HANDELINGE 18

Paulus in Korinte

1 Hierna het Paulus Atene verlaat en na Korinte toe gegaan. 2 Daar het hy vir Akwila, 'n Jood wat in Pontus gebore is, ontmoet. Hy het kort tevore saam met sy vrou, Priscilla, uit Italië daar aangekom, nadat keiser Claudius beveel het dat al die Jode Rome moet verlaat. Paulus het hulle gaan opsoek, 3 en omdat hulle net soos hy tentmakers van beroep was, het hy by hulle ingetrek en saam met hulle gewerk. 4 Maar elke sabbatdag het hy in die sinagoge met die mense geredeneer en Jode en Grieke probeer oortuig.

5 Nadat Silas en Timoteus van Masedonië af gekom het, het Paulus al sy tyd bestee aan die prediking om die Jode daarvan te oortuig dat Jesus die Christus is. 6 Maar toe hulle hulle aanhou verset en hom beledig, het hy die stof van sy klere afgeskud en vir hulle gesê: “As julle verlore gaan, is dit julle eie skuld. Ek aanvaar nie die verantwoordelikheid daarvoor nie. Van nou af gaan werk ek onder mense wat nie Jode is nie.”

7 Toe het hy die sinagoge verlaat en na die huis toe gegaan van 'n godvresende man met die naam Titius Justus. Sy huis was net langs die sinagoge. 8 Krispus, die hoof van die sinagoge, en sy hele huisgesin het tot geloof in die Here gekom. Ook baie ander mense in Korinte wat die boodskap gehoor het, het gelowig geword en is gedoop.

9 Een nag het die Here in 'n gesig vir Paulus gesê: “Moenie bang wees nie; hou aan met preek en moenie stilbly nie, 10 want Ek is by jou. Niemand sal jou aanval of jou kwaad aandoen nie, want in hierdie stad behoort baie mense aan My.”

11 Paulus het 'n jaar en ses maande lank daar gebly en die mense onderrig in die woord van God.

12 Nadat Gallio goewerneur van Agaje geword het, het die Jode egter soos een man teen Paulus in opstand gekom en hom voor die hof gebring. 13 “Hierdie man,” het hulle gesê, “probeer die mense oorhaal om God op 'n manier te vereer wat in stryd is met ons wet.”

14 Paulus wou praat, maar toe sê Gallio vir die Jode: “As dit oor 'n onreg of 'n ernstige misdaad gegaan het, was dit my plig om geduldig na julle Jode te luister. 15 Maar aangesien dit 'n geredekawel is oor woorde en name en julle eie wet, moet julle self daaroor beslis. In sulke sake wil ek nie regter wees nie.”

16 Daarna het hy hulle uit die hof uitgejaag. 17 Hulle het toe almal vir Sostenes, die hoof van die sinagoge, gegryp en hom net daar voor die regbank aangerand. Gallio het hom egter niks daaraan gesteur nie.

Paulus kom terug na Antiogië toe

18 Nadat Paulus nog 'n tyd lank daar by die gelowiges in Korinte gebly het, het hy van hulle afskeid geneem en saam met Priscilla en Akwila na Sirië toe vertrek. Voordat hy in Kenchreë aan boord gegaan het, het hy sy hare laat afsny, omdat 'n gelofte wat hy afgelê het, vervul was.

19 By hulle aankoms in Efese het Paulus sy reisgenote verlaat en in die sinagoge ingegaan, waar hy met die Jode geredeneer het. 20 Hulle het hom gevra om langer te bly, maar hy wou nie. 21 Hy het van hulle afskeid geneem en gesê: “As God wil, kom ek na julle toe terug.” Hy het van Efese af weggegaan

22 en in Sesarea aangekom. Daarvandaan het hy Jerusalem toe gegaan en die gemeente gegroet, en toe na Antiogië toe vertrek, 23 waar hy 'n tyd lank gebly het.

