Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to aThessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2And aaccording to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three bSabbaths reasoned with them from cthe Scriptures,
31explaining and 2giving evidence that the 3Christ ahad to suffer and brise again from the dead, and saying, " cThis Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the 3Christ."
4aAnd some of them were persuaded and joined bPaul and Silas, 1along with a large number of the cGod-fearing dGreeks and 2a number of the eleading women.
5But athe Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of bJason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.
6When they did not find them, they began adragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset 1 bthe world have come here also;
71and Jason ahas welcomed them, and they all act bcontrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."
8They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.
9And when they had received a 1pledge from aJason and the others, they released them.
aThe brethren immediately sent bPaul and Silas away by night to cBerea, 1and when they arrived, they went into dthe synagogue of the Jews.
11Now these were more noble-minded than those in aThessalonica, 1for they received the word with 2great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
12Therefore amany of them believed, 1along with a number of bprominent Greek cwomen and men.
13But when the Jews of aThessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in bBerea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
14Then immediately athe brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and bSilas and cTimothy remained there.
15Now athose who escorted Paul brought him as far as bAthens; and receiving a command for cSilas and Timothy to dcome to him as soon as possible, they left.
Now while Paul was waiting for them at aAthens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.
17So he was reasoning ain the synagogue with the Jews and bthe God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.
18And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were 1conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would athis 2idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"--because he was preaching bJesus and the resurrection.
19And they atook him and brought him 1to the 2 bAreopagus, saying, "May we know what cthis new teaching is 3which you are proclaiming?
20"For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean."
21(Now all the Athenians and the strangers avisiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)
So Paul stood in the midst of the 1Areopagus and said, "Men of aAthens, I observe that you are very breligious in all respects.
23"For while I was passing through and examining the aobjects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, `TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what byou worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
24" aThe God who made the world and all things in it, since He is bLord of heaven and earth, does not cdwell in temples made with hands;
25nor is He served by human hands, aas though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26and aHe made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having bdetermined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, athough He is not far from each one of us;
28for ain Him we live and move and 1exist, as even some of your own poets have said, `For we also are His children.'
29"Being then the children of God, we aought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
30"Therefore having aoverlooked bthe times of ignorance, God is cnow declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
31because He has fixed aa day in which bHe will judge 1 cthe world in righteousness 2through a Man whom He has dappointed, having furnished proof to all men 3by eraising Him from the dead."
32Now when they heard of athe resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you 1again concerning this."
33So Paul went out of their midst.
34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the aAreopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.