Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens. He sent orders to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible. Paul waited for them at Athens. His spirit was irritated within him when he saw the city full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons. He went to the marketplace every day with those who would meet with him. read more.
The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said: What is this babbler saying? Others: He seems to be advocating strange gods because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus. They said, May we know what is this new teaching? You bring strange ideas to our ears. We want to know what these things mean. The Athenians and the strangers who lived there spent their time doing nothing else except talking about and listening to new ideas. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our existence. Your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, a device made by man's design or skill. God overlooked the times of ignorance; but now he commands men everywhere to repent. He has established a day (time) in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man [Jesus] whom he has ordained. Of that he gives proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (John 5:22) (Isaiah 2:4) (Acts 10:42) Some mocked when they heard about the resurrection of the dead. Yet others said: We will hear you again concerning this. Thus Paul went out from among them. Some men joined themselves to him and believed. Included among the believers were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

When we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens. Verse ConceptsIsolated PersonsPeople Abandoning People

Some of them were convinced (believed) and joined with Paul and Silas. A large crowd of the devout Greeks and of the prominent women also joined. Verse ConceptsDevout MenGreeksReverence, And ObedienceConverts To ChristianityProselytesJoined To The ChurchThose Who Believed In Christ

This I say therefore, and testify (affirm) in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the nations also walk, in the vanity (futility) (depravity) of their mind (thinking). They are darkened (blinded) (obscured) in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart. They are past feeling. They have given themselves over to loose conduct, to work all uncleanness with greediness (a lust for more).

Do not worry! Do not say: 'What shall we eat?' or, 'What shall we drink?' or, 'What shall we wear?' All people go in search of these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.


But I say, that the things that the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. Verse ConceptsAstrologyFalse ReligionPagansNations DescribedSacrificesDemonsSacrificeHalloweenpartnershipstatuesDemonic Influence

This is what Jehovah says: Do not learn the practices of the nations. Do not be frightened by the signs in the sky because they frighten the nations. The people's customs are erroneous and empty. It is wood cut from the forest. It is the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

Large quantities of meaningless words and repetition are not acceptable in prayer. The pagans think their gods will hear long and repetitious prayers. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

In the past he let all nations to walk in their own ways. Verse ConceptsGod's WaysLife, Of FaithGod Acting Of OldLeaving People AloneThe Pastpast

Paul waited for them at Athens. His spirit was irritated within him when he saw the city full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons. He went to the marketplace every day with those who would meet with him.

Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. read more.
Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us.

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The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. That which is known about God is clear to them, for God revealed it to them. His invisible attributes are clearly seen since the creation of the world. The things made prove His eternal power and divine nature. Mankind has no excuse, read more.
for when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God. They did not thank him and were vain in their reasoning, for their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. God gave them up to uncleanness because of the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creation more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature. Also the men left the natural use of the woman and burned in their lust, one toward another; men with men working that which is obscene. They receive full recompense due for their error. They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, so God gave them over to a reprobate (depraved) mind, to do things that are not fitting. They are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, and unmerciful. They know the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death! And yet, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who do them.

You who judge have no excuse. For when you judge another you condemn yourself. After all you do the same things. We are sure that the judgment of God, according to truth, is against those who commit such things. What do you reason O man? When you judge these things, and you also do them, do you think that you will escape the judgment of God? read more.
Do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering? Do you not know that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Thanks to your stubborn and unrepentant heart, you store up wrath for yourself, in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. He will render to each according to his works. [He offers] everlasting life for those who search for incorruptible glory and honor by enduring in good works. Those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will receive wrath and indignation. [There will be] tribulation and distress on every person who works evil, for the Jew first and for the Greek. [There will be] glory, honor and peace to every one who does good works, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God is not partial! (God does not play favorites!) For all who have sinned without law will perish without law. All who have sinned under law will be judged under law. The hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be righteous. When those of the nations, who have no law, practice by nature the things of the law they are a law to themselves even though they do not have any law. They show the work of the law written in their hearts. Their conscience also bears witness, and their thoughts accuse or excuse them.

You know that you were of the nations, carried away and led by mute idols. Verse ConceptsDumbnessMutenessPagansPolytheismCarrying IdolsDumbdiscriminationstatuesHinduism

We are Jews by birth, and not sinners from the nations. Verse ConceptsSinnersWhat Foreigners Are LikeJews

For the things that are done by them in secret is a shame even to speak about. Verse ConceptsNations DescribedSecret SinsActing In SecretCurbing SpeechShame Of Bad Conductspeakingdisobedience


You have spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. Your lives were spent in indecency, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols (false gods). They think it strange that you do not run with them in wild and reckless living and they speak evil about you.

