SO journeying through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of Jews: (2)And Paul,
according to his usual custom, went in to them, and for three sabbaths
he reasoned with them from the scriptures, (3)opening them clearly, and
laying it evidently down that the Messiah must suffer, and rise again
from the dead; and that this man is the Messiah, even Jesus, whom I
preach unto you. (4)And some of them believed, and associated
themselves with Paul and Silas; and of the religious Greeks a vast
multitude, and of the wives of the first people not a few. (5)But the
unbelieving Jews, roused to a fit of zeal, and taking some of the
lowest vulgar men of vile characters, and raising a mob, set the city
in an uproar, and besetting the house of Jason, sought them to bring
them unto the people. (6)But not finding them there, they dragged Jason
and certain brethren to the city magistrates, roaring out, These are
the men who are movers of sedition through the world, and are come in
hither; (7)whom Jason has entertained in his house: and the practice of
all these fellows is in direct opposition to all Caesar's ordinances,
for they affirm that another is king, one Jesus. (8)And they greatly
agitated the people and the city magistrates when they heard these
things. (9)So after taking sufficient security from Jason and the rest,
they dismissed them.
(10)Then the disciples immediately by night sent off both Paul and
Silas to Berea; who were no sooner arrived, than they went into the
synagogue of the Jews. (11)Now these were more liberally minded men
than those of Thessalonica, for they received the word with all
readiness of mind, daily, examining the Scriptures if these things were
really so. (12)Then many of them truly believed: and of the Grecian
proselyte women of respectability, and of the men not a few.
(13)But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that at Berea also the word
of God was preached by Paul, they came thither, and stirred up the
populace. (14)Then immediately on this the brethren sent off Paul, to
go as if by sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still. (15)And those
who conduced Paul brought him as far as Athens, and receiving an
injunction for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as
speedily as possible, they departed. (16)Now while Paul waited for
them at Athens, his spirit within him was greatly grieved, beholding
the city so devoted to idolatry. (17)Therefore he reasoned in the
synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped there, and in the
forum every day with those he happened to meet.
(18)Then certain of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him:
and some said, What will this chattering fellow say? but others, He
seemeth to be a preacher of foreign deities, because he preached to
them Jesus and the resurrection. (19)So they took him and led him to
the hill of Mars, saying, May we know what this novel doctrine taught
by thee is? (20)For thou bringest some strange stories to our ears; we
wish therefore to know what these things mean. (21)Now all the
Athenians and the strangers who come to sojourn there, take pleasure in
spending their time in nothing else but in talking, or hearing of some
novelty.
(22)Then Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, Ye men of
Athens, I observe that in all things ye are too much devoted to the
worship of daemons. (23)For as I walked about, and attentively viewed
the objects of your worship, I found even an altar on which was this
inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you in ignorance adore,
him I preach unto you. (24)The God who created the world, and all
things in it, he that is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in
temples of man's construction; (25)nor is he served by human hands, as
if he needed any creature, himself imparting to all beings life, and
breath, and all things. (26)And hath made from one man's blood all the
nations of mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, fixing
the predetermined periods of their existence, and the boundaries of
their several abodes; (27)that they should seek the Lord, if indeed
they might haply grope him out, and find him, though truly he is not
far from any individual of us: (28)for from him we derive life, and
power of motion, and existence; as also some of your own poets have
said, "For we are even his offspring." (29)Being then the offspring of
God, we ought not to imagine that the Divinity is like to gold, or
silver, or stone sculptured by human art or contrivance. (30)These
times indeed of ignorance God then overlooked; but he now commands all
men in every place to repent: (31)because he hath fixed the day in
which he will judge the whole world in righteousness by the man whom he
hath appointed; affording evidence of this to all, by raising him from
the dead.
(32)But when they heard of the resurrection from the dead, Some
scoffed: and others said, We will hear thee again on this subject.
(33)And so Paul departed from the midst of them. (34)But certain
persons cleaving to him, believed: among whom was even Dionysius the
Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.