Acts 17
17
Paul in Thessalonica
1 Now when they travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.* 2 And according to his customary practice, Paul went in to them, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned* with them from the Scriptures, 3 opening* and setting forth that it was indispensable for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, and also a great many of God-adoring Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking along certain worthless men of the rabble in the marketplace and raising a public disturbance, they set the city into an uproar. And having assaulted Jason’s house, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the city officials, shouting, “The ones who have upset the world—these have come here also, 7 whom Jason has hospitably entertained. And these are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And they agitated the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And having received a pledge from Jason and the rest, they released them.
In Berea
10 Now the brothers immediately sent away both Paul and Silas by night to Berea, who, having arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica came to know that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, stirring up and agitating* the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go as far as the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 And those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and having received an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.
In Athens
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him when he was observing that the city was full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning* in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-adoring Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were disputing* with him. And some were saying, “What does this babbler intend to say?” But others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.* 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is being spoken by you? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we wish to know what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who resided there would dedicate their time to nothing else than telling something or hearing something novel.
22 So Paul stood there in the midst of the Areopagus and said:
Paul's Apologetic Preaching
“Men of Athens, I see you are more religious than others in every way. 23 For as I was passing through and looking attentively at your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship without knowing, this I am proclaiming to you. 24 The God who made the world and all the things in it; this One, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples constructed by human hands, 25 nor is He worshipped by the hands of men, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and everything. 26 And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 to seek God, if perhaps indeed they might search for Him and discover Him. And indeed He is not remote from each one of us, 28 For ‘in Him we live and move and have our being.’* As even some of the poets among you have stated, ‘For we also are His offspring.’*
29 “Therefore, being God’s offspring, we ought not to suppose the Divine Being is comparable to gold or silver or stone—an image fashioned by the art and human imagination.* 30 Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has fixed a day on which He will* judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having provided evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock. But others said, “We will hear you concerning this again also.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some persons joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman, Damaris by name, and others with them.
Notes
1 One ancient Greek manuscript has a truncated reading of this verse, given as: They came to Thessalonica and Apollonia
2 Or discussed
3 Or expounding
13 Some ancient manuscripts omit and agitating
17 Or discussing
18 Or conversing
18 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the dependent clause because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection
28 Credited to Epimenides of Crete, a 6th c. BC Greek seer and philosopher
28 Credited to Aratus of Soli, a 3rd c. BC Cilician Stoic poet and philosopher
29 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the phrase and human imagination
31 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the relative clause on which he will
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Acts 17: AFINTLIT
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Acts 17
17
Paul in Thessalonica
1 Now when they travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.* 2 And according to his customary practice, Paul went in to them, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned* with them from the Scriptures, 3 opening* and setting forth that it was indispensable for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, and also a great many of God-adoring Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking along certain worthless men of the rabble in the marketplace and raising a public disturbance, they set the city into an uproar. And having assaulted Jason’s house, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the city officials, shouting, “The ones who have upset the world—these have come here also, 7 whom Jason has hospitably entertained. And these are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And they agitated the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And having received a pledge from Jason and the rest, they released them.
In Berea
10 Now the brothers immediately sent away both Paul and Silas by night to Berea, who, having arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica came to know that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, stirring up and agitating* the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go as far as the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 And those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and having received an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.
In Athens
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him when he was observing that the city was full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning* in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-adoring Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were disputing* with him. And some were saying, “What does this babbler intend to say?” But others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.* 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is being spoken by you? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we wish to know what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who resided there would dedicate their time to nothing else than telling something or hearing something novel.
22 So Paul stood there in the midst of the Areopagus and said:
Paul's Apologetic Preaching
“Men of Athens, I see you are more religious than others in every way. 23 For as I was passing through and looking attentively at your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship without knowing, this I am proclaiming to you. 24 The God who made the world and all the things in it; this One, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples constructed by human hands, 25 nor is He worshipped by the hands of men, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and everything. 26 And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 to seek God, if perhaps indeed they might search for Him and discover Him. And indeed He is not remote from each one of us, 28 For ‘in Him we live and move and have our being.’* As even some of the poets among you have stated, ‘For we also are His offspring.’*
29 “Therefore, being God’s offspring, we ought not to suppose the Divine Being is comparable to gold or silver or stone—an image fashioned by the art and human imagination.* 30 Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has fixed a day on which He will* judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having provided evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock. But others said, “We will hear you concerning this again also.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some persons joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman, Damaris by name, and others with them.
Notes
1 One ancient Greek manuscript has a truncated reading of this verse, given as: They came to Thessalonica and Apollonia
2 Or discussed
3 Or expounding
13 Some ancient manuscripts omit and agitating
17 Or discussing
18 Or conversing
18 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the dependent clause because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection
28 Credited to Epimenides of Crete, a 6th c. BC Greek seer and philosopher
28 Credited to Aratus of Soli, a 3rd c. BC Cilician Stoic poet and philosopher
29 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the phrase and human imagination
31 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the relative clause on which he will
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).