1THE
ACTS
OF THE APOSTLES
WRITTEN BY
2LUKE

Acts 17

1Paul preaching in the synagogue at Thessalonica, some believe, both Jews and Greeks. 5The unbelieving Jews raise an uproar. 10Paul and Silas are sent to Berea: the Berean Jews are commended for searching the scriptures. 13The Jews of Thessalonica follow and drive Paul from Berea. 16At Athens Paul disputing is carried before the court of Areopagus: 22he preaching the living God, to the Athenians unknown; his general call to repentance; the resurrection of Christ; and his coming to judgment. 32Some mock, others believe.


1NOW when they had passed through 1Amphipolis and 2Apollonia, they came to 3Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

1 A city of Macedonia, not far from Philippi, so called because it was compassed with the sea on both sides.

2 A city also in Macedonia, close to Thessalonica.

3 One of the principal cities of Macedonia, situated by a long inlet of the Ægean Sea, so called, because there king Philip had conquered the Thessalonians.

2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them 4out of the scriptures,

4 Gr. from the Scriptures.

35Opening 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.

5 That is, certainly proving by clear testimonies out of them. See Psalm 119:130; Luke 24:32.

a bringing evidence.

b Psalm 22:6; Mat. 16:21; Luke 24:46.

6 That is, the true promised Messiah; John 1:42.

4Andc 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.

c Acts 28:24.

7 Gr. were prevailed with, or persuaded.

8 Gr. were allotted, Acts 13:48.

9 That is, proselytes, as is expressed in Acts 13:43; or, others who were added to the Jewish religion.

10 That is, very many.

5¶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.

11 Gr. who would not be prevailed with, or persuaded, that is, who remained unbelieving, John 3:36.

12 Or, being zealous thereat; namely, with a mistaken zeal.

d vicious, ignorant*

13 That is, certain unprofitable persons, who commonly stand idle on the market place.

14 Or, made an uproar of the people.

15 Or, standing to, or against the house.

16 Some think that this Jason is the same whereof we read in Rom. 16:21.

17 Namely, to stone them.

6And 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;

e Acts 16:20.

18 Or, brought it into an uproar, or caused that throughout the entire world one rises up against another.

7Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the 19decrees of Cæsar ,sayingf that there is 20another king, one Jesus.

19 Or, ordinances.

f Luke 23:2; John 19:12.

20 Namely, other than the emperor of Rome.

8And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9And when they had taken 21security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

21 Gr. enough; that is, sufficient excuse, or security, that, being called, they would appear in court.

10¶And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas byg night 22unto Berea: who coming 23thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

g Acts 9:25.

22 Namely, to escape the danger, Mat. 10:23.

23 Namely, to Berea.

11These 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.

24 Namely, of mind. For, this is a right noble mind which builds his faith not upon the saying of man, but only upon the Word of God, Eph. 2:20. From whence this nobleness proceeds, see Mat. 13:23.

25 Namely, of God, the Gospel which was preached unto them.

26 Or, readiness of heart.

h Isa. 34:16; Luke 16:29; John 5:39.

27 Gr. considering with judgment; or, comparing one thing with another; namely, the preaching of the apostle with the Holy Scripture.

28 Namely, of the prophets.

12Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

13But 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.

i 1 Thes. 2:14.

29 That is, incited them against the apostles.

14And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go 30as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

30 That is, as if he would sail away from there by ship.

15And 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.

31 That is, had undertaken to set Paul in a secure place.

j Acts 18:5.

16¶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his 32spirit was 33stirred in him, when he saw the city 34wholly given to idolatry.

32 That is, his mind.

33 Namely, with anger or zeal against the enormous idolatry there practiced.

34 Or, was so full of idols or idolatry. The pagan writers also testify this themselves of this city.

17Therefore 35disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the 36devout persons, and in the market daily with them 37that met with him.

35 That is, reasoned. See verse 2.

36 That is, proselytes, see verse 4.

37 That is, who met him, or whom he encountered here and there, and desired to hear him speak.

18Then 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.

