Act 17 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia , they came to Thessalonica , where there was a synagogue of the Jews .

Acts 17

Paul at Thessalonica

1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ^aThessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And ^baccording to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three ^cSabbaths reasoned with them from ^dthe Scriptures, 3 ^{▼▼ Lit opening}explaining and ^{▼▼ Lit placing before}giving evidence that the ^{▼▼ I.e. Messiah}Christ ^hhad to suffer and ⁱrise again from the dead, and saying, ^j“This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the ^{▼▼ I.e. Messiah}Christ.” 4 ^lAnd some of them were persuaded and joined ^mPaul and Silas, ^{▼▼ Lit and a large}along with a large number of the ^oGod-fearing ^pGreeks and ^{▼▼ Lit not a few}a number of the ^rleading women. 5 But ^sthe Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of ^tJason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began ^udragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset ^{▼▼ Lit the inhabited earth
,} ^wthe world have come here also; 7 ^{▼▼ Lit whom Jason has welcomed}and Jason ^yhas welcomed them, and they all act ^zcontrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a ^{▼▼ Or bond}pledge from ^abJason and the others, they released them.

Paul at Berea

10 ^acThe brethren immediately sent ^adPaul and Silas away by night to ^aeBerea, ^{▼▼ Lit who when...arrived went}and when they arrived, they went into ^agthe synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in ^ahThessalonica, ^{▼▼ Lit who received}for they received the word with ^{▼▼ Lit all}great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore ^akmany of them believed, ^{▼▼ Lit and not a few}along with a number of ^amprominent Greek ^anwomen and men. 13 But when the Jews of ^aoThessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ^apBerea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then immediately ^aqthe brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and ^arSilas and ^asTimothy remained there. 15 Now ^atthose who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^auAthens; and receiving a command for ^avSilas and Timothy to ^awcome to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul at Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^axAthens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning ^ayin the synagogue with the Jews and ^azthe God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were ^{▼▼ Or disputing}conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would ^bbthis ^{▼▼ I.e. one who makes his living by picking up scraps}idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching ^bdJesus and the resurrection. 19 And they ^betook him and brought him ^{▼▼ Or before}to the ^{▼▼ Or Hill of Ares, god of war
,} ^bhAreopagus, saying, “May we know what ^bithis new teaching is ^{▼▼ Lit which is being spoken by you}which you are proclaiming? 20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers ^bkvisiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

22 So Paul stood in the midst of the ^{▼▼ Or the Council of the Areopagus}Areopagus and said, “Men of ^bmAthens, I observe that you are very ^bnreligious in all respects. 23 “For while I was passing through and examining the ^boobjects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what ^bpyou worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 ^bq“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is ^brLord of heaven and earth, does not ^bsdwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, ^btas though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and ^buHe made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ^bvdetermined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, ^bwthough He is not far from each one of us; 28 for ^bxin Him we live and move and ^{▼▼ Lit are}exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29 “Being then the children of God, we ^bzought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 “Therefore having ^caoverlooked ^cbthe times of ignorance, God is ^ccnow declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed ^cda day in which ^ceHe will judge ^{▼▼ Lit the inhabited earth
,} ^cgthe world in righteousness ^{▼▼ Lit by or in}through a Man whom He has ^ciappointed, having furnished proof to all men ^{▼▼ Or when He raised}by ^ckraising Him from the dead.”

32 Now when they heard of ^clthe resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you ^{▼▼ Lit also again}again concerning this.” 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^cnAreopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.