Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.
Parallel translations
- WEB He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
- KJV And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
- BSB Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.
- NKJV And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
- NASB And Paul was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
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
Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, seeking to persuade both Jews and Greeks that Jesus is the Christ.
Overview
As was his pattern, Paul began with the synagogue, reasoning from the Scriptures to show that Jesus fulfills the promises to Israel. The presence of God-fearing Greeks shows the synagogue was already a bridge to the Gentiles. His persuasive, Scripture-based approach models thoughtful, patient evangelism grounded in God's Word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 2 Cor 5:11Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God; and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.
- Acts 17:17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.
- Acts 28:23When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.
- Acts 13:14But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.
- Luke 4:16He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
- Acts 17:1–3Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 19:8He entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
- Luke 16:31“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”
- 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.
- Acts 18:13saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
- Acts 26:28Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
- 2 Chr 32:11Doesn’t Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, ‘Yahweh our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?’
- Acts 17:11Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
- Gen 9:27May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”
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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 18:4 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.