Acts 17:1-23 ▼

1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.

4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.

5 The unbelieving Jews, however, brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.

6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,

7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”

8 On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed.

9 And they collected bond from Jason and the others and then released them.

10 As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they went there themselves to incite the crowds.

14 The brothers immediately sent Paul away as if to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.

15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.

18 Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

19 So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

20 For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”

21 Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.

22 Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

23 For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore Him whom you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.