Acts 17:1-18:18

New American Standard Bible 1995

Paul at Thessalonica

17 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ^(A)Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And ^(B)according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three ^(C)Sabbaths reasoned with them from ^(D)the Scriptures, ^3 [a]explaining and ^[b]giving evidence that the ^[c]Christ ^(E)had to suffer and ^(F)rise again from the dead, and saying, “^(G)This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the ^[d]Christ.” ^4 (H)And some of them were persuaded and joined ^(I)Paul and Silas, ^[e]along with a large number of the ^(J)God-fearing ^(K)Greeks and ^[f]a number of the ^(L)leading women. ⁵ But ^(M)the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of ^(N)Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. ⁶ When they did not find them, they began ^(O)dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset ^[g](P)the world have come here also; ^7 [h]and Jason ^(Q)has welcomed them, and they all act ^(R)contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ⁸ They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. ⁹ And when they had received a ^[i]pledge from ^(S)Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul at Berea

^10 (T)The brethren immediately sent ^(U)Paul and Silas away by night to ^(V)Berea, ^[j]and when they arrived, they went into ^(W)the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in ^(X)Thessalonica, ^[k]for they received the word with ^[l]great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore ^(Y)many of them believed, ^[m]along with a number of ^(Z)prominent Greek ^(AA)women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews of ^(AB)Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ^(AC)Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴ Then immediately ^(AD)the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and ^(AE)Silas and ^(AF)Timothy remained there. ¹⁵ Now ^(AG)those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^(AH)Athens; and receiving a command for ^(AI)Silas and Timothy to ^(AJ)come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul at Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^(AK)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he was reasoning ^(AL)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(AM)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. ¹⁸ And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were ^[n]conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would ^(AN)this ^[o]idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching ^(AO)Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they ^(AP)took him and brought him ^[p]to the ^[q](AQ)Areopagus, saying, “May we know what ^(AR)this new teaching is ^[r]which you are proclaiming? ²⁰ For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ (Now all the Athenians and the strangers ^(AS)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

²² So Paul stood in the midst of the ^[s]Areopagus and said, “Men of ^(AT)Athens, I observe that you are very ^(AU)religious in all respects. ²³ For while I was passing through and examining the ^(AV)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what ^(AW)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (AX)The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is ^(AY)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(AZ)dwell in temples made with hands; ²⁵ nor is He served by human hands, ^(BA)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; ²⁶ and ^(BB)He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ^(BC)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, ^(BD)though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for ^(BE)in Him we live and move and ^[t]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ ²⁹ Being then the children of God, we ^(BF)ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. ³⁰ Therefore having ^(BG)overlooked ^(BH)the times of ignorance, God is ^(BI)now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, ³¹ because He has fixed ^(BJ)a day in which ^(BK)He will judge ^[u](BL)the world in righteousness ^[v]through a Man whom He has ^(BM)appointed, having furnished proof to all men ^[w]by ^(BN)raising Him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard of ^(BO)the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you ^[x]again concerning this.” ³³ So Paul went out of their midst. ³⁴ But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^(BP)Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Paul at Corinth

18 After these things he left ^(BQ)Athens and went to ^(BR)Corinth. ² And he found a Jew named ^(BS)Aquila, a native of ^(BT)Pontus, having recently come from ^(BU)Italy with his wife ^(BV)Priscilla, because ^(BW)Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, ³ and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and ^(BX)they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. ⁴ And he was reasoning ^(BY)in the synagogue every ^(BZ)Sabbath and trying to persuade ^(CA)Jews and Greeks.

⁵ But when ^(CB)Silas and Timothy ^(CC)came down from ^(CD)Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly ^(CE)testifying to the Jews that ^(CF)Jesus was the ^[y]Christ. ⁶ But when they resisted and blasphemed, he ^(CG)shook out his garments and said to them, “Your ^(CH)blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go ^(CI)to the Gentiles.” ⁷ Then he left there and went to the house of a man named ^[z]Titius Justus, ^(CJ)a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. ^8 (CK)Crispus, ^(CL)the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord ^(CM)with all his household, and many of the ^(CN)Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. ⁹ And the Lord said to Paul in the night by ^(CO)a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹² But while Gallio was ^(CP)proconsul of ^(CQ)Achaia, ^(CR)the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before ^(CS)the judgment seat, ¹³ saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to ^(CT)the law.” ¹⁴ But when Paul was about to ^(CU)open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; ¹⁵ but if there are ^(CV)questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” ¹⁶ And he drove them away from ^(CW)the judgment seat. ¹⁷ And they all took hold of ^(CX)Sosthenes, ^(CY)the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of ^(CZ)the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

¹⁸ Paul, having remained many days longer, ^(DA)took leave of ^(DB)the brethren and put out to sea for ^(DC)Syria, and with him were ^(DD)Priscilla and ^(DE)Aquila. In ^(DF)Cenchrea ^[aa]he ^(DG)had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.