After time passed Paul said to Barnabas: Let us go again and visit our brothers in every city where we have preached the Word of God, and see how they are doing. Barnabas decided to take John, whose surname was Mark, with them. Paul did not think it a good idea to take him with them. So he left them at Pamphylia. read more.
Their disagreement was so great between them that they parted company. So Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and departed, being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of God. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the congregations. Paul arrived at Derbe and Lystra where he saw a disciple named Timothy. He was the son of a Jewish woman, and his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to have him travel with him. So he had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in the area. For they knew that his father was a Greek. They went through the towns and delivered to the believers the rules decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey those rules. The congregations were made stronger in the faith and grew in numbers every day. The Holy Spirit did not let them preach the message in the province of Asia. So they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go into the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. They traveled through Mysia and went to Troas. Paul had a vision that night. In it he saw a Macedonian standing and pleading with him, Come over to Macedonia and help us! After Paul had this vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia. We decided that God had called us to preach the good news to the people there. We left by ship from Troas and sailed to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, a city of the first district of Macedonia. It is also a Roman colony. We spent several days there. On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the river where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women who gathered there. A woman named Lydia who was a seller of purple came from Thyatira. She worshipped God because God opened her heart to listen to the things spoken by Paul. When she and her household were baptized she came to us saying, If you judge me to be faithful to God, come to my house, and stay there. She absolutely insisted that we come. A young woman who had a spirit of divination met us as we were going to the place of prayer. She brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and cried out: These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation. She did this for many days. This troubled Paul. So he turned and said to the spirit, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very hour. When her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. They took them to the magistrates and said: These men, being Jews, cause great trouble in our city. They offer customs that it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans. The crowd rose up against them. The magistrates ripped their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods. After they were severely beaten, they threw them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safe. Receiving this command he threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight. The prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a massive earthquake. It was so great the foundations of the prison-house were shaken. All the doors were opened and everyone's bands came off. The jailor, who was roused out of sleep and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. Paul cried with a loud voice: Do not harm yourself for we are all here. The jailer called for lights. He rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and asked: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house. They spoke the Word of God to him and those in his house. That very hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Then he and all his family were baptized. He took them to his house and fed them. They rejoiced along with his entire house, having believed in God. The next day the magistrates sent the officers saying: Let those men go. The jailor reported the words to Paul, saying: The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore go in peace. Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison. Do they now throw us out privately? No I say, but let them come in person to bring us out. The officers reported these words to the magistrates. They feared when they heard that they were Romans. They personally came to them and brought them out. They asked them to go away from the city. They left the prison and entered the house of Lydia. When they saw the brothers they comforted them and then left. They passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Paul went in, for it was his custom. He reasoned with them from the Scriptures for three Sabbath days. He explained and proved that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. And that Jesus is the Messiah. Some of them were convinced (believed) and joined with Paul and Silas. A large crowd of the devout Greeks and of the prominent women also joined. The Jews were moved with jealousy so they gathered bad people who organized a crowd for a riot. They assaulted the house of Jason in order to bring them out to the crowd. When they did not find them they dragged Jason and other brothers before the rulers of the city. They said: These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also. Jason welcomed them. They all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. The crowd and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. They made Jason post bond and they let them go. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived there they went to the synagogue of the Jews. The Bereans were nobler than those in Thessalonica because they received the word with all readiness of mind and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul told them was true. Many of them believed. So did the prominent Greek women and prominent men. When the Jews of Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Beroea, they went there and stirred up the crowds and caused trouble. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the sea. Silas and Timothy stayed at Beroea. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens. He sent orders to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible. Paul waited for them at Athens. His spirit was irritated within him when he saw the city full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons. He went to the marketplace every day with those who would meet with him. The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said: What is this babbler saying? Others: He seems to be advocating strange gods because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus. They said, May we know what is this new teaching? You bring strange ideas to our ears. We want to know what these things mean. The Athenians and the strangers who lived there spent their time doing nothing else except talking about and listening to new ideas. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our existence. Your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, a device made by man's design or skill. God overlooked the times of ignorance; but now he commands men everywhere to repent. He has established a day (time) in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man [Jesus] whom he has ordained. Of that he gives proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (John 5:22) (Isaiah 2:4) (Acts 10:42) Some mocked when they heard about the resurrection of the dead. Yet others said: We will hear you again concerning this. Thus Paul went out from among them. Some men joined themselves to him and believed. Included among the believers were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. After this Paul left Athens to go to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus who is currently from Italy with his wife Priscilla. Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. So he came to them. He was of the same trade as Paul. So he stayed with them and worked at their tentmaker trade. He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks. Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia. He witnessed to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. When they opposed Paul and treated him abusively he shook out his garment and said to them: Your blood is upon your own heads. I am clean. From now on I will go to the people of the nations. He left the synagogue and went next door to the house of a man named Titus Justus, one who worshiped God. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord and so did his household. Many of the Corinthians who heard and believed were baptized. The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision: Do not be afraid, but speak. Do not keep silent! I am with you and no man will harm you. I have many people in this city. He lived there a year and six months teaching the word of God to them. When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. They said: This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. Paul was about to speak when Gallio said to the Jews: If you Jews were about to complain about some crime it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But it involves questions about words and names in your own law so look to it yourselves. I will not be judge of these matters. He drove them from the court. They all grabbed Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the court. Gallio did not care about this. Paul stayed many days. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria. Also with Paul were Priscilla and Aquila. Paul clipped this hair short in Cenchreae because of a vow. They traveled to Ephesus where he left them. Paul entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay longer he declined. I will return again to you if it is God's will, Paul said. Then he set sail from Ephesus. When he landed at Caesarea, he greeted the congregation and traveled to Antioch.

