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They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
Acts 18:19 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
  • KJV And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
  • BSB When they reached Ephesus, Paul parted ways with Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews.
  • NKJV And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
  • NLT They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Arriving at Ephesus, Paul left his companions and reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews.

Overview

Ephesus, a major city of Asia Minor, would later become a central hub of Paul's ministry (Acts 19). Even on a brief stop, Paul seized the chance to reason from the Scriptures in the synagogue. This visit planted seeds and left Priscilla and Aquila to nurture the work before his return.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • 2 Tim 1:18(the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.
  • Eph 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
  • 1 Tim 1:3As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,
  • Acts 19:1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples.
  • Acts 20:16For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
  • Acts 18:24Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures.
  • 1 Cor 15:32If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
  • Acts 18:4He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
  • Rev 2:1“To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:
  • Acts 17:2–3Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
  • Acts 19:26You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.
  • Rev 1:11saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
  • 1 Cor 16:8But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost,
  • 2 Tim 4:12But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
  • Acts 19:17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
  • Acts 18:21but taking his leave of them, and saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 18:19YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 18:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.