The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 17 -

And having passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where the synagogue of the Jews was,

and according to the custom of Paul, he went in to them, and for three Sabbaths he was reasoning with them from the Writings,

opening and alleging that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer, and to rise again out of the dead, and that “this is the Christ—Jesus whom I proclaim to you.”

And certain of them believed, and attached themselves to Paul and to Silas, also a great multitude of the worshiping Greeks, also not a few of the principal women.

And the Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken to themselves certain evil men of the agitators, and having made a crowd, were setting the city in an uproar; having also assailed the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring [them] to the populace,

and having not found them, they drew Jason and certain brothers to the city rulers, calling aloud, “These, having put the world in commotion, are also present here,

whom Jason has received; and all these do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying another to be king—Jesus.”

And they troubled the multitude and the city rulers, hearing these things,

and having taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

The Character of the Bereans

And the brothers immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went into the synagogue of the Jews;

and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Writings every day [to see] whether those things were so;

therefore, many of them, indeed, believed, and not a few of the honorable Greek women and men.

And when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that also in Berea was the word of God declared by Paul, they came there also, agitating the multitudes;

and then immediately the brothers sent forth Paul, to go on as it were to the sea, but both Silas and Timotheus were remaining there.

And those conducting Paul, brought him to Athens, and having received a command to Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come to him, they departed;

Paul in Athens

and Paul waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, beholding the city wholly given to idolatry,

therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshiping persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met with him.

And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, “What would this seed picker wish to say?” And others, “He seems to be an announcer of strange demons”; because he proclaimed to them Jesus and the resurrection as good news,

having also taken him, they brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, “Are we able to know what this new teaching [is] that is spoken by you,

for you bring certain strange things to our ears? We resolve, then, to know what these things would wish to be”;

and all Athenians, and the strangers sojourning, for nothing else were at leisure but to say something, and to hear some newer thing.

Paul’s Address in the Areopagus

And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, “Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;

for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I also found an altar on which had been inscribed: To God—unknown; whom, therefore—not knowing—you worship, this One I announce to you.

God, who made the world, and all things in it, this One, being Lord of Heaven and of earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,

neither is He served by the hands of men—needing anything, He giving life to all, and breath, and all things;

He also made every nation of man of one blood, to dwell on all the face of the earth—having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings—

to seek the LORD, if perhaps they felt after Him and found, though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us,

for in Him we live, and move, and are; as certain of your poets have also said: For we are also His offspring.

Being, therefore, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, [an] engraving of art and imagination of man;

therefore indeed God, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now commands all men everywhere to convert,

because He set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a Man whom He ordained, having given assurance to all, having raised Him out of the dead.”

And having heard of a resurrection of the dead, some, indeed, were mocking, but others said, “We will hear you again concerning this”;

and so Paul went forth from the midst of them,

and certain men having cleaved to him, believed, among whom [is] also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman, by name Damaris, and others with them.

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

Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas: of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.

But the unpersuaded Jews took along

(a)

some wicked men from the marketplace and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.

When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers(b) before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!”

The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.

When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

The Character of the Bereans

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.

Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.

Paul in Athens

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also

(c)

were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about?

For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.”

Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Paul’s Address in the Areopagus

Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.

The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands.

He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things.

He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings,

that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’

Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”

Thus Paul went out from among them.

But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Footnotes

(a)17:5 TR reads “And the Jews who were unpersuaded, becoming envious and taking along” instead of “But the unpersuaded Jews took along”

(b)17:6 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”