Acts 17
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they arrived at Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2 Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
As usual, Paul went into the synagogue and over the course of three Sabbaths he debated with them using 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.”
He explained what the Scriptures meant, proving that the Messiah had to die and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I'm telling you about—he is the Messiah,” he told them.
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.
Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, along with many Greek-speaking worshipers and some leading women of the town.
5 But the unpersuaded Jews took along 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.
But the Jews became jealous and with some rabble-rousers they gathered from the marketplace they formed a mob. They rioted in the town, and attacked Jason's house. They tried to find Paul and Silas so they could bring them before the people.
6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
When they couldn't find them they dragged Jason and some of the other believers before the town leaders, shouting, “These people are famous for causing trouble, turning the world upside down. Now they've come here,
7 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!”
and Jason has made them welcome in his house. They all defy Caesar's decrees, committing treason by saying there is another king called Jesus.”
8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.
The people and the leaders of the town were very disturbed when they heard this.
9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
So they made Jason and the others post bail before 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.
The believers had Paul and Silas leave for Berea that very night. When they arrived in Berea they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
The people there had a better attitude than those in Thessalonica in that they were very quick to accept the word, and every day they examined the Scriptures to make sure what they were told was right.
12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.
As a result many of them became believers, along with some highly-placed Greek women and 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.
But when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was also spreading the word of God in Berea, they went there and caused the same kind of trouble, stirring up the crowds.
14 Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
Immediately the believers sent Paul to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.
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.
Those escorting Paul took him as far as Athens, and then returned with instructions from Paul to Silas and Timothy that they should join him there as soon as possible.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens he was very troubled to see all the idolatry in the city.
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.
He debated in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace with those he happened to meet from day to day.
18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also 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.
Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also argued with him. “What is he going on about?” they wondered. Others concluded, “He seems to be teaching about some foreign gods,” because he was speaking about 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 you are speaking about?
So they took him to the Areopagus, and asked him, “Please tell us about this new teaching that you're promoting.
20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.”
We're hearing from you things that sound odd to us, so we'd like to know what they 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.
(All the Athenians, including foreigners who lived there, spent their whole time doing nothing except explaining or listening to something new.)
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.
Paul stood up right in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens, I notice you are very religious about everything.
23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.
As I was walking along, looking at your shrines, I found an altar that had the inscription, ‘To an Unknown God.’ This unknown God whom you worship is the one I'm describing 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.
The God who created the world and everything in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, doesn't live in temples we make.
25 He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things.
He doesn't need to be served by us as if he needed anything, since he is the source of all life for every living being.
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,
From one man he made all the peoples who live on the earth, and decided beforehand when and where they should live.
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.
God's purpose was that they should seek him, hoping they would reach out for him and find him—though he isn't far from any one of us.
28 ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
In him we live, move, and exist. Just as one of your own poets wrote, ‘We are his family.’
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.
Since we are his family we shouldn't think that God is like gold, or silver, or stone, shaped by human artistry and thinking.
30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
God disregarded people's ignorance in the past, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent.
31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
For he has set a time when he will rightly judge the world by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone that he is the one by raising 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.”
Some of them laughed when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, while others said, “Please come back so we can hear more about this later.”
33 Thus Paul went out from among them.
So Paul left them.
34 But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
A few men joined him and trusted in God, including Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, as well as a woman called Damaris, and some others.
