‏ Acts 17

1SO journeying through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of Jews: 2And Paul, according to his usual custom, went in to them, and for three sabbaths he reasoned with them from the scriptures, 3opening them clearly, and laying it evidently down that the Messiah must suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this man is the Messiah, even Jesus, whom I preach unto you. 4And some of them believed, and associated themselves with Paul and Silas; and of the religious Greeks a vast multitude, and of the wives of the first people not a few. 5But the unbelieving Jews, roused to a fit of zeal, and taking some of the lowest vulgar men of vile characters, and raising a mob, set the city in an uproar, and besetting the house of Jason, sought them to bring them unto the people. 6But not finding them there, they dragged Jason and certain brethren to the city magistrates, roaring out, These are the men who are movers of sedition through the world, and are come in hither; 7whom Jason has entertained in his house: and the practice of all these fellows is in direct opposition to all Caesar’s ordinances, for they affirm that another is king, one Jesus. 8And they greatly agitated the people and the city magistrates when they heard these things. 9So after taking sufficient security from Jason and the rest, they dismissed them.

10Then the disciples immediately by night sent off both Paul and Silas to Berea; who were no sooner arrived, than they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11Now these were more liberally minded men than those of Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness of mind, daily, examining the Scriptures if these things were really so. 12Then many of them truly believed: and of the Grecian proselyte women of respectability, and of the men not a few.

13But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that at Berea also the word of God was preached by Paul, they came thither, and stirred up the populace. 14Then immediately on this the brethren sent off Paul, to go as if by sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still. 15And those who conduced Paul brought him as far as Athens, and receiving an injunction for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as speedily as possible, they departed. 16Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit within him was greatly grieved, beholding the city so devoted to idolatry. 17Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped there, and in the forum every day with those he happened to meet.

18Then certain of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him: and some said, What will this chattering fellow say? but others, He seemeth to be a preacher of foreign deities, because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. 19So they took him and led him to the hill of Mars, saying, May we know what this novel doctrine taught by thee is? 20For thou bringest some strange stories to our ears; we wish therefore to know what these things mean. 21Now all the Athenians and the strangers who come to sojourn there, take pleasure in spending their time in nothing else but in talking, or hearing of some novelty.

22Then Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, Ye men of Athens, I observe that in all things ye are too much devoted to the worship of daemons. 23For as I walked about, and attentively viewed the objects of your worship, I found even an altar on which was this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you in ignorance adore, him I preach unto you. 24The God who created the world, and all things in it, he that is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples of man’s construction; 25nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed any creature, himself imparting to all beings life, and breath, and all things. 26And hath made from one man’s blood all the nations of mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, fixing the predetermined periods of their existence, and the boundaries of their several abodes; 27that they should seek the Lord, if indeed they might haply grope him out, and find him, though truly he is not far from any individual of us: 28for from him we derive life, and power of motion, and existence; as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are even his offspring.” 29Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to imagine that the Divinity is like to gold, or silver, or stone sculptured by human art or contrivance. 30These times indeed of ignorance God then overlooked; but he now commands all men in every place to repent: 31because he hath fixed the day in which he will judge the whole world in righteousness by the man whom he hath appointed; affording evidence of this to all, by raising him from the dead.

32But when they heard of the resurrection from the dead, Some scoffed: and others said, We will hear thee again on this subject. 33And so Paul departed from the midst of them. 34But certain persons cleaving to him, believed: among whom was even Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.