1THE
ACTS
OF THE APOSTLES
WRITTEN BY
2LUKE
Acts 17 ©
1 Paul preaches Christ at Thessalonica. 4 Some Jews and many Greeks believe. 5 Others raise an uproar against them, and draw Jason before the rulers of the city. 10 But Paul and Silas escape, and travel to Berea, where they preach also. 11 And many, diligently searching the Scripture, believe. 13 The Jews of Thessalonica persecute him there also, stirring up the people. 14 But the brethren bring Paul to Athens. 16 Where he is troubled at their idolatry. 18 And is mocked by certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. 19 Brought unto the judgment place. 20 And further examined concerning his doctrine. 22 Whereupon he informs them of the vanity of idols, and of the knowledge and service of the true God, Who has made heaven and earth and governs (them), to whom also, being unknown, they had erected an altar. 30 Therefore exhorts them to repentance and faith in Christ, Who was raised from the dead, and appointed to be Judge of the world. 32 Who some scoff at, and some believed, amongst whom were also Dionysius the Areopagite, and Damaris.
NOW when they had passed through 1Amphipolis and 2Apollonia, they came to 3Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them 4out of the scriptures,
5Opening and alleging,a thatb Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is 6Christ.
Andc some of them 7believed, and 8consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the 9devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women 10not a few.
¶But the Jews 11which believed not, 12moved with envy, took unto them certain lewdd fellows of the 13baser sort, and 14gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and 15assaulted the house of 16Jason, and sought to bring them out 17to the people.
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, Thesee that have turned the world 18upside down are come hither also;
Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the 19decrees of Cæsar,sayingf that there is 20another king, one Jesus.
And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
And when they had taken 21security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
¶And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas byg night 22unto Berea: who coming 23thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more 24noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received 25the word with all 26readiness of mind, andh27searched 28the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, andi29stirred up the people.
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go 30as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
And they that 31conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: andj receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
¶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his 32spirit was 33stirred in him, when he saw the city 34wholly given to idolatry.
Therefore 35disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the 36devout persons, and in the market daily with them 37that met with him.
Then certain philosophers of the 38Epicureans, and of the 39Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this 40babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he 41preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
And they took him, and brought him unto 42Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
For 43thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
(For all the Athenians and 44strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear 45some new thing.)
¶Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I 46perceive that in all things ye are too 47superstitious.
For as I passed by, and beheld your 48devotions, I found an altar with 49this inscription, TO THE 50UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye 51ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Godk that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwellethl not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed 52any thing, seeingm he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
And hath made of 53one blood all 54nations of men for to dwell 55on all the face of the earth, andn hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if 56haply they might 57feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
For 58in him we live, and move, and 59have our being; as 60certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also 61his offspring.
Forasmucho then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that 62the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by 63art and man's device.
And the times of this 64ignorance God 65winked at; but now commandethp all men every where to repent:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge 66the world 67in righteousness by that 68man whomq he hath ordained; whereof he hath given 69assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
¶And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
So Paul departed from among them.
Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius 70the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.