Acts 17:1-15

International Children’s Bible

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

17 Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica. In that city there was a Jewish synagogue. ² Paul went into the synagogue as he always did. On each Sabbath day for three weeks, Paul talked with the Jews about the Scriptures. ³ He explained and proved that the Christ must die and then rise from death. He said, “This Jesus I am telling you about is the Christ.” ⁴ Some of the Jews were convinced and joined Paul and Silas. Many of the Greeks who worshiped the true God and many of the important women joined them.

⁵ But the Jews became jealous. They got some evil men from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot. They ran to Jason’s house, looking for Paul and Silas. The men wanted to bring Paul and Silas out to the people. ⁶ But they did not find them. So they dragged Jason and some other believers to the leaders of the city. The people were yelling, “These men have made trouble everywhere in the world. And now they have come here too! ⁷ Jason is keeping them in his house. All of them do things against the laws of Caesar. They say that there is another king called Jesus.”

⁸ When the people and the leaders of the city heard these things, they became very upset. ⁹ They made Jason and the others put up a sum of money. Then they let the believers go free.

Paul and Silas Go to Berea

¹⁰ That same night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. There Paul and Silas went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ These Jews were better than the Jews in Thessalonica. They were eager to hear the things Paul and Silas said. These Jews in Berea studied the Scriptures every day to find out if these things were true. ¹² So, many of them believed. Many important Greek men and women also believed. ¹³ But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they came there, too. They upset the people and made trouble. ¹⁴ So the believers quickly sent Paul away to the coast. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. ¹⁵ The men who took Paul went with him to Athens. Then they carried a message from Paul back to Silas and Timothy. It said, “Come to me as soon as you can.”