1After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they arrived in Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue and, for three Sabbath days, he discussed the Scriptures with them,
3explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus, whom I am telling you about, is the Christ.”
4Some of the Jews were convinced and joined Paul and Silas. A large number of religious Greeks and many prominent women also joined them.
5But the Jews who did not believe became jealous. They gathered some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason’s house, trying to bring Paul and Silas out to the crowd.
6When they couldn’t find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city rulers, shouting, “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have come here too!
7Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees by saying there is another king, Jesus!”
8The crowd and the city rulers were disturbed when they heard this.
9After taking a guarantee from Jason and the others, the officials let them go.
10That very night, the believers sent Paul and Silas to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message and studied the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
12As a result, many of them believed, as did a number of prominent Greek women and quite a few Greek men.
13But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was also preaching the word of God in Beroea, they came there too, stirring up the crowds.
14Then the believers immediately sent Paul away to go toward the sea, while Silas and Timothy remained in Beroea.
15Those who were escorting Paul took him as far as Athens. They left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
16While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he was deeply troubled to see that the city was full of idols.
17So he debated in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Greeks, and in the marketplace every day with anyone who happened to be there.
18Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also argued with him. Some asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be promoting foreign gods,” because Paul was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.
19They took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, asking, “Can you tell us what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
20You are introducing some strange ideas to us, and we want to know what they mean.”
21All the Athenians and the foreigners living there spent their time doing nothing but telling or listening to the latest new ideas.
22Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.
23As I walked around and looked at the things you worship, I found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ So, I am telling you about the God you worship without knowing him.
24This God made the world and everything in it. Since he is the Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in temples built by human hands.
25He doesn’t need anything from human hands, like he needs to be served, because he himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything else.
26From one man, he made every nation of people to live all over the earth. He decided the exact times for them to exist and the boundaries of their lands.
27He did this so they would search for the Lord, and perhaps reach out and find him, even though he is not far from any of us.
28‘For in him we live, and move, and exist.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’
29Since we are God’s children, we should not think that the Divine Nature is like gold, silver, or stone—an image formed by human art and design.
30God overlooked those times when people were ignorant, but now he commands everyone everywhere to change their ways.
31He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly by a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some people made fun of him, but others said, “We want to hear you speak about this again.”
33So Paul left them.
34However, some men joined him and believed, including Dionysius, a member of the Mars Hill council, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.