Acts 17 - Prayer Tents

Acts 17

New Living Translation

Paul Preaches in Thessalonica

17Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

2As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people.

3He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, "This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Messiah."

4Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women[1].

5But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd[2].

6Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers[3] instead and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted, "and now they are here disturbing our city, too.

7And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus."

8The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports.

9So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

Paul and Silas in Berea

10That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

11And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

12As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

13But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble.

14The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.

15Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

Paul Preaches in Athens

16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.

17He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

18He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, "What's this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he's picked up?" Others said, "He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods."

19Then they took him to the high council of the city[4]. "Come and tell us about this new teaching," they said.

20"You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it's all about."

21(It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

22So Paul, standing before the council[5], addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,

23for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: `To an Unknown God.' This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I'm telling you about.

24"He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples,

25and human hands can't serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

26From one man[6] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

27"His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

28For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your[7] own poets have said, `We are his offspring.'

29And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

30"God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

31For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."

32When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, "We want to hear more about this later."

33That ended Paul's discussion with them,

34but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council[8], a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

[1] Acts 17:4Some manuscripts read quite a few of the wives of the leading men
[2] Acts 17:5Or the city council
[3] Acts 17:6Greek brothers; also in 17.10, 14
[4] Acts 17:19Or the most learned society of philosophers in the city. Greek reads the Areopagus
[5] Acts 17:22Traditionally rendered standing in the middle of Mars Hill; Greek reads standing in the middle of the Areopagus
[6] Acts 17:26Greek From one; other manuscripts read From one blood
[7] Acts 17:28Some manuscripts read our
[8] Acts 17:34Greek an Areopagite