1 After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went in to them, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of devout Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews became jealous and enlisted some wicked men from the marketplace. They formed a mob and threw the city into an uproar, attacked Jason’s house, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them. They all act against Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 They alarmed the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. 9 After taking security from Jason and the others, they released them.

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 The people there were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 So many of them believed, along with many prominent Greek women and many men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God in Berea, they came there too, stirring up and troubling the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, while Silas and Timothy stayed there. 15 Those escorting Paul brought him as far as Athens. They received instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, and then they left.

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped God, and every day in the marketplace with those who happened to be there. 18 Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities,” because he was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. 19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are speaking about? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners visiting there spent their time doing nothing but telling or hearing something new.

22 Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed your objects of worship, I found an altar inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’ What you worship without knowing, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one he made all nations to live on the whole face of the earth, determining their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling, 27 so that they might seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ 29 Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human art and imagination. 30 So God overlooked the times of ignorance, but now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day on which he will judge the inhabited world in righteousness through a man whom he has appointed. He has given assurance of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from among them. 34 But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.