Acts 17
Paul and Silas in Thessalonica
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to aThessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, aas was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them bfrom the Scriptures, 3 aexplaining and proving that it was necessary for bthe Christ to suffer and cto rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And asome of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did ba great many of the devout cGreeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 aBut the Jews bwere jealous, and taking csome wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, athey dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against athe decrees of Caesar, saying that there is banother king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Paul and Silas in Berea
10 aThe brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they bwent into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, aexamining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 aMany of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek bwomen of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, aagitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers aimmediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and bTimothy remained there. 15 aThose who conducted Paul brought him as far as bAthens, and after receiving a command cfor Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
Paul in Athens
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was aprovoked within him as he saw that the city was bfull of idols. 17 So ahe reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, a“What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because bhe was preaching cJesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to athe Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this bnew teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some astrange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
Paul Addresses the Areopagus
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: a‘To the unknown god.’ aWhat therefore you worship bas unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 aThe God who made the world and everything in it, being bLord of heaven and earth, cdoes not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, aas though he needed anything, since he himself bgives to all mankind clife and breath and everything. 26 And ahe made from one man every nation of mankind to live bon all the face of the earth, chaving determined allotted periods and dthe boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 athat they should seek God, band perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. cYet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
a“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of byour own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29 aBeing then God’s offspring, bwe ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 aThe times of ignorance bGod overlooked, but cnow he dcommands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed aa day on which bhe will judge the world cin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and dof this he has given assurance to all eby raising him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of athe resurrection of the dead, bsome mocked. But others said, c“We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius athe Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.