Act 17 | NASB2020 | 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 in 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 ^{▼▼Lit entered to them}visited them, and for three ^dSabbaths reasoned with them from ^ethe Scriptures, 3 ^{▼▼Lit opening}explaining and ^{▼▼Lit placing before}giving evidence that the ^{▼▼I.e., Messiah}Christ ⁱhad to suffer and ^jrise from the dead, and saying, “ ^kThis Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the ^{▼▼I.e., Messiah}Christ.” 4 ^mAnd some of them were persuaded and joined ⁿPaul and Silas, ^{▼▼Lit and a large}along with a large number of the ^pGod-fearing ^qGreeks and ^{▼▼Lit not a few}a significant number of the ^sleading women. 5 But ^tthe Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and they attacked the house of ^uJason and were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began ^vdragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset ^{▼▼Lit the inhabited earth
,} ^xthe world have come here also; 7 ^{▼▼Lit whom Jason has welcomed}and Jason ^zhas welcomed them, and they all act ^aacontrary 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 ^acJason and the others, they released them.

Paul in Berea

10 ^adThe brothers immediately sent ^aePaul and Silas away by night to ^afBerea, ^{▼▼Lit who when...arrived went}and when they arrived, they went into ^ahthe synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in ^aiThessalonica, ^{▼▼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, ^almany of them believed, ^{▼▼Lit and not a few}along with a significant number of ^anprominent Greek ^aowomen and men. 13 But when the Jews of ^apThessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ^aqBerea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then immediately ^arthe brothers sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and ^asSilas and ^atTimothy remained there. 15 Now ^authose who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^avAthens; and receiving a command for ^awSilas and Timothy to ^axcome to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul in Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in ^ayAthens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning ^azin the synagogue with the Jews and ^bathe God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were ^{▼▼Or disputing}conversing with him. Some were saying, “What could ^bcthis ^{▼▼Lit seed gatherer; i.e., an unlearned person collecting only scraps of knowledge}scavenger of tidbits want to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,” --because he was preaching ^beJesus and the resurrection. 19 And they ^bftook him and brought him ^{▼▼Or before}to the ^{▼▼Or Hill of Ares; Greek god of war
,} ^biAreopagus, saying, “May we know what ^bjthis 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 ^blvisiting 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 ^bnAthens, I see that you are very ^boreligious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the ^bpobjects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what ^bqyou worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 ^brThe God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is ^bsLord of heaven and earth, does not ^btdwell in temples made by hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, ^buas though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and ^bvHe made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ^bwdetermined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, ^bxthough He is not far from each one of us; 28 for ^byin Him we live and move and ^{▼▼Lit are}exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we ^caought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. 30 So having ^cboverlooked ^ccthe times of ignorance, God is ^cdnow proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, 31 because He has set ^cea day on which ^cfHe will judge ^{▼▼Lit the inhabited earth
,} ^chthe world in righteousness ^{▼▼Lit by; or in}through a Man whom He has ^cjappointed, having furnished proof to all people ^{▼▼Or when He raised}by ^clraising Him from the dead.”

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