Acts 17:16-23

Easy-to-Read Version

Paul in Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he was upset because he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ In the synagogue he talked with the Jews and with the Greeks who were worshipers of the true God. He also went to the public square every day and talked with everyone who came by. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and some of the Stoic philosophers argued with him.

Some of them said, “This man doesn’t really know what he is talking about. What is he trying to say?” Paul was telling them the Good News about Jesus and the resurrection. So they said, “He seems to be telling us about some other gods.”

¹⁹ They took Paul to a meeting of the Areopagus council. They said, “Please explain to us this new idea that you have been teaching. ²⁰ The things you are saying are new to us. We have never heard this teaching before, and we want to know what it means.” ²¹ (The people of Athens and the foreigners who lived there spent all their time either telling or listening to all the latest ideas.)

²² Then Paul stood up before the meeting of the Areopagus council and said, “Men of Athens, everything I see here tells me you are very religious. ²³ I was going through your city and I saw the things you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: ‘ to an unknown god.’ You worship a god that you don’t know. This is the God I want to tell you about.