38 So called after one Epicures, a disciple of Xenocrates, who placed the highest happiness in pleasure, and denied the providence of God.

39 So called because Zeno, their first master, taught in a Stoa, that is, gallery, who tied the Providence of God to means, and taught that a wise man ought not to be subject to any agitation of mind.

40 Or, empty talker. The Greek word spermologos seems to be taken from the similitude either of certain birds which pick up the seed from the land, and make a great noise; or, of despicable persons who on the market at Athens gathered up the seed which fell out of the sacks.

41 Gr. evangelized.

19And they took him, and brought him unto 42Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

42 This was a town hall within Athens, situated on a high place of the city, so called after their idol Ares, that is, Mars, where was the supreme court of justice, and none but very difficult and weighty matters were judged.

20For 43thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

43 Gr. thou bringest in, into our ears.

21(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.)

44 Gr. inhabitants, that is, who, being born elsewhere, were come to live there.

45 This the pagan writers also testify of the Athenians Theophrastus, Characteres, Demosthenes, Olynthian orations, 3 and Plutarchus, De garrulis.

22¶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.

46 Or, see.

47 Or, more superstitious, than others, or most religious, namely of all the heathen.

23For 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.

48 Gr. sebasmata; whereby are understood all things where to or whereby any divine worship is practiced, such as there are temples, altars, images and the like.

49 Gr. in which was inscribed. Some pagan writers also make mention of this inscription, as Pausanias, Laertius and others.

50 Namely, unto honor is this altar erected. Those of Athens were so greatly inclined to worship all manner of gods, that they worshipped not only all the gods which the other pagans had, but fearing that there might yet be an unknown god somewhere, which they worshipped not, therefore they would also erect an altar to the same.

51 Or, unwittingly.

24Godk that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwellethl not in temples made with hands;

k Gen. 1:1; 2 Chron. 6:30; Psalm 33:6; 124:8; 146:6; Isa. 66:1; Acts 14:15; Rev. 14:7.

l Acts 7:48.

25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed 52any thing, seeingm he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

52 Or, of any man.

m Gen. 2:7.

26And 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;

53 Namely, of Adam and Eve.

54 Gr. people.

55 Gr. on the whole face of the earth. And it is here very clearly shown by the apostle in the following words, that God, by His Providence, has ordained to all men and nations on the earth their time and place, how long and whereby they shall dwell on the earth. So that as concerning this, all comes to pass not by chance, but according to the Providence of God. See also Deut. 30:20; Job 14:5, 6; Mat. 10:29.

n Deut. 32:8.

27That 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:

56 Or, any wise, peradventure.

57 God , Who is a spiritual , incorporeal and invisible Being, cannot properly be felt, but is said to be felt, because by the creatures that are created, and by the preservation and government of the same, His attributes may be clearly seen, as if He were felt, Rom. 1:19, 20.

28For 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.

58 That is, by Him, or by His power; as Rom. 11:36; see 1 Cor. 12:6.

59 That is, we have all that we are according to soul and body, and are also preserved in the same being.

60 Namely, Aratus, who has written in Greek of the course of the heavens.

61 That is, we are descended from God by creation.

29Forasmucho 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.

o Isa. 40:18.

62 Or, the Divine Essence.

63 Gr. cutting, or graving of art, that is, cut or graven by the art of men, as were the images and idols of the heathen.

30And the times of this 64ignorance God 65winked at; but now commandethp all men every where to repent:

64 Namely, when they knew not the true God.

65 Namely, as with connivance.

p Luke 24:47.

31Because 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.

66 That is, all the people who have lived, do live or shall yet live upon the earth.

67 Or, righteously.

68 Namely, Jesus Christ.

q Acts 10:42.

69 Gr. faith.

32¶And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33So Paul departed from among them.

34Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius 70the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

70 Namely, a judge or counselor in the council of Areopagus, whereof is spoken in verse 19.