A Short Ministry in Thessalonica

17 After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,(A) where there was a Jewish synagogue. As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,(B) explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”(C) Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.(D)

Riot in the City

But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly.(E) When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees,(F) saying that there is another king—Jesus.”(G) The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

The Bereans Search the Scriptures

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.(H) Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined[a] the Scriptures(I) daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting[b] the crowds. 14 Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy(J) stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.(K)

Paul in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.(L) 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off[c] trying to say?”

Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.(M)

19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus,[d] and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting?(N) 20 Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

The Areopagus Address

22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it(O)—he is Lord of heaven and earth(P)—does not live in shrines made by hands.(Q) 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything,(R) since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.(S) 26 From one man[e] he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.(T) 27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.(U) 28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’(V) 29 Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.(W)

30 “Therefore, having overlooked(X) the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(Y)

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Footnotes

  1. 17:11 Or asked about
  2. 17:13 Other mss omit and upsetting
  3. 17:18 Lit this seed picker
  4. 17:19 Or Mars Hill
  5. 17:26 Other mss read blood

17 Having passed diodeuō through · de · ho Amphipolis Amphipolis and kai · ho Apollonia Apollōnia, Paul and Silas came erchomai to eis Thessalonica Thessalonikē, where hopou there was eimi a synagogue synagōgē of the ho Jews Ioudaios. And de according kata to · ho Paul’ s Paulos custom eiōtha, · ho he went eiserchomai to pros them autos and kai for epi three treis Sabbath sabbaton days he reasoned dialegomai with them autos from apo the ho Scriptures graphē, explaining dianoigō and kai demonstrating paratithēmi that hoti it was necessary for dei the ho Messiah Christos to suffer paschō and kai to rise anistēmi from ek the dead nekros, and kai that hoti, “ This houtos one is eimi the ho Messiah Christos, this ho Jesus Iēsous whom hos I egō am proclaiming katangellō to you hymeis.” And kai some tis of ek them autos were persuaded peithō and kai cast prosklēroō their lot with · ho Paul Paulos and kai · ho Silas Silas, · ho both te a great polys number plēthos of devout sebō Greeks Hellēn and te not ou a few oligos of the ho leading prōtos women gynē. But de the ho Jews Ioudaios, moved by envy zēloō, · kai recruited proslambanō certain tis wicked ponēros men anēr of the ho marketplace agoraios and kai, forming a mob ochlopoieō, they set the ho city polis in an uproar thorybeō. · kai They attacked ephistēmi the ho house oikia of Jason Iasōn, trying zēteō to bring proagō them autos out proagō to eis the ho people dēmos. But de when they could not find heuriskō them autos, they dragged syrō Jason Iasōn and kai some tis fellow believers adelphos before epi the ho city politarchēs authorities , shouting boaō, “ These men houtos who ho have turned the ho world oikoumenē upside anastatoō down have come pareimi here enthade too kai, and Jason Iasōn has received hypodechomai them hos as guests hypodechomai; and kai all pas these houtos men are acting prassō contrary apenanti to the ho decrees dogma of Caesar Kaisar, saying legō that there is eimi another heteros king basileus, Jesus Iēsous.” And de they stirred tarassō up the ho people ochlos and kai the ho city politarchēs authorities who heard akouō these houtos things . And kai when they had taken lambanō · ho bail hikanos from para · ho Jason Iasōn and kai the ho others loipos, they let apolyō them autos go .

10 And de the ho brothers adelphos immediately eutheōs sent ekpempō Paul Paulos and kai Silas Silas off ekpempō by dia night nyx · ho · ho to eis Berea Beroia. When they hostis got paraginomai there , they went apeimi to eis the ho synagogue synagōgē of the ho Jews Ioudaios. 11 These houtos Jews · de were eimi more open-minded eugenēs than those ho in en Thessalonica Thessalonikē, for they hostis received dechomai the ho message logos with meta all pas eagerness prothumia, examining anakrinō the ho scriptures graphē every kata day hēmera to see if ei these houtos things were echō so houtōs. 12 So oun many polys of ek them autos believed pisteuō, with kai not ou a few oligos · ho prominent euschēmōn Greek Hellēnis women gynē · ho and kai men anēr. 13 But de when hōs the ho Jews Ioudaios from apo · ho Thessalonica Thessalonikē learned ginōskō that hoti also kai in en · ho Berea Beroia the ho word logos of ho God theos was proclaimed katangellō by hypo · ho Paul Paulos, they came erchomai there kakei too , inciting saleuō and kai stirring tarassō up the ho crowds ochlos. 14 Then tote immediately eutheōs · de · ho the ho brothers adelphos sent exapostellō Paul Paulos away , to go poreuō as heōs far as to epi the ho sea thalassa, but te · ho both te Silas Silas and kai · ho Timothy Timotheos remained hypomenō there ekei. 15 Those ho · de who conducted kathistēmi · ho Paul Paulos brought agō him as heōs far as Athens, and kai receiving lambanō an order entolē for pros · ho Silas Silas and kai · ho Timothy Timotheos to hina come erchomai to pros him autos as hōs soon tacheōs as possible , they left.

