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Paul at Thessalonica

¹ Now after Paul and Silas had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to ^(C1)Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.² And Paul entered the synagogue, ^(C1)as was his ^(F1)custom, and for three ^(C2)Sabbaths he engaged in discussion and friendly debate with them from ^(C3)the Scriptures,³ explaining and pointing out scriptural evidence that it was necessary for the Christ ^(C1)to suffer and ^(C2)rise from the dead, and saying, "^(C3)This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)."^4 (C1)And some of them were persuaded to believe and joined ^(C2)Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the ^(C3)God-fearing ^(C4)Greeks and many of the ^(C5)leading women.⁵ But ^(C1)the unbelieving Jews became jealous, and taking along some thugs from the lowlifes in the market place, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and then attacking ^(C2)Jason's house tried to bring Paul and Silas out to the people.⁶ But when they failed to find them, they ^(C1)dragged Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned ^(C2)the world upside down have come here too;⁷ and Jason ^(C1)has welcomed them into his house and protected them! And they all are ^(C2)saying things contrary to the decrees of Caesar, actually claiming that there is another king, Jesus."⁸ They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.⁹ And when they had taken security (bail) from ^(C1)Jason and the others, they let them go.

Paul at Berea

^10 (C1)The brothers immediately sent ^(C2)Paul and Silas away by night to ^(C3)Berea; and when they arrived, they entered ^(C4)the Jewish synagogue.¹¹ Now these people were more noble and open-minded than those in ^(C1)Thessalonica, so they received the message of salvation through faith in the Christ with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.¹² As a result ^(C1)many of them became believers, together with a number of ^(C2)prominent Greek ^(C3)women and men.¹³ But when the Jews of ^(C1)Thessalonica learned that the word of God concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ had also been preached by Paul at ^(C2)Berea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds.¹⁴ So at that time ^(C1)the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go as far as the sea; but ^(C2)Silas and ^(C3)Timothy remained there at Berea.^15 (C1)Those who escorted Paul brought him to ^(C2)Athens; and after receiving instructions from Paul for ^(C3)Silas and Timothy to ^(C4)join him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul at Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at ^(C1)Athens, his spirit was greatly angered when he saw that the city was full of idols.¹⁷ So he had discussions ^(C1)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(C2)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place day after day with any who happened to be there.¹⁸ And some of the ^(F1)Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to engage in conversation with him. And some said, "What could ^(C1)this idle babbler with his eclectic, scrap-heap learning have in mind to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities"—because he was preaching the good news about ^(C2)Jesus and the resurrection.¹⁹ They ^(C1)took him and brought him to the ^(F1)(C2)Areopagus (Hill of Ares, the Greek god of war), saying, "May we know what ^(C3)this strange new teaching is which you are proclaiming?²⁰ "For you are bringing some startling and strange things to our ears; so we want to know what they mean."²¹ (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners ^(C1)visiting there used to spend their leisure time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

²² So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus, said: "Men of ^(C1)Athens, I observe with every turn I make throughout the city that you are very ^(C2)religious and devout in all respects.²³ "Now as I was going along and carefully looking at your ^(C1)objects of worship, I came to an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN ^(F1)UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what ^(C2)you already worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.²⁴ "^(C1)The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is ^(C2)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(C3)dwell in temples made with hands;²⁵ nor is He ^(F1)served by human hands, ^(C1)as though He needed anything, because it is He who gives to all people life and breath and all things. ^(VR1)26 "And ^(C1)He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having ^(C2)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.²⁷ "This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, ^(C1)though He is not far from each one of us.²⁸ "For ^(C1)in Him we live and move and exist that is, in Him we actually have our being, as even some of ^(F1)your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'²⁹ "So then, being God's children, we ^(C1)should not think that the Divine Nature (deity) is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination or skill of man.³⁰ "Therefore God ^(C1)overlooked and disregarded the former ^(C2)ages of ignorance; but ^(C3)now He commands all people everywhere to repent that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God's purpose for their lives,³¹ because He has set ^(C1)a day when ^(C2)He will judge ^(C3)the inhabited world in righteousness by a Man whom He has ^(C4)appointed and destined for that task, and He has provided credible proof to everyone by ^(C5)raising Him from the dead." ^(VR1)

³² Now when they heard the term ^(C1)resurrection from the dead, ^(F1)some mocked and sneered; but others said, "We will hear from you again about this matter."³³ So Paul left them.³⁴ But some men joined him and believed; among them were Dionysius, a judge of the Council of ^(C1)Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.