Acts 17

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to aThessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And Paul went in, bas was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them cfrom the Scriptures, 3 dexplaining and proving that it was necessary for ethe Christ to suffer and fto rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4And gsome of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did ha great many of the devout iGreeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 jBut the Jews
Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 13
lwere jealous, and taking msome wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
6And when they could not find them, nthey dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against othe decrees of Caesar, saying that there is panother king, Jesus.” 8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Berea

10 qThe brothers
Or  brothers and sisters; also verse 14
immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they swent into the Jewish synagogue.
11Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, texamining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 uMany of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek vwomen of high standing as well as men. 13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, wagitating and stirring up the crowds. 14Then the brothers ximmediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and yTimothy remained there. 15 zThose who conducted Paul brought him as far as aaAthens, and after receiving a command abfor Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Paul in Athens

16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was acprovoked within him as he saw that the city was adfull of idols. 17So aehe reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, afWhat does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because aghe was preaching ahJesus and the resurrection. 19And they took him and brought him to aithe Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this ajnew teaching is that you are presenting? 20For you bring some akstrange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, al‘To the unknown god.’ amWhat therefore you worship anas unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 aoThe God who made the world and everything in it, being apLord of heaven and earth, aqdoes not live in temples made by man,
Greek made by hands
25nor is he served by human hands, asas though he needed anything, since he himself atgives to all mankind aulife and breath and everything. 26And avhe made from one man every nation of mankind to live awon all the face of the earth, axhaving determined allotted periods and aythe boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 azthat they should seek God, baand perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. bbYet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28for

bc“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
Probably from Epimenides of Crete

as even some of beyour own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
From Aratus’s poem “Phainomena”

29 bgBeing then God’s offspring, bhwe ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 biThe times of ignorance bjGod overlooked, but bknow he blcommands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed bma day on which bnhe will judge the world boin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and bpof this he has given assurance to all bqby raising him from the dead.”

32Now when they heard of brthe resurrection of the dead, bssome mocked. But others said, bt“We will hear you again about this.” 33So Paul went out from their midst. 34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius buthe Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

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