Acts 17
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a synagogue;
2 and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the scriptures,
and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the scriptures.
3 opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, [said he], I proclaim unto you, is the Christ.
He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and “It is this man,” he declared, “who is the Christ – this Jesus about whom I am telling you.”
4 And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of leading women.
5 But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people.
But the Jewish leaders, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;
6 And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Lord’s followers before the city magistrates, shouting out, “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
7 whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, [one] Jesus.
and have been harbored by Jason! They are all defying the decrees of the Emperor. They say that someone else is king – a man called Jesus!”
8 And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
On hearing this, the people and the city magistrates were much concerned;
9 And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
That very night the followers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.
These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with great readiness, and daily examined the scriptures to see if what was said was true.
12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few.
As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed of Paul at Beroea also, they came thither likewise, stirring up and troubling the multitudes.
But, when the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica found out that God’s message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.
14 And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still.
The followers immediately arranged for Paul to go away to the coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
15 But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.
The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.
While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.
So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
18 And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some asked “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others said “He seems to be a preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection).
19 And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?
So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. “May we hear,” they asked, “what new teaching this is which you are giving?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)
(All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
22 And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious.
So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said – “People of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.
For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription – ‘To an Unknown God.’ What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you.
24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
The God who made the world and all things that are in it – he, Lord as he is of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands,
25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
neither do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined [their] appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation;
He made all races of the earth’s surface – fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements –
27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:
That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;
28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets – ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.
Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone – a work of human art and imagination.
30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of people’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to everyone everywhere the need for repentance,
31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
because he has fixed a day on which he intends to judge the world with justice, by a man whom he has appointed – and of this he has given all people a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again.
On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they wanted to hear what he had to say about that another time.
33 Thus Paul went out from among them.
And so Paul left the Court.
34 But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
There were, however, some people who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.
