Acts 17
1Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2And as was Paul’s custom, he went to the Jews in the synagogue. And for three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3explaining and setting before them that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from among the dead, and that, “This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Christ.”
4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women.
5But the Jews became jealous and rounded up some wicked men from among those who loitered at the marketplace, and they formed a mob and were setting the city into an uproar. And they invaded the house of Jason, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the people.
6And when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the rulers of the city, shouting, “These people who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
7and Jason has welcomed them into his house! And these people all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king—Jesus!”
8They stirred up the crowd and the rulers of the city who heard these things.
9And when they had taken money as a security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10And as soon as it was night the brothers and sisters sent away Paul and Silas to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11Now these people were more noble than those in Thessalonica, since they received the message with great willingness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
12Therefore, many of them believed, along with many of the Greek women of high standing, and not a few Greek men.
13But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and causing turmoil in the crowds.
14And then immediately the brothers and sisters sent Paul away to go as far as to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there still.
15Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible.
16Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred up within him as he saw the city full of idols.
17So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and God-fearing Greeks, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
18And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. And some said, “What is this man with scattered thoughts trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a promoter of foreign divinities,” because he proclaimed the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
19And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we learn what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
20For you are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, so we want to know what they mean.”
21(Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about or listening to some new idea.)
22And Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in every way.
23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your devotion, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So, what you worship in ignorance is the very thing I am proclaiming to you:
24The God who made the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made with hands,
25nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything.
26And from one man he made every nation of humankind to live on the entire face of the earth, and he determined their appointed seasons and the boundaries of where they live,
27so that they would seek God, and perhaps they might feel around for him and find him, though he is really not far from each one of us.
28For it is in him we live, and move, and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
29Since we are the offspring of God, we have an obligation not to assume that the divine nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, something crafted by human art and imagination.
30God overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
31because he has set a day in which he will judge the inhabited world righteously by the man whom he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all people by raising him from among the dead.”
32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
33So Paul went out from the middle of the Areopagus.
34But some men joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.