Acts

17 And they went through Amphipolis and Apollonia without stopping and came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And, in accordance with Paul’s practice, he went in to them and for three sabbaths argued with them out of the scriptures, 3 elucidating and quoting that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead, and that “this Jesus whom I am announcing to you” is the Messiah. 4 And some of them believed it and associated themselves with Paul and Silas, and of the religious-minded Greeks a great number, and of the foremost women not a few.

5 But the Jews, growing jealous and enlisting some bad characters among the men about the marketplace and raising a mob, threw the city into an uproar and came in front of Jason’s house and proposed to bring them up before the people; 6 but, not finding them, they dragged Jason and some brothers off to the politarchs, clamoring “These who have driven wild the world of men have got here too; 7 Jason has taken them in; and all these are acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees by saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And they alarmed the crowd and the politarchs with the hearing of this, 9 and they took security from Jason and the rest and dismissed them. 10* And the brothers at once sent Paul and Silas off in the night to Berea, where as soon as they arrived they went to the synagogue of the Jews. 11 And these were a better stock than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with the utmost eagerness, examining the Scriptures day by day as to whether these things were so.

12 So a great many of them believed, and of the respectable Greek women too, and of men, not a few. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been announced by Paul at Berea too, they came even there, stirring up and alarming the crowds. 14* And then the brothers at once sent Paul out to get to the sea, while both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in the place. 15 And those who were escorting Paul took him on to Athens, and received an order to Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible and went out.

16 And while Paul was waiting for them at Athens his spirit was provoked in him as he saw the city swarming with idols. 17 So he talked it over in the synagogue with the Jews and religious-minded people, and in the marketplace day after day with those who happened to be present. 18 And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him, and some said “What is this phrasemonger trying to say?” and others “He seems to be a propagandist for foreign divinities,” because he was preaching the gospel of Jesus and Resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him before the Areopagus, saying “May we know what this new teaching voiced by you is? 20 for you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we should like to know what it is all driving at.” 21* Now all the Athenians, and the foreigners who resided there, took every occasion to say or to hear something novel.

22 And Paul took his stand in the middle of the Areopagus and said “Men of Athens, every way I see you are great reverers of unseen powers. 23 For in passing along and observing the objects of your worship I found among the rest an altar inscribed “To Unknown God.” So it is of what you adore unknowing that I am bringing you information. 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, does not, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, reside in man-made temples, 25 nor is tended by human hands for any want of his, when it is he who gave everybody life and breath and everything. 26 And he made out of one every nation of men to live all over the face of the earth, ordaining prescribed epochs and the limitations of their residence, 27 to have them seek for God if so be they might touch him in their groping and find him—as indeed he is not far from each one of us,

29 So, seeing we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think divinity is similar to gold or silver or stone sculptured by human art and conception.

30 “Therefore God, overlooking the times of ignorance, at present notifies men that everybody everywhere is to repent, 31 inasmuch as he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world of men with justice by a man whom he has designated and has certified to all by raising him from the dead;—”

32 But at hearing of resurrection of the dead some jeered and others said “We will give you another hearing about this.” 33 With that Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men adhered to him and believed, among them Dionysius an Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.