Áquila o ouviram pregar com ousadia na sinagoga, convidaram-no para a sua casa e explicaram-lhe mais exatamente o caminho de Deus.27Apolo tinha a intenção de ir à Acaia, ideia que os discípulos encorajaram. Escreveram, até, aos cristãos dessa região, recomendando-lhes que o aceitassem com agrado. Chegado à Acaia, Apolo ajudou grandemente os que tinham recebido a fé através da graça,28pois derrubava com poder todos os argumentos dos judeus em debate público, mostrando pelas Escrituras que Jesus era, de facto, o Cristo.
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, (At 11:28; At 18:18; At 18:26; Rm 16:3; 1 Co 16:19; 2 Tm 4:19)3and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. (At 20:34; 1 Co 4:12; 1 Co 9:15; 2 Co 11:7; 2 Co 12:13; 1 Ts 2:9; 2 Ts 3:8)4And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. (At 13:5; At 13:14; At 17:17)5When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. (Jó 32:18; Jr 6:11; Jr 20:9; Am 3:8; At 2:36; At 3:20; At 5:42; At 8:5; At 9:22; At 17:3; At 17:15; At 18:28; At 20:21; 2 Co 5:14; 1 Ts 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 Sm 1:16; Ne 5:13; Ez 3:18; Ez 18:13; Ez 33:4; Mt 27:25; At 13:46; At 13:51; At 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. (At 1:23; At 16:14; Cl 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. (At 11:14; 1 Co 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, (Js 1:5; Jr 1:8; Mt 28:20; At 23:11; At 26:16; At 27:23; At 27:24; 2 Co 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.” (Lc 21:18; Jo 10:16; At 18:9; 2 Ts 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, (At 13:7; At 13:50; At 16:19)13saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” (At 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. (At 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.” (At 18:13; At 23:29; At 25:19; 1 Tm 6:4; 2 Tm 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; Jo 21:23; At 18:2; At 21:23; Rm 16:1)19And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. (At 18:4; At 19:1; At 20:16; 1 Co 15:32; 1 Co 16:8; Ef 1:1; 1 Tm 1:3; 2 Tm 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. (Rm 15:32; 1 Co 4:19; 1 Co 16:7; Hb 6:3; Tg 4:15; 1 Pe 3:17)22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. (At 11:2; At 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. (At 14:22; At 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. (Ed 7:6; At 19:1; 1 Co 1:12; 1 Co 3:5; 1 Co 4:6; 1 Co 16:12; Tt 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. (Lc 7:29; At 9:2; At 19:3; Rm 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; At 18:2; At 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, (At 11:21; At 11:23; At 15:11; At 18:18; At 19:1; 1 Co 3:6; 2 Co 3:1; Ef 2:8)28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. (At 18:5)