< Acts 17 >
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 to them, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that it was needful that Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach to 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 who believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain wicked fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in 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 to the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down have come here 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 others, they let them go.
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who coming there 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 who were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there 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 Timothy abode there still.
15 And they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens: and receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy 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 he disputed 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 Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? some others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him to Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine is, of which thou speakest?
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 who 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 very religious.
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 to you.
24 God that made the world and all things in it, 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 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 perhaps they might grope after him, and find him, though he is 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 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold, or silver, or stone, formed by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God overlooked; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, when he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; of which he hath given assurance to 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 concerning this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 But certain men joined themselves to him, and believed: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
