Matendo 18

Paulo kule Korintho

1 Baada ya hayo, Paulo aliondoka Athene, akaenda Korintho. 2 Huko Korintho, alimkuta Myahudi mmoja aitwaye Akula, mzaliwa wa Ponto. Akula pamoja na mkewe aitwaye Priskila, walikuwa wamerudi kutoka Italia siku hizohizo kwa sababu Kaisari Klaudio alikuwa ameamuru Wayahudi wote waondoke Roma. Paulo alikwenda kuwaona, 3 na kwa vile wao walikuwa mafundi wa kushona mahema kama yeye, Paulo alikaa nao akafanya kazi. 4 Kila Sabato alifanya majadiliano katika sunagogi akijaribu kuwavuta Wayahudi na Wagiriki.

5 Baada ya Sila na Timotheo kuwasili kutoka Makedonia, Paulo alianza kutumia wakati wake wote kwa ajili ya kuhubiri, akawathibitishia Wayahudi kwamba Yesu ndiye Kristo. 6 Walipompinga na kuanza kumtukana, aliyakunguta mavazi yake mbele yao akisema, “Mkipotea ni shauri lenu wenyewe; mimi sina lawama yoyote juu ya jambo hilo. Na tangu sasa nitawaendea watu na mataifa mengine.” 7 Basi, akatoka hapo akaenda kukaa nyumbani kwa mtu mmoja mcha Mungu aitwaye Tito Yusto, ambaye nyumba yake ilikuwa karibu na lile sunagogi. 8 Krispo, mkuu wa hilo sunagogi, alimwamini Bwana yeye pamoja na jamaa yake yote. Wakorintho wengi waliusikiliza ujumbe huo, wakaamini na kubatizwa.

9 Siku moja usiku, Bwana alimwambia Paulo katika maono: “Usiogope, endelea kuhubiri tu bila kufa moyo, 10 maana mimi niko pamoja nawe. Hakuna mtu atakayejaribu kukudhuru maana hapa mjini pana watu wengi walio upande wangu.” 11 Basi, Paulo alikaa huko akifundisha neno la Mungu kati yao kwa muda wa mwaka mmoja na nusu.

12 Lakini wakati Galio alipokuwa mkuu wa mkoa wa Akaya, Wayahudi walimvamia Paulo kwa pamoja na kumpeleka mahakamani. 13 Wakasema, “Tunamshtaki mtu huyu kwa sababu ya kuwashawishi watu wamwabudu Mungu kwa namna inayopingana na sheria.” 14 Kabla tu Paulo hajaanza kusema, Galio aliwaambia Wayahudi, “Sikilizeni enyi Wayahudi! Kama kweli jambo hili lingekuwa juu ya uhalifu au uovu ningekuwa tayari kuwasikilizeni. 15 Lakini kama ni shauri la ubishi kuhusu maneno na majina na sheria yenu, amueni nyinyi wenyewe. Mimi sitaki kuwa hakimu wa mambo hayo!” 16 Basi, akawafukuza kutoka mahakamani. 17 Nao wote wakamkamata Sosthene ambaye alikuwa kiongozi wa sunagogi, wakampiga palepale mbele ya mahakama. Lakini Galio hakujali kitendo hicho hata kidogo.

Paulo anarudi tena Antiokia

18 Paulo alikaa bado na wale ndugu huko Korintho kwa siku nyingi. Kisha aliwaaga, akapanda meli kwenda Siria pamoja na Priskila na Akula. Huko Kenkrea, alinyoa nywele zake kwa sababu ya nadhiri aliyokuwa ameweka. 19 Walifika Efeso na hapo Paulo aliwaacha Priskila na Akula, akaenda katika sunagogi, akajadiliana na Wayahudi. 20 Walimwomba akae nao muda mrefu zaidi, lakini hakupenda. 21 Bali alipokuwa anaondoka, alisema, “Mungu akipenda nitakuja kwenu tena.” Akaondoka Efeso kwa meli.

22 Meli ilitia nanga Kaisarea, naye Paulo akaenda Yerusalemu kulisalimia lile kanisa, kisha akaenda Antiokia. 23 Alikaa huko muda mfupi, halafu akaendelea na safari kwa kupitia sehemu za Galatia na Frugia akiwatia moyo wafuasi wote.

Apolo anahubiri Efeso na Korintho

24 Myahudi mmoja aitwaye Apolo, mzaliwa wa Aleksandria, alifika Efeso. Alikuwa mtu mwenye ufasaha wa kuongea na mwenye ujuzi mkubwa wa Maandiko Matakatifu. 25 Alikuwa amefundishwa juu ya hiyo njia ya Bwana, na akiwa motomoto, aliongea juu ya habari za Yesu akafundisha kwa usahihi ingawa alikuwa amepata ubatizo wa Yohane tu. 26 Priskila na Akula walipomsikia akiongea kwa uhodari ndani ya sunagogi, walimchukua kwao wakamfundisha hiyo njia ya Mungu kwa usahihi zaidi. 27 Apolo alipoamua kwenda Akaya, wale ndugu walimtia moyo kwa kuwaandikia wafuasi kule Akaya wampokee. Alipofika huko, aliweza kwa msaada wa neema ya Mungu, kuwasaidia sana wale ndugu waliopata kuwa waumini; 28 kwa maana aliendelea kwa uhodari kuwashinda Wayahudi hadharani akithibitisha kwa Maandiko Matakatifu kuwa Yesu ni Kristo.

Acts 18

1 After these things he departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them;3 and because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and they wrought, for by their trade they were tentmakers.4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.6 And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out 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 went into the house of a certain man named Titus Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.8 And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.9 And the Lord said unto Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace:10 for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I have much people in this city.11 And he dwelt there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment-seat,13 saying, This man persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked villany, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:15 but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; I am not minded to be a judge of these matters.16 And he drove them from the judgment-seat.17 And they all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things.18 And Paul, having tarried after this yet many days, took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila: having shorn his head in Cenchreae; for he had a vow.19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.20 And when they asked him to abide a longer time, he consented not;21 but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again unto you if God will, he set sail from Ephesus.22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church, and went down to Antioch.23 And having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the scriptures.25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John:26 and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately.27 And when he was minded to pass over into Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him: and when he was come, he helped them much that had believed through grace;28 for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.