Acts 17

Legacy Standard Bible

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

17 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ^(A)Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And ^(B)according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three ^(C)Sabbaths reasoned with them from ^(D)the Scriptures, ^3 [a]explaining and setting before them that the ^[b]Christ ^(E)had to suffer and ^(F)rise again from the dead, and saying, “^(G)This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that ^[c]Christ.” ^4 (H)And some of them were persuaded and joined ^(I)Paul and Silas, ^[d]along with a great multitude of the ^(J)God-fearing ^(K)Greeks and not a few of the ^(L)leading women. ⁵ But ^(M)the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar. And attacking the house of ^(N)Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the assembly. ⁶ And when they did not find them, they began ^(O)dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset ^[e](P)the world have come here also; ^7 [f]and Jason ^(Q)has welcomed them, and they all act ^(R)contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ⁸ And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. ⁹ And when they had received the bond from ^(S)Jason and the others, they released them.

In Berea

^10 (T)And the brothers immediately sent ^(U)Paul and Silas away by night to ^(V)Berea, ^[g]and when they arrived, they went into ^(W)the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in ^(X)Thessalonica, ^[h]for they received the word with ^[i]great eagerness, ^[j]examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore ^(Y)many of them believed, along with not a few ^(Z)prominent Greek ^(AA)women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews of ^(AB)Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ^(AC)Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing the crowds. ¹⁴ Then immediately ^(AD)the brothers sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and ^(AE)Silas and ^(AF)Timothy remained there. ¹⁵ Now ^(AG)those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^(AH)Athens; and after receiving a command for ^(AI)Silas and Timothy to ^(AJ)come to him as soon as possible, they left.

In Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^(AK)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he was reasoning ^(AL)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(AM)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. ¹⁸ And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were ^[k]conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would ^(AN)this ^[l]idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was proclaiming the good news of ^(AO)Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they ^(AP)took him and brought him ^[m]to the ^[n](AQ)Areopagus, saying, “May we know what ^(AR)this new teaching is ^[o]which you are speaking? ²⁰ For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. So we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ (Now all the Athenians and the strangers ^(AS)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something newer.)

²² So Paul stood in the midst of the ^[p]Areopagus and said, “Men of ^(AT)Athens, I observe that you are very ^(AU)religious in all respects. ²³ For while I was passing through and examining the ^(AV)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what ^(AW)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (AX)The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is ^(AY)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(AZ)dwell in temples made with hands; ²⁵ nor is He served by human hands, ^(BA)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; ²⁶ and ^(BB)He made from one man every nation of mankind to inhabit all the face of the earth, having ^(BC)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, ^(BD)though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for ^(BE)in Him we live and move and ^[q]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ ²⁹ Being then the offspring of God, we ^(BF)ought not to suppose that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the craft and thought of man. ³⁰ Therefore having ^(BG)overlooked ^(BH)the times of ignorance, God is ^(BI)now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, ³¹ because He has fixed ^(BJ)a day in which ^(BK)He will judge ^[r](BL)the world in righteousness ^[s]through a Man whom He ^(BM)determined, having furnished proof to all ^[t]by ^(BN)raising Him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard about ^(BO)the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you ^[u]again concerning this.” ³³ In this way, Paul went out of their midst. ³⁴ But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^(BP)Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.