Acts 17:15-34

15Now 1those who escorted Paul brought him as far as 2Athens; and receiving a command for 3Silas and Timothy to 4come to him as soon as possible, they left.

16Now while Paul was waiting for them at 5Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17So he was reasoning 6in the synagogue with the Jews and 7the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were 8conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would 9this 10idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”--because he was preaching 11Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they 12took him and brought him 13to the 1415Areopagus, saying, “May we know what 16this new teaching is 17which you are proclaiming? 20For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” 21(Now all the Athenians and the strangers 18visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

22So Paul stood in the midst of the 19Areopagus and said, “Men of 20Athens, I observe that you are very 21religious in all respects. 23For while I was passing through and examining the 22objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what 23you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 2424The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is 25Lord of heaven and earth, does not 26dwell in temples made with hands; 25nor is He served by human hands, 27as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26and 28He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having 29determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, 30though He is not far from each one of us; 28for 31in Him we live and move and 32exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29Being then the children of God, we 33ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30Therefore having 34overlooked 35the times of ignorance, God is 36now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31because He has fixed 37a day in which 38He will judge 3940the world in righteousness 41through a Man whom He has 42appointed, having furnished proof to all men 43by 44raising Him from the dead.”

32Now when they heard of 45the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you 46again concerning this.” 33So Paul went out of their midst. 34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the 47Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.