Acts 17

The Uproar in Thessalonica

1When they had passed throughG1353 AmphipolisG295 andG2532 ApolloniaG624, they cameG2064 toG1519 ThessalonicaG2332, whereG3699 there wasG1510 a JewishG3588G2453 synagogueG4864. 2As wasG2596 his customG1486, PaulG3972 went intoG1525G4314 the synagogue, andG2532 onG1909 threeG5140 SabbathsG4521 he reasonedG1256 with themG846 fromG575 theG3588 ScripturesG1124, 3explainingG1272 andG2532 provingG3908 thatG3754 theG3588 ChristG5547 had toG1163 sufferG3958 andG2532 riseG450 fromG1537 the deadG3498. “ThisG3778 JesusG2424 IG1473 am proclaimingG2605 to youG4771 isG1510 theG3588 ChristG5547,” he declared. 4SomeG5100 ofG1537 the Jews were persuadedG3982 andG2532 joinedG4345 PaulG3972 andG2532 SilasG4609, along withG5037 a largeG4183 numberG4128 ofG3588 God-fearingG4576 GreeksG1672 andG5037 quite a fewG3641 leadingG4413 womenG1135.

5TheG3588 JewsG2453, howeverG1161, became jealousG2206. So they brought inG4355 someG5100 troublemakersG4190G435 from theG3588 marketplaceG60, formed a mobG3792, and sent the city into an uproarG2350G3588G4172. They raidedG2186 Jason’sG2394 houseG3614 in search ofG2212 Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them outG4254 toG1519 theG3588 peopleG1218. 6But whenG1161 they could not findG3361G2147 themG846, they draggedG4951 JasonG2394 andG2532 some otherG5100 brothersG80 beforeG1909 theG3588 city officialsG4173, shoutingG994, “TheseG3778 men whoG3588 have turnedG387 the world upside downG3588G3625 have now comeG3918G2532 hereG1759, 7and JasonG2394 has welcomed them into his homeG5264G3739. TheyG3778 are allG3956 defyingG4238G561 Caesar’sG2541 decreesG1378, saying thatG3004 there isG1510 anotherG2087 kingG935, named JesusG2424!”

8On hearingG191 thisG3778, theG3588 crowdG3793 andG2532 city officialsG4173 were greatly disturbedG5015. 9AndG2532 they collectedG2983 bondG2425 fromG3844 JasonG2394 andG2532 theG3588 othersG3062 and then releasedG630 themG846.

10

The Character of the Bereans

As soon asG2112 nightG3571 had fallen, theG3588 brothersG80 sentG1599 PaulG3972 andG2532 SilasG4609 away toG1519 BereaG960. On arrivingG3854 there, they wentG549 intoG1519 theG3588 JewishG2453 synagogueG4864. 11NowG1161 the Bereans wereG1510 more noble-mindedG2104 than theG3588 ThessaloniansG1722G2332, for they receivedG1209 theG3588 messageG3056 withG3326 greatG3956 eagernessG4288 and examinedG350 theG3588 ScripturesG1124 everyG3588G2596 dayG2250 to see ifG1487 theseG3778 teachings wereG2192 trueG3779.1 12As a resultG3767, manyG4183 ofG1537 themG846 believedG4100, along withG2532 quite a fewG3641 prominentG2158 GreekG1674 womenG1135 andG2532 menG435.

13ButG1161 whenG5613 theG3588 JewsG2453 fromG575 ThessalonicaG2332 learnedG1097 thatG3754 PaulG3972 was also proclaimingG2532G2605 theG3588 wordG3056 of GodG2316 inG1722 BereaG960, they wentG2064 there themselvesG2546 to inciteG4531 andG2532 agitateG5015 theG3588 crowdsG3793. 14TheG5119G3588 brothersG80 immediatelyG2112 sentG1821 PaulG3972 toG4198 theG3588 coast, but SilasG4609 andG2532 TimothyG5095 remainedG5278 in Berea. 15Those whoG3588 escortedG2525 PaulG3972 broughtG71 him toG2193 AthensG116 and thenG2532 returned withG2983 instructionsG1785 forG4314 SilasG4609 andG2532 TimothyG5095 toG2443 join himG846 asG5613 soon as possibleG5033.

Paul in Athens

16While PaulG3972 was waiting forG1551 themG846 inG1722 AthensG116, he was deeply disturbedG3947 inG1722 hisG846 spiritG4151 to see thatG2334 theG3588 cityG4172 wasG1510 full of idolsG2712. 17SoG3767 he reasonedG1256 inG1722 theG3588 synagogueG4864 with theG3588 JewsG2453 andG2532 God-fearingG4576 Gentiles, andG2532 inG1722 theG3588 marketplaceG58 withG4314 thoseG3588 he metG3909 eachG2596G3956 dayG2250.

