Many converted certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Acts. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit, certain men clave unto him, and believed; among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. CHAP. XVIII. 1 Paul laboureth with his hands, and preaching at Corinth, 9 is encouraged in a vision. AFTER these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth ;a -i Clave unto him, adhered to him. a Corinth, the principal city of Achaia in Greece, It was noted for to Christ. 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome,) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft b he abode with them, and wrought; for by their occupation they were tent-makers. 4 And he reasoned in their synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7¶And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to e the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, be lieved on the Lord with all his house; and many of the the wealth, pride, and profligacy of its inhabitants. Paul resided here about a year and a half, teaching the Christian religion, and gaining his support by his personal labour. b Craft, trade. • Foined hard to, was near. The Lord 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vis ion, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on theed to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 And when Gallio was the deputy e of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14 And, when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews! reason would that I should bear with you: 15 But if it be a question of words, and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. 16 And he drave them from the judgment-seat. 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat; and Gallio cared for none of those things. encourageth Paul. 18 ¶ And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea; for he had a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus.f and left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; 21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem; but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. 22 And when he had landed at Cesarea,g and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, strengthening all the disciples. 24 T And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria,h an eloquent man, and f Ephesus, one of the principal cities of Asia Minor, situated on the shore of the lonian sea. In it was the first of the seven churches, which St. John addresses in the Revelation. g Cesarea; see Acts viii. 40. b Alexandria; a large and populous city of Egypt at the mouth of the d Shall set on thee, shall assault thee. river Nile, built by Alexander the • Deputy, governor. Great. The Holy Ghost Acts. given by Paul's hands. mighty in the scriptures, came since ye believed? And they to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord ;i and, being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,j knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue; whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God k more perfectly. 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; who, when he was come, helped them much, which had believed through grace :/ 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. CHAP. XIX. The Holy Ghost given by the laying on of Paul's hands. 19 Magical books are burnt. 29 Demetrius raiseth an uproar. AND it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost ijk The way of the Lord, the things of the Lord, and the way of God, all mean the religion of Jesus Christ. 1 Grace, the mercy & favour of God. said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be an Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye haptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, That they should believe on him, which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And, when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve. 8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the king dom of God. 9 But when divers a were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. 10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they, which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. a Divers, some or many. Miracles wrought by Chap. xix. 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs or aprons, and the disease departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews,b exorcists,c took upon them to call over them, which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man, in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. b Vagabond, wandering or travelling. c Exorcist, a caster out of evil spirits. These vagabond or itinerant Jews, went about deceiving the people, not possessing the power they pretended to. the hands of Paul. 19 Many of them also, which used curious arts, brought their books together, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. 21 ¶ After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. 22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them, that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. 23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way :d 24 For a certain man, named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrinese for Diana,f brought no small gain unto the eraftsmen ;g 25 Whom he called together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye d That way, the religion of Jesus, which Paul taught. e Shrines, little images or models of the temple of Diana, or a sort of coms or medals, on which this celebrated temple might be represented. f Diana, one of the twelve superior heathen deities. She was known by a variety of titles and characters, as the goddess of hunting, travelling, enchantment, &c. g Craftsmen, tradesmen. know that by this craft we have our wealth: 26 Moreover, ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying, That they be no gods which are made with hands: 27 So that not only this our crafth is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephe sians. an uproar. ed; and the more part j knew not wherefore they were come together. 33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people : 34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice, about the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, le men of Ephesus, what man is there, that knoweth not how, that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image, which fell down from Jupiter ? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. 37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen, which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies; let them implead one another. 39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. j More part, greater part |
