The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 17 -

Nowe as they passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a Synagogue of the Iewes.

And Paul, as his maner was, went in vnto them, and three Sabbath daies disputed with them by the Scriptures,

Opening, and alleadging that Christ must haue suffered, and risen againe from the dead: and this is Iesus Christ, whom, said he, I preach to you.

And some of them beleeued, and ioyned in companie with Paul and Silas: also of the Grecians that feared God a great multitude, and of the chiefe women not a fewe.

But the Iewes which beleeued not, mooued with enuie, tooke vnto them certaine vagabonds and wicked fellowes, and whe they had assembled the multitude, they made a tumult in the citie, and made assault against the house of Iason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

But when they found them not, they drew Iason and certaine brethren vnto the heads of the citie, crying, These are they which haue subuerted the state of the world, and here they are,

Whom Iason hath receiued, and these all doe against the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another King, one Iesus.

Then they troubled the people, and the heads of the citie, when they heard these things.

Notwithstanding when they had receiued sufficient assurance of Iason and of the other, they let them goe.

The Character of the Bereans

And the brethren immediatly sent away Paul and Silas by night vnto Berea, which when they were come thither, entred into ye Synagogue of the Iewes.

These were also more noble men then they which were at Thessalonica, which receiued the woorde with all readinesse, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Therefore many of them beleeued, and of honest women, which were Grecians, and men not a fewe.

But when the Iewes of Thessalonica knewe, that the woord of God was also preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and mooued the people.

But by and by the brethren sent away Paul to goe as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

And they that did conduct Paul, brought him vnto Athens: and when they had receiued a commandement vnto Silas and Timotheus that they shoulde come to him at once, they departed.

Paul in Athens

Nowe while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirite was stirred in him, when hee sawe the citie subiect to idolatrie.

Therefore he disputed in the Synagogue with the Iewes, and with them that were religious, and in the market daily with whomesoeuer he met.

Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicures, and of the Stoickes, disputed with him, and some sayde, What will this babler say? Others sayde, He seemeth to be a setter forth of straunge gods (because hee preached vnto them Iesus, and the resurrection.)

And they tooke him, and brought him into Mars streete, saying, May we not know, what this newe doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

For thou bringest certaine strange thinges vnto our eares: we woulde knowe therefore, what these things meane.

For all the Athenians, and strangers which dwelt there, gaue them selues to nothing els, but either to tell, or to heare some newes.

Paul’s Address in the Areopagus

Then Paul stoode in the mids of Mars streete, and sayde, Yee men of Athens, I perceiue that in all things yee are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and behelde your deuotions, I founde an altar wherein was written, VNTO THE VNKNOWEN GOD. Whom ye then ignorantly worship, him shewe I vnto you.

God that made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaue and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands,

Neither is worshipped with mens handes, as though he needed any thing, seeing hee giueth to all life and breath and all things,

And hath made of one blood all mankinde, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordeined before, and the boundes of their habitation,

That they shoulde seeke the Lord, if so be they might haue groped after him, and founde him though doubtlesse he be not farre from euery one of vs.

For in him we liue, and mooue, and haue our being, as also certaine of your owne Poets haue sayd, for we are also his generation.

Forasmuch then, as we are the generation of God, we ought not to thinke that ye Godhead is like vnto gold, or siluer, or stone grauen by arte and the inuention of man.

And the time of this ignorance God regarded not: but nowe hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent,

Because hee hath appoynted a day in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnes, by that man whome hee hath appoynted, whereof he hath giuen an assurance to all men, in that hee hath raised him from the dead.

Now when they heard of the resurrection from the dead, some mocked, and other sayde, We will heare thee againe of this thing.

And so Paul departed from among them.

Howbeit certaine men claue vnto Paul, and beleeued: among whome was also Denys Areopagita, and a woman named Damaris, and other with them.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas: of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.

But the unpersuaded Jews took along

(a)

some wicked men from the marketplace and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.

When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers(b) before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!”

The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.

When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

The Character of the Bereans

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.

Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.

Paul in Athens

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also

(c)

were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about?

For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.”

Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Paul’s Address in the Areopagus

Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.

The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands.

He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things.

He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings,

that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’

Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”

Thus Paul went out from among them.

But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Footnotes

(a)17:5 TR reads “And the Jews who were unpersuaded, becoming envious and taking along” instead of “But the unpersuaded Jews took along”

(b)17:6 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”