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 in 5Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols. 17So he was reasoning 6in the synagogue with the Jews and 7the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. 18And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were 8conversing with him. Some were saying, “What could 9this 10scavenger of tidbits want 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 see 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 everything that is in it, since He is 25Lord of heaven and earth, does not 26dwell in temples made by 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 feel around 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 descendants.’ 29Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we 33ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. 30So having 34overlooked 35the times of ignorance, God is 36now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, 31because He has set 37a day on which 38He will judge 3940the world in righteousness 41through a Man whom He has 42appointed, having furnished proof to all people 43by 44raising Him from the dead.”

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