Act 17:16-34 | ESV | STEP | Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens , his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols .

Acts 17:16-34

Paul in Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was ^aprovoked within him as he saw that the city was ^bfull of idols. 17 So ^che reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, ^d“What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because ^ehe was preaching ^fJesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to ^gthe Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this ^hnew teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some ⁱstrange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now 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

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ^j‘To the unknown god.’ ^kWhat therefore you worship ^las unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 ^mThe God who made the world and everything in it, being ⁿLord of heaven and earth, ^odoes not live in temples made by man, ^{▼▼Greek made by hands} 25 nor is he served by human hands, ^qas though he needed anything, since he himself ^rgives to all mankind ^slife and breath and everything. 26 And ^the made from one man every nation of mankind to live ^uon all the face of the earth, ^vhaving determined allotted periods and ^wthe boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 ^xthat they should seek God, ^yand perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. ^zYet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

^aa“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; ^{▼▼Probably from Epimenides of Crete}
as even some of ^acyour own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ ^{▼▼From Aratus’s poem “Phainomena”}
29 ^aeBeing then God’s offspring, ^afwe 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 ^agThe times of ignorance ^ahGod overlooked, but ^ainow he ^ajcommands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed ^aka day on which ^alhe will judge the world ^amin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and ^anof this he has given assurance to all ^aoby raising him from the dead.”

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