New Testament in a Year
Paul at Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset[a] because he saw[b] the city was full of idols. 17 So he was addressing[c] the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles[d] in the synagogue,[e] and in the marketplace[f] every day[g] those who happened to be there. 18 Also some of the Epicurean[h] and Stoic[i] philosophers were conversing[j] with him, and some were asking,[k] “What does this foolish babbler[l] want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.”[m] (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)[n] 19 So they took Paul and[o] brought him to the Areopagus,[p] saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 20 For you are bringing some surprising things[q] to our ears, so we want to know what they[r] mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time[s] in nothing else than telling[t] or listening to something new.)[u]
22 So Paul stood[v] before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious[w] in all respects.[x] 23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship,[y] I even found an altar with this inscription:[z] ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it,[aa] this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it,[ab] who is[ac] Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands,[ad] 25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything,[ae] because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.[af] 26 From one man[ag] he made every nation of the human race[ah] to inhabit the entire earth,[ai] determining their set times[aj] and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,[ak] 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around[al] for him and find him,[am] though he is[an] not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move about[ao] and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’[ap] 29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity[aq] is like gold or silver or stone, an image[ar] made by human[as] skill[at] and imagination.[au] 30 Therefore, although God has overlooked[av] such times of ignorance,[aw] he now commands all people[ax] everywhere to repent,[ay] 31 because he has set[az] a day on which he is going to judge the world[ba] in righteousness, by a man whom he designated,[bb] having provided proof to everyone by raising[bc] him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard about[bd] the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff,[be] but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul left the Areopagus.[bf] 34 But some people[bg] joined him[bh] and believed. Among them[bi] were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus,[bj] a woman[bk] named Damaris, and others with them.
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