Acts 17

Paul at Thessalonica

1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to 1Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 And 2according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three 3Sabbaths reasoned with them from 4the Scriptures,
3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ 5had to suffer and 6rise again from the dead, and saying, "7This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."
4 8And some of them were persuaded and joined 9Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the 10God-fearing 11Greeks and a number * of the 12leading women.
5 But 13the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of 14Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.
6 When they did not find them, they began 15dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset 16the world have come here also;
7 and Jason 17has welcomed them, and they all act 18contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."
8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.
9 And when they had received a pledge from 19Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul at Berea

10 20The brethren immediately sent 21Paul and Silas away by night to 22Berea, and when they arrived, they went into 23the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in 24Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily * to see whether these things were so.
12 Therefore 25many of them believed, along with a number * of 26prominent Greek 27women and men.
13 But when the Jews of 28Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in 29Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
14 Then immediately 30the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and 31Silas and 32Timothy remained there.
15 Now 33those who escorted Paul brought him as far as 34Athens; and receiving a command for 35Silas and Timothy to 36come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul at Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at 37Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.
17 So he was reasoning 38in the synagogue with the Jews and 39the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.
18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would 40this idle babbler wish to say?" Others *, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-because he was preaching 41Jesus and the resurrection.
19 And they 42took him and brought him to the 43Areopagus, saying, "May we know what 44this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?
20 "For 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 45visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of 46Athens, I observe that you are very 47religious in all respects.
23 "For while I was passing through and examining the 48objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what 49you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
24 "50The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is 51Lord of heaven and earth, does not 52dwell in temples made with hands;
25 nor is He served by human hands, 53as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26 and 54He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having 55determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, 56though * He is not far from each one of us;
28 for 57in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'
29 "Being then the children of God, we 58ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
30 "Therefore having 59overlooked 60the times of ignorance, God is 61now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
31 because He has fixed 62a day in which 63He will judge 64the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has 65appointed, having furnished proof to all men by 66raising Him from the dead."
32 Now when they heard of 67the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again * concerning this."
33 So Paul went out of their midst.
34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the 68Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Cross References 68

  • 1. Acts 17:11, 13; Acts 20:4; Acts 27:2; Philippians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Timothy 4:10
  • 2. Acts 9:20; Acts 17:10, 17
  • 3. Acts 13:14
  • 4. Acts 8:35
  • 5. Acts 3:18
  • 6. John 20:9
  • 7. Acts 9:22; Acts 18:5, 28
  • 8. Acts 14:4
  • 9. Acts 15:22, 40; Acts 17:10, 14
  • 10. Acts 13:43; Acts 17:17
  • 11. John 7:35
  • 12. Acts 13:50
  • 13. Acts 17:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:14f
  • 14. Acts 17:6, 7, 9; Romans 16:21
  • 15. Acts 16:19
  • 16. Matthew 24:14; Acts 17:31
  • 17. Luke 10:38; James 2:25
  • 18. Luke 23:2
  • 19. Acts 17:5
  • 20. Acts 1:15; Acts 17:6, 14
  • 21. Acts 17:4
  • 22. Acts 17:13; Acts 20:4
  • 23. Acts 17:1
  • 24. Acts 17:1
  • 25. Acts 2:47
  • 26. Mark 15:43
  • 27. Acts 13:50
  • 28. Acts 17:1
  • 29. Acts 17:10; Acts 20:4
  • 30. Acts 1:15; Acts 17:6, 10
  • 31. Acts 15:22; Acts 17:4, 10
  • 32. Acts 16:1
  • 33. Acts 15:3
  • 34. Acts 17:16, 21; Acts 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:1
  • 35. Acts 17:14
  • 36. Acts 18:5
  • 37. Acts 17:15, 21; Acts 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:1
  • 38. Acts 9:20; Acts 17:2
  • 39. Acts 17:4
  • 40. 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 4:10
  • 41. Acts 4:2; Acts 17:31
  • 42. Acts 23:19
  • 43. Acts 17:22
  • 44. Mark 1:27
  • 45. Acts 2:10
  • 46. Acts 17:15
  • 47. Acts 25:19
  • 48. 2 Thessalonians 2:4
  • 49. John 4:22
  • 50. Isaiah 42:5; Acts 14:15
  • 51. Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalms 115:16; Matthew 11:25
  • 52. 1 Kings 8:27; Acts 7:48
  • 53. Job 22:2; Psalms 50:10-12
  • 54. Malachi 2:10
  • 55. Deuteronomy 32:8; Job 12:23
  • 56. Deuteronomy 4:7; Jeremiah 23:23; Acts 14:17
  • 57. Job 12:10; Daniel 5:23
  • 58. Isaiah 40:18f; Romans 1:23
  • 59. Acts 14:16; Romans 3:25
  • 60. Acts 17:23
  • 61. Luke 24:47; Acts 26:20; Titus 2:11
  • 62. Matthew 10:15
  • 63. Psalms 9:8; Psalms 96:13; Psalms 98:9; John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42
  • 64. Matthew 24:14; Acts 17:6
  • 65. Luke 22:22
  • 66. Acts 2:24
  • 67. Acts 17:18, 31
  • 68. Acts 17:19, 22

Footnotes 24

Acts 17 Commentaries

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