16 Now de · ho while Paul Paulos was waiting ekdechomai for them autos · ho at en Athens, his autos spirit pneuma was stirred paroxynō up · ho within en him autos on seeing theōreō the ho city polis full kateidōlos of idols . 17 So oun he reasoned dialegomai in en the ho synagogue synagōgē with the ho Jews Ioudaios and kai the ho worshippers sebō, and kai in en the ho marketplace agora every kata pas day hēmera with pros those ho who happened to be paratynchanō there . 18 Also kai some tis · de of the ho Epicurean Epikoureios and kai Stoic Stoikos philosophers philosophos were conversing symballō with him autos, and kai some tis were asking legō, “ What tis does this houtos babbler spermologos want thelō · ho to say legō?” Others ho said, · de He seems dokeō to be eimi a proclaimer katangeleus of strange xenos gods daimonion,” for hoti he was announcing the good news euangelizō about · ho Jesus Iēsous and kai the ho resurrection anastasis. 19 And te they took hold epilambanomai of him autos and brought agō him to epi the ho Areopagus pagos, saying legō, “ May dynamai we know ginōskō what tis is · ho this houtos new kainos · ho teaching didachē being presented laleō by hypo you sy? 20 For gar you bring eispherō some tis strange xenizō things to eis · ho our hēmeis ears akoē, so oun we want boulomai to know ginōskō what tis these houtos things mean eimi.” 21 ( Now de all pas the Athenians Athēnaios and kai the ho foreigners xenos living epidēmeō there used to spend their time eukaireō in eis nothing oudeis else heteros than ē to tell legō or ē to hear akouō something tis new kainos.)

22 So de Paul Paulos, standing histēmi · ho in en the midst mesos of the ho Areopagus pagos, said phēmi: “ Men anēr of Athens Athēnaios, I perceive theōreō that hōs in kata every pas way you hymeis are a very devout deisidaimōn people . 23 For gar as I went dierchomai around and kai observed anatheōreō · ho your hymeis objects sebasma of worship , I found heuriskō also kai an altar bōmos on en which hos was inscribed epigraphō, ‘ To an unknown agnōstos god theos.’ So oun what hos you worship eusebeō without agnoeō knowing , this houtos I egō proclaim katangellō to you hymeis. 24 The ho God theos who ho made poieō the ho world kosmos and kai everything pas · ho in en it autos, being hyparchō Lord kyrios of heaven ouranos and kai earth , does katoikeō not ou live katoikeō in en shrines naos made cheiropoiētos by human hands , 25 nor oude is he served therapeuō by hypo human anthrōpinos hands cheir, as though he needed prosdeomai anything tis, since he himself autos gives didōmi to all pas life zōē and kai breath pnoē and kai · ho everything pas. 26 And te he made poieō from ek one heis man every pas race ethnos of men anthrōpos to live katoikeō on epi all pas the face prosōpon of the ho earth , having determined horizō allotted prostassō epochs kairos and kai the ho fixed horothesia boundaries of the ho places katoikia where they autos would live , 27 that they should seek zēteō · ho God theos, if ei perhaps ara ge that they might grope psēlaphaō for him autos and kai find heuriskō him, though kai indeed ge he is hyparchō not ou far makran from apo each hekastos one heis of us hēmeis. 28  For gar in en him autos we live zaō and kai move kineō about and kai exist eimi,’ as hōs even kai some tis of ho your own kata poets poiētēs have said legō, ‘ For gar we eimi too kai are eimi his ho offspring genos.’ 29 So oun since we are hyparchō the offspring genos of ho God theos, we ought opheilō not ou to think nomizō that the ho divine being theios is eimi like homoios an image carved charagma in gold chrysos or ē silver argyros or ē stone lithos by human anthrōpos skill technē and kai imagination enthumēsis. 30 So then oun, God theos overlooked hyperoraō the ho times chronos of ho ignorance agnoia, · ho · ho but now nyn he orders parangellō · ho men anthrōpos to repent metanoeō, all pas of them in all pantachou places , 31 because kathoti he has appointed histēmi a day hēmera on en which hos he will mellō judge krinō the ho world oikoumenē in en righteousness dikaiosynē by en the man anēr whom hos he has appointed horizō, having provided parechō proof pistis to all pas by raising anistēmi him autos from ek the dead nekros.”

32 Now de when they heard akouō of the resurrection anastasis of the dead nekros, some ho mocked chleuazō, but de others ho said legō, “ We will hear akouō you sy again palin about peri this houtos.” · kai 33 So houtōs · ho Paul Paulos departed exerchomai from ek their autos midst mesos. 34 But de some tis men anēr joined kollaō him autos and believed pisteuō; among en whom hos also kai were Dionysius Dionysios the ho Areopagite Areopagitēs and kai a woman gynē named onoma Damaris Damaris and kai others heteros with syn them autos.