1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Paul, as
was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with
them from the Scriptures, 3 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.”
4 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. 5 But the
disobedient Jews took along*1 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. 6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason
and certain brothers*2 before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned
the world upside down have come here also, 7 whom Jason has received.
These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another
king, Jesus!” 8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled
when they heard these things. 9 When they had taken security from Jason
and the rest, they let them go. 10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and
Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish
synagogue.
11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures
daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore
believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men. 13 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. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as
to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15 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.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked
within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the
synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every
day with those who met him. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic
philosophers also*3 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.
19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May
we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you? 20 For you
bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what
these things mean.” 21 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.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of
Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For
as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an
altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you
worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. 24 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, 25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as
though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath,
and all things. 26 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, 27 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. 28 ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As
some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
29 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.
30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands
that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a
day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has
ordained; whereof he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised
him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but
others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”
33 Thus Paul went out from among them. 34 But certain men joined with
him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman
named Damaris, and others with them.
1 TR reads “And the Jews who were unpersuaded,
becoming envious and taking along” instead of “But the disobedient Jews took
along” 2 The word for “brothers” here and where the
context allows may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or
“siblings.” 3 TR omits “also”
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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