Acts 17:22-18:17

English Standard Version

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

²² So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ^(A)‘To the unknown god.’ ^(B)What therefore you worship ^(C)as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (D)The God who made the world and everything in it, being ^(E)Lord of heaven and earth, ^(F)does not live in temples made by man,^{[a] 25} nor is he served by human hands, ^(G)as though he needed anything, since he himself ^(H)gives to all mankind ^(I)life and breath and everything. ²⁶ And ^(J)he made from one man every nation of mankind to live ^(K)on all the face of the earth, ^(L)having determined allotted periods and ^(M)the boundaries of their dwelling place, ^27 (N)that they should seek God, ^(O)and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. ^(P)Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for

as even some of ^(R)your own poets have said,

^29 (S)Being then God's offspring, ^(T)we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ^30 (U)The times of ignorance ^(V)God overlooked, but ^(W)now he ^(X)commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed ^(Y)a day on which ^(Z)he will judge the world ^(AA)in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and ^(AB)of this he has given assurance to all ^(AC)by raising him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard of ^(AD)the resurrection of the dead, ^(AE)some mocked. But others said, ^(AF)“We will hear you again about this.” ³³ So Paul went out from their midst. ³⁴ But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius ^(AG)the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Paul in Corinth

18 After this Paul^[d] left Athens and went to Corinth. ² And he found a Jew named ^(AH)Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife ^(AI)Priscilla, because ^(AJ)Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, ³ and ^(AK)because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. ⁴ And ^(AL)he reasoned in the synagogue ^(AM)every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

^5 (AN)When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul ^(AO)was occupied with the word, ^(AP)testifying to the Jews that the Christ was ^(AQ)Jesus. ⁶ And when they opposed and reviled him, ^(AR)he shook out his garments and said to them, ^(AS)“Your blood be on your own heads! ^(AT)I am innocent. ^(AU)From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” ⁷ And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius ^(AV)Justus, ^(AW)a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. ^8 (AX)Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together ^(AY)with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. ⁹ And the Lord said to Paul ^(AZ)one night in ^(BA)a vision, ^(BB)“Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, ^10 (BC)for I am with you, and ^(BD)no one will attack you to harm you, for ^(BE)I have many in this city who are my people.” ¹¹ And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹² But when Gallio was ^(BF)proconsul of Achaia, ^(BG)the Jews^[e] made a united attack on Paul and ^(BH)brought him before the tribunal, ¹³ saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to ^(BI)the law.” ¹⁴ But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious ^(BJ)crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. ¹⁵ But ^(BK)since it is a matter of questions about words and names and ^(BL)your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” ¹⁶ And he drove them from the tribunal. ¹⁷ And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.