18

SomeG5100 EpicureanG1946 andG2532 StoicG4770 philosophersG5386 alsoG2532 began to debateG4820 with himG846. SomeG5100 of them askedG2036, “WhatG5101G302 is thisG3778 babblerG4691 tryingG2309 to sayG3004?” OthersG3588 said, “He seemsG1380 to beG1510 advocatingG2604 foreignG3581 godsG1140.” They said this becauseG3754 Paul was proclaiming the good newsG2097 of JesusG2424 andG2532 theG3588 resurrectionG386.

19SoG5037 they tookG1949 Paul and broughtG71 him toG1909 theG3588 AreopagusG697,2 where they askedG3004 him, “May weG1410 knowG1097 whatG5101 thisG3778 newG2537 teachingG1322 is that youG4771 are presentingG5259G2980? 20ForG1063 you are bringingG1533 someG5100 strange notionsG3579 toG1519 ourG1473 earsG189, and we wantG1014 to knowG1097 whatG5101 they meanG2309G1510.”

21NowG1161 allG3956 the AtheniansG117 andG2532 foreignersG3581 who lived thereG1927 spent their timeG2119 doing nothingG3762 more thanG2228 hearingG191 andG2228 articulatingG3004 newG2537 ideas.

Paul’s Address in the Areopagus

22ThenG1161 PaulG3972 stood upG2476 inG1722 the meetingG33193 of theG3588 AreopagusG697 and saidG5346, “MenG435 of AthensG117, I seeG2334 thatG5613 inG2596 every wayG3956 youG4771 are very religiousG1174. 23ForG1063 as I walked aroundG1330 andG2532 examinedG333 yourG4771 objects of worshipG4574, I even foundG2147G2532 an altarG1041 withG1722G3739 this inscriptionG1924:

TO AN UNKNOWNG57 GODG2316.

ThereforeG3767 whatG3739 you worshipG2151 as something unknownG50, IG1473 now proclaimG2605 to youG4771.

24TheG3588 GodG2316 whoG3588 madeG4160 theG3588 worldG2889 andG2532 everythingG3956 inG1722 itG846 isG5225 the LordG2962 of heavenG3772 andG2532 earthG1093 and does notG3756 liveG2730 inG1722 templesG3485 made by human handsG5499. 25NorG3761 is He servedG2323 byG5259 humanG442 handsG5495, as if He neededG4326 anythingG5100, because He HimselfG846 givesG1325 everyoneG3956 lifeG2222 andG2532 breathG4157 andG2532 everythingG3956 else. 26FromG1537 oneG1520 man4 He madeG4160 everyG3956 nationG1484 of menG444, that they should inhabitG2730G1909 the wholeG3956G4383 earthG1093; and He determinedG3724 their appointedG4367 timesG2540 andG2532 theG3588 boundariesG3734 of theirG846 landsG2733.

27God intended that they would seekG2212 Him and perhapsG1487G687 reach out forG5584 HimG846 andG2532 findG2147 Him, thoughG2532G1065 He isG5225 notG3756 farG3112 fromG575 eachG1538 oneG1520 of usG1473. 28‘ForG1063 inG1722 HimG846 we liveG2198 andG2532 moveG2795 andG2532 have our beingG1510.’5 AsG5613 someG5100 of yourG2596G4771 own poetsG4163 have saidG2046, ‘We areG1510 His offspringG1085.’6 29ThereforeG3767, beingG5225 offspringG1085 of GodG2316, we shouldG3784 notG3756 thinkG3543 that theG3588 Divine BeingG2304 isG1510 likeG3664 goldG5557 orG2228 silverG696 orG2228 stoneG3037, an image formedG5480 by man’sG444 skillG5078 andG2532 imaginationG1761.

30

AlthoughG3303 GodG2316 overlookedG5237 theG3588 ignoranceG52 ofG3588 earlier timesG5550, He now commandsG3568G3853 allG3956 peopleG444 everywhereG3837 to repentG3340. 31ForG2530 He has setG2476 a dayG2250 whenG1722G3739 He willG3195 judgeG2919 theG3588 worldG3625 withG1722 justiceG1343 byG1722 the ManG435 He has appointedG3724. He has givenG3930 proofG4102 of this to everyoneG3956 by raisingG450 HimG846 fromG1537 the deadG3498.”

32When they heard aboutG191 the resurrectionG386 of the deadG3498, someG3588 began to mockG5512 him, butG1161 others saidG2036, “We want to hearG191 youG4771 againG3825G2532 onG4012 thisG3778 topic.” 33At thatG3779, PaulG3972 leftG1831 the Areopagus. 34ButG1161 someG51007 joinedG2853 himG846 and believedG4100, includingG1722G3739G2532 DionysiusG1354 theG3588 AreopagiteG698, a womanG1135 namedG3686 DamarisG1152, andG2532 othersG2087 who were withG4862 themG846.