1 Now they traveled on through Amphipolis and Apollonia until they reached Thessalonica. Here there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 So Paul, as he usually did, went to the synagogue, and for three sabbaths discussed with them the Scriptures, 3 explaining them and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and said, "This very Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ." 4 So some of them were convinced, and they joined Paul and Silas; also quite a number of devout Greeks and not a few women of the first rank.
5 But this enraged the Jews; so they got together some wicked loafers about the public square, formed a mob, and set the town in an uproar. 6 They stopped at Jason's house and tried to bring them out to the people. So, as they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the town magistrates, shouting, "These fellows, who have turned the world topsy-turvy, have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to the Emperor's decrees, because they claim there is another king, Jesus." 8 Thus they wrought up to great excitement the crowd and the town magistrates, on their hearing this, 9 and they made Jason and the other brothers give bond, and then turned them loose.
10 That night at once the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea, and on arriving there they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 The Jews there were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with all eagerness and carried on a daily study of the Scriptures to see if Paul's message was true. 12 Many of them came to believe, and not a few distinguished Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews at Thessalonica learned that God's message had been proclaimed at Berea by Paul, they came there too to excite the masses and stir up a riot. 14 Then the brothers at once sent Paul off to the coast, while Silas and Timothy stayed on there. 15 The men who acted as Paul's bodyguard took him all the way to Athens, and then went back with orders for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible.
16 While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred to its depths to see the city completely steeped in idolatry. 17 So he kept up his discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the pagans who were worshiping there, and also day by day in the public square with any who chanced to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and the Stoic philosophers began to debate with him; and some said, "What is this scraps-of-truth-picker trying to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities." They said so because he was telling the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
19 So they took him and brought him to the city auditorium and said, "May we know what this new teaching of yours is? 20 For some of the things you bring sound startling to us; so we want to know just what they mean." 21 (Now all the Athenians and foreign visitors in Athens used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to the latest new thing out.)
22 So Paul stood up in the center of the auditorium and said: "Men of Athens, at every turn I make I see that you are very religious. 23 For as I was going here and there and looking at the things you worship, I even found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' So it is about the Being whom you are in ignorance already worshiping that I am telling you. 24 The God who made the world and all that it contains, since He is 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 were in need of anything, for He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one forefather He made every nation of mankind, for living all over the face of the earth, fixing their appointed times and the limits of their lands, 27 so that they might search for God, possibly they might grope for Him, and find Him, though He is really not far from any of us. 28 For it is through union with Him that we live and move and exist, as some of your own poets have said, "'For we are His offspring too.' 29 Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to suppose that His nature is like gold or silver or stone or anything carved by man's art and thought.
30 Though God overlooked those times of ignorance, He now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 since He has set a day on which He will justly judge the world through a man whom He has appointed. He has made this credible to all by raising Him from the dead."
32 But when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some sneered, but others said, "We will hear you again on this subject." 33 So Paul left the auditorium. 34 Some men, however, joined him and came to believe, among them Dionysius, a member of the city council; also a woman named Damaris, and some others.