Acts 17
Big idea: One message — the Christ had to suffer and rise again, and this Jesus is he — meets three Greek cities: Thessalonica riots, Beroea examines the Scriptures daily, and Athens hears the Creator proclaimed from its own altar to an unknown God. Everywhere the dividing line falls at the same place: the resurrection, and the summons to repent before the man God has ordained to judge.
Athens' mixed hearing sends Paul on alone to Corinth (ch. 18), where the same synagogue-first pattern meets opposition again — and the risen Lord himself answers the pressure of the road by night: “Don't be afraid… I have many people in this city.”
17:1–9 — Thessalonica: another king
For three Sabbath days Paul reasons in the synagogue from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again — “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Some Jews, a great multitude of devout Greeks, and not a few chief women are persuaded. The unpersuaded raise a mob, and when Paul can't be found they drag Jason before the city rulers with a charge that names the issue exactly: “there is another king, Jesus!”
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas: of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women. 5 But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. 6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!” 8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. 9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
17:10–15 — Beroea: examining the Scriptures daily
Sent away by night, Paul and Silas begin again at the synagogue in Beroea. These hearers are “more noble”: they receive the word with all readiness of mind and examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so — and many therefore believe, prominent Greek women and not a few men among them. The Thessalonian Jews pursue and agitate the crowds, and the brothers escort Paul to the sea and on to Athens, Silas and Timothy to follow.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15 But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
17:16–21 — Provoked in Athens
Waiting alone, Paul's spirit is provoked within him at a city full of idols. He reasons in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons, and every day in the marketplace with whoever meets him. Epicurean and Stoic philosophers engage — some dismiss the “babbler,” others hear “foreign deities” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection — and they bring him to the Areopagus, asking to know this new teaching.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19 They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about? 20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
17:22–31 — The Areopagus address
From their own altar “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD,” Paul announces what Athens worships in ignorance: the God who made the world, Lord of heaven and earth, who dwells in no handmade temple and needs no human service — he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. From one blood he made every nation, appointing their seasons and boundaries so that they should seek him, “though he is not far from each one of us” — their own poets concede as much. Therefore the Divine Nature is not gold, silver, or stone; and now God commands all people everywhere to repent, having appointed a day of righteous judgment by the man he has ordained, giving assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. 25 He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. 26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
17:32–34 — Split at the resurrection
At the resurrection of the dead the hearing divides: some mock, others say “We want to hear you again concerning this,” and certain men join Paul and believe — Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.” 33 Thus Paul went out from among them. 34 But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).