Acts 17

1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.

4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.

5 The unbelieving Jews, however, brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.

6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,

7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”

8 On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed.

9 And they collected bond from Jason and the others and then released them.

10 As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they went there themselves to incite the crowds.

14 The brothers immediately sent Paul away as if to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.

15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.

18 Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

19 So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

20 For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”

21 Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.

22 Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

23 For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore Him whom you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.

25 Nor is He served by the hands of men, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

26 From one blood He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.

27 The Lord intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

28 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

29 Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

30 Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

31 For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this topic.”

33 At that, Paul left the Areopagus.

34 But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.

1 ¶ Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, [one] Jesus.

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

10 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

16 ¶ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, [is]?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 ¶ Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32 ¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this [matter].

33 So Paul departed from among them.

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which [was] Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

1 And as they journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica. There was a school of the Jews.

2 After Paul therefore was accustomed, he went in unto them, and spake unto them of the scriptures three sabbaths,

3 And opened it unto them, and set it before them, that Christ must suffer, and rise again from the dead: and that this JEsus, whom I declare unto you, is the Christ.

4 And some of them fell to him, and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and to the godly Greeks a great multitude, and to the chief women not a few.

5 But the stiff-necked Jews envied, and took unto themselves certain wicked men of the rabble, and made a mob, and made a disturbance in the city, and came before the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out among the common people.

6 And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying out, These also that stir up the whole world are come hither;

7 Whom Jason hath sent for: and all these do contrary to Caesar's commandment, saying that another is king, even Jesus.

8 And they moved the people, and the rulers of the city, which heard these things.

9 And when they had received account from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea. And when they were come thither, they entered into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 For they were the noblest of them that were in Thessalonica, which received the word very willingly, and searched the scriptures daily, whether it were so.

12 So then many of them believed, even of the respectable women and men of Greece not a few.

13 And when the Jews which were in Thessalonica heard that the word of God was preached of Paul also in Berea, they came and stirred up the people there also.

14 And the brethren immediately sent Paul away, that he might go unto the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there.

15 And they that led Paul led him as far as Athens. And when they had received commandment unto Silas and Timotheus, that they should come to him at the earliest, they departed.

16 And as Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was enraged within him, when he saw the city so utterly idolatrous.

17 And he spake unto the Jews and to the godly in the synagogue, and also in the market every day unto them that came near.

18 And some of the Epicureans and Stoic philosophers quarreled with him; and some said: What meaneth this fool? But some said, It seemeth as if he would preach new gods. So he had preached the gospel of Jesus and the resurrection to them.

19 And they took him, and led him into the judgment seat, and said: Can we also know what is this new doctrine which thou teachest?

20 For thou bringest a new thing before our ears: we would gladly know what it is.

21 But all the Athenians, even the foreigners and the sojourners, were intent on nothing else, but to say or to hear something new.

22 And Paul stood in the midst of the judgment seat, and said: Ye men of Athens, I see that ye are in all things too superstitious.

23 I passed through, and saw your worship, and found an altar written thereon: To the unknown God. Now I declare unto you the same, whom ye worship ignorantly.

24 God, which made the world, and all that is in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

25 Neither is he cared for by the hands of men, as needing any man, when he himself giveth life and breath to all men everywhere.

26 And hath made of one blood of all people kindreds to dwell upon all the face of the earth, and hath appointed a purpose beforehand, how long and how far they shall dwell,

27 That they should seek the Lord, if they might feel him, and find him. And he is not far from any of us;

28 For in him we live, and weave, and are; as also some poets have said among you: We are of his seed.

29 If we then be of the divine generation, let us not think that the Godhead is like unto graven images, and silver images, and images of stone, made with the thoughts of men.

30 And indeed God overlooked the time of ignorance; but now He gives all men in all places to repent,

31 Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world with righteousness by one man, in whom he hath ordained it, holding forth faith to every man, when he hath raised him from the dead.

32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some had it in derision: but some said: We will hear thee further of it.

33 So Paul departed from them.

34 And certain men adhered to him, and believed: among whom was Dionysius, one of the council, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.