Acts 17
17Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.G1161G1353G295G2532G624G2064G1519G2332G3699G2258G4864G24532As usual, Paul entered there and on three Sabbaths discussed the Scriptures with them.G1161G3972G2596G1486G1525G4314G846G2532G1909G5140G4521G1256G846G575G11243He explained and showed them that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: "This very Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Messiah."G1272G2532G3908G3754G5547G1163G3958G2532G450G1537G3498G2532G3754G3778G2424G3739G1473G2605G5213G2076G55474Some of them were persuaded and began to be associated with Paul and Silas, especially a large crowd of devout Greeks and the wives of many prominent men.G2532G5100G1537G846G3982G2532G4345G3972G2532G4609G5037G4576G1672G4183G4128G5037G4413G1135G3756G36415But the Jews became jealous, and they took some contemptible characters who used to hang out in the public square, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason's home and searched it for Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the people.G1161G2453G544G2206G2532G4355G5100G4190G435G60G2532G3792G2350G4172G2350G5037G2186G3614G2394G2212G71G846G1519G12186When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials and shouted, "These fellows who have turned the world upside down have come here, too,G1161G2147G846G3361G4951G2394G2532G5100G80G1909G4173G994G3754G3778G387G3625G387G3918G1759G25327and Jason has welcomed them as his guests. All of them oppose the emperor's decrees by saying that there is another king - Jesus!"4G3739G2394G5264G2532G3778G3956G4238G561G1378G2541G3004G1511G2087G935G24248The crowd and the city officials were upset when they heard this,G1161G5015G3793G2532G4173G191G50239but after they had gotten a bond from Jason and the others they let them go.G2532G2983G2425G3844G2394G2532G3062G630G846G63010That night the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.G1161G80G2112G1599G5037G3972G2532G4609G1223G3571G1519G960G3748G3854G549G1519G4864G245311These people were more receptive than those in Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive the message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if those things were so.G1161G3778G2258G2104G1722G2332G3748G1209G3056G3326G3956G4288G350G1124G2250G2596G1487G5023G2192G377912Many of them believed, including a large number of prominent Greek women and men.G3767G3303G4183G1537G846G4100G2532G2158G1135G3588G1674G2532G435G3756G364113But when the Jews in Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul also in Berea, they went there to upset and incite the crowds.G1161G5613G2453G575G2332G1097G3754G2532G3056G2316G2605G5259G3972G1722G960G2064G2546G4531G379314Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed there.G1161G5119G2112G80G1821G3972G4198G5613G1909G2281G1161G5037G4609G2532G5095G5278G1563G527815The men who escorted Paul took him all the way to Athens and, after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left.G1161G2525G3972G71G846G2193G116G2532G2983G1785G4314G4609G2532G5095G2443G2064G4314G846G5613G5033G182616While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was deeply disturbed to see the city full of idols.G1161G3972G1551G846G1722G116G846G4151G3947G1722G846G2334G4172G5607G271217So he began holding discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and other worshipers, as well as every day in the public square with anyone who happened to be there.G3767G3303G1256G1722G4864G2453G2532G4576G2532G1722G58G2596G3956G2250G4314G390918Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some asked, "What is this blabbermouth trying to say?" while others said, "He seems to be preaching about foreign gods." This was because Paul was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.G1161G5100G5386G1946G2532G4770G4820G846G2532G5100G3004G5101G302G2309G3778G4691G3004G1161G1380G1511G2604G3581G1140G3754G2097G846G2424G2532G38619Then they took him, brought him before the Areopagus, and asked, "May we know what this new teaching of yours is -G5037G1949G846G71G1909G697G3004G1410G1097G5101G3778G2537G1322G5259G4675G298020It sounds rather strange to our ears, and we would like to know what it means."G1063G1533G5100G3579G1519G2257G189G1014G1097G3767G5101G5023G302G2309G151121Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there used to spend their time doing nothing else other than listening to the latest ideas or repeating them.G1161G3956G117G2532G3581G3588G1927G2119G1519G3762G2087G2228G3004G2532G191G5100G253722So Paul stood up in front of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.G1161G3972G2476G1722G3319G697G5346G435G117G2334G5613G2596G3956G5209G117423For as I was walking around and looking closely at the objects you worship, I even found an altar with this written on it: 'To an unknown god.' So I am telling you about the unknown object you worship.G1063G1330G2532G333G5216G4574G2532G2147G1041G1722G3739G1924G57G2316G3739G3767G50G2151G5126G2605G1473G521324The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in shrines made by human hands,G2316G4160G2889G2532G3956G1722G846G3778G5225G2962G3772G2532G1093G2730G3756G1722G3485G549925and he isn't served by people as if he needed anything. He himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything else.G3761G2323G5259G444G5495G4326G5100G846G1325G3956G2222G2532G4157G2596G395626From one man he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the national boundaries within which they live,G5037G4160G1537G1520G129G3956G1484G444G2730G1909G3956G4383G1093G3724G2540G4384G2532G3734G846G273327so that they might look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. Of course, he is never far from any one of us.G2212G2962G1487G686G5584G846G2532G2147G2544G5225G3756G3112G575G1538G1520G225728For we live, move, and exist because of him, as some of your own poets have said: 'For we are his children, too.'G1063G1722G846G2198G2532G2795G2532G2070G5613G5100G2532G5209G2596G4163G2046G1063G2070G2532G5120G108529So if we are God's children, we shouldn't think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone, or is an image carved by humans using their own imagination and skill.G3767G5225G1085G2316G3784G3756G3543G2304G1511G3664G5557G2228G696G2228G3037G5480G5078G2532G444G176130Though God has overlooked those times of ignorance, he now commands everyone everywhere to repent,G3303G3767G5550G52G2316G5237G3569G3853G3956G444G3837G334031because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world with justice through a man whom he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."G1360G2476G2250G1722G3739G3195G2919G3625G1722G1343G1722G435G3739G3724G3930G4102G3956G450G846G1537G349832When they heard about a resurrection of the dead, some began joking about it, while others said, "We will hear you again about this."G1161G191G386G3498G3303G5512G1161G2036G191G4675G3825G4012G512733And so Paul left the meeting.G2532G3779G3972G1831G1537G3319G84634Some men joined him and became believers. With them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and some others along with them.17G1161G5100G435G2853G846G4100G1722G3739G2532G1354G698G2532G1135G3686G1152G2532G2087G4862G846
Columbus, OH