Derde sendingreis

Apollos preek in Efese

24 Intussen het daar 'n Jood met die naam Apollos, wat in Aleksandrië gebore is, in Efese aangekom. Hy was 'n begaafde spreker met 'n deeglike kennis van die Skrif. 25 Hy het in die leer van die Here onderrig ontvang en het met groot geesdrif gepraat en aan ander noukeurig alles oor Jesus geleer; maar die doop waarvan hy geweet het, was net dié van Johannes. 26 Hy het met vrymoedigheid in die sinagoge begin preek. Toe Priscilla en Akwila hom hoor, het hulle hom huis toe geneem en vir hom die leer van God nog duideliker gemaak.

27 Toe Apollos na Agaje toe wou gaan, het die gelowiges hom aangemoedig en vir hom 'n brief saamgegee aan die gelowiges daar om te versoek dat hulle hom vriendelik moet ontvang. Daar aangekom, was hy tot groot hulp vir dié wat deur die genade van God gelowig geword het, 28 want hy het die Jode in die openbaar kragtig weerlê en uit die Skrif bewys dat Jesus die Christus is.

Acts 18

1  AFTER THIS [Paul] departed from Athens and went to Corinth.2  There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently arrived from Italy with Priscilla his wife, due to the fact that Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. And [Paul] went to see them,3  And because he was of the same occupation, he stayed with them; and they worked [together], for they were tentmakers by trade.4  But he discoursed and argued in the synagogue every Sabbath and won over [both] Jews and Greeks.5  By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was completely engrossed with preaching, earnestly arguing and testifying to the Jews that Jesus [is] the Christ.6  But since they kept opposing and abusing and reviling him, he shook out his clothing [against them] and said to them, Your blood be upon your [own] heads! I am innocent [of it]. From now on I will go to the Gentiles (the heathen). 7  He then left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.8  But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed [that Jesus is the Messiah and acknowledged Him with joyful trust as Savior and Lord], together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians who listened [to Paul also] believed and were baptized.9  And one night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, Have no fear, but speak and do not keep silent;10  For I am with you, and no man shall assault you to harm you, for I have many people in this city. 11  So he settled down among them for a year and six months, teaching the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].12  But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (most of Greece), the Jews unitedly made an attack upon Paul and brought him before the judge’s seat,13  Declaring, This fellow is advising and inducing and inciting people to worship God in violation of the Law [of Rome and of Moses].14  But when Paul was about to open his mouth to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or villainy, O Jews, I should have cause to bear with you and listen;15  But since it is merely a question [of doctrine] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I decline to be a judge of such matters and I have no intention of trying such cases.16  And he drove them away from the judgment seat.17  Then they [the Greeks] all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.18  Afterward Paul remained many days longer, and then told the brethren farewell and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he [Paul] cut his hair, for he had made a vow.19  Then they arrived in Ephesus, and [Paul] left the others there; but he himself entered the synagogue and discoursed and argued with the Jews.20  When they asked him to remain for a longer time, he would not consent;21  But when he was leaving them he said, I will return to you if God is willing, and he set sail from Ephesus.22  When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch.23  After staying there some time, he left and went from place to place in an orderly journey through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing the disciples and imparting new strength to them.24  Meanwhile, there was a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, who came to Ephesus. He was a cultured and eloquent man, well versed and mighty in the Scriptures.25  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spiritual zeal, he spoke and taught diligently and accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he was acquainted only with the baptism of John.26  He began to speak freely (fearlessly and boldly) in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him with them and expounded to him the way of God more definitely and accurately.27  And when [Apollos] wished to cross to Achaia (most of Greece), the brethren wrote to the disciples there, urging and encouraging them to accept and welcome him heartily. When he arrived, he proved a great help to those who through grace (God’s unmerited favor and mercy) had believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ as Lord and Savior).28  For with great power he refuted the Jews in public [discussions], showing and proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah).