Chapter XV

PAUL AND HIS COMPANY AT THESSALONICA, BEREA, AND ATHENS.--A.D. 53.

1 [17:1]AND travelling through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. [17:2]And according to his custom Paul went in to them, and reasoned with them three sabbaths from the Scriptures, [17:3]explaining and asserting that the Christ ought to suffer and to rise from the dead; and that this Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ. [17:4]And some of them believed and adhered to Paul and Silas; of the pious Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. [17:5]But the unbelieving Jews taking certain base men of those about the markets, and exciting a mob, disturbed the city; and coming to the house of Jason sought to bring them out to the people; [17:6]but not finding them, they dragged Jason and some brothers to the rulers of the city, crying, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, [17:7]and Jason has received them; and they all do things contrary to the ordinances of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. [17:8]And they excited the multitude and the rulers of the city hearing these things, [17:9]and taking security of Jason and the rest they let them go.

2 [17:10]And the brothers immediately, by night, sent away Paul and Silas to Berea; and when they came they went into the synagogue of the Jews; [17:11]but these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] if these things were so. [17:12]Many of them therefore believed, both of honorable Grecian women, and of men not a few. [17:13]And when the Jews in Thessalonica knew that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there exciting the multitudes.

3 [17:14]Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away, as if to go by sea; but Silas and Timothy remained there. [17:15]And those conducting Paul brought him to Athens, and receiving a charge to Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

4 [17:16]And while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was moved within him as he saw the city wholly devoted to idolatry. [17:17]Then he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and those that were pious, and in the market every day with those he met. [17:18]And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers disputed with him, and some said, What does this trifler mean to say? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange demons; because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. [17:19]And laying hold of him they brought him to the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is which is taught by you? [17:20]for you bring certain strange things to our ears; we wish therefore to know what these things mean. [17:21]And all the Athenians and the strangers living there spend their leisure in nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

5 [17:22]And Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are extremely devoted to the worship of demons. [17:23]For as I passed through, and observed your objects of worship, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I declare to you. [17:24]The God who made the world and all things in it, this [God] being Lord of heaven and earth dwells not in temples made with hands, [17:25]neither is he served by the hands of men as needing any thing, since he gives to all life, and breath, and all things; [17:26]and he made of one blood every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, determining their appointed times and the bounds of their habitation, [17:27]that they should seek God, if perhaps they might feel after and find him, and indeed he is not far from every one of us. [17:28]For in him we live, and move, and are; as some also of your own poets have said, For we are his offspring. [17:29]Being therefore an offspring of God, we ought not to think the Deity to be like gold or silver or stone, a work of art and human device.

6 [17:30]Overlooking therefore the times of ignorance, God now commands all men everywhere to change their minds, [17:31]because he has appointed a day in which he is about to judge the world in righteousness, by the man whom he has appointed, giving assurance to all by raising him from the dead. [17:32]But when they heard of a resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, We will hear you again of this. [17:33]So Paul went out from the midst of them; [17:34]but certain men adhering to him believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.