Paul waited for them at Athens. His spirit was irritated within him when he saw the city full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons. He went to the marketplace every day with those who would meet with him. The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said: What is this babbler saying? Others: He seems to be advocating strange gods because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. read more.
They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus. They said, May we know what is this new teaching? You bring strange ideas to our ears. We want to know what these things mean. The Athenians and the strangers who lived there spent their time doing nothing else except talking about and listening to new ideas. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our existence. Your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, a device made by man's design or skill. God overlooked the times of ignorance; but now he commands men everywhere to repent. He has established a day (time) in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man [Jesus] whom he has ordained. Of that he gives proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (John 5:22) (Isaiah 2:4) (Acts 10:42) Some mocked when they heard about the resurrection of the dead. Yet others said: We will hear you again concerning this. Thus Paul went out from among them. Some men joined themselves to him and believed. Included among the believers were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

After time passed Paul said to Barnabas: Let us go again and visit our brothers in every city where we have preached the Word of God, and see how they are doing. Barnabas decided to take John, whose surname was Mark, with them. Paul did not think it a good idea to take him with them. So he left them at Pamphylia. read more.
Their disagreement was so great between them that they parted company. So Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and departed, being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of God. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the congregations. Paul arrived at Derbe and Lystra where he saw a disciple named Timothy. He was the son of a Jewish woman, and his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to have him travel with him. So he had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in the area. For they knew that his father was a Greek. They went through the towns and delivered to the believers the rules decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey those rules. The congregations were made stronger in the faith and grew in numbers every day. The Holy Spirit did not let them preach the message in the province of Asia. So they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go into the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. They traveled through Mysia and went to Troas. Paul had a vision that night. In it he saw a Macedonian standing and pleading with him, Come over to Macedonia and help us! After Paul had this vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia. We decided that God had called us to preach the good news to the people there. We left by ship from Troas and sailed to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, a city of the first district of Macedonia. It is also a Roman colony. We spent several days there. On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the river where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women who gathered there. A woman named Lydia who was a seller of purple came from Thyatira. She worshipped God because God opened her heart to listen to the things spoken by Paul. When she and her household were baptized she came to us saying, If you judge me to be faithful to God, come to my house, and stay there. She absolutely insisted that we come. A young woman who had a spirit of divination met us as we were going to the place of prayer. She brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and cried out: These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation. She did this for many days. This troubled Paul. So he turned and said to the spirit, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very hour. When her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. They took them to the magistrates and said: These men, being Jews, cause great trouble in our city. They offer customs that it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans. The crowd rose up against them. The magistrates ripped their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods. After they were severely beaten, they threw them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safe. Receiving this command he threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight. The prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a massive earthquake. It was so great the foundations of the prison-house were shaken. All the doors were opened and everyone's bands came off. The jailor, who was roused out of sleep and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. Paul cried with a loud voice: Do not harm yourself for we are all here. The jailer called for lights. He rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and asked: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house. They spoke the Word of God to him and those in his house. That very hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Then he and all his family were baptized. He took them to his house and fed them. They rejoiced along with his entire house, having believed in God. The next day the magistrates sent the officers saying: Let those men go. The jailor reported the words to Paul, saying: The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore go in peace. Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison. Do they now throw us out privately? No I say, but let them come in person to bring us out. The officers reported these words to the magistrates. They feared when they heard that they were Romans. They personally came to them and brought them out. They asked them to go away from the city. They left the prison and entered the house of Lydia. When they saw the brothers they comforted them and then left. They passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Paul went in, for it was his custom. He reasoned with them from the Scriptures for three Sabbath days. He explained and proved that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. And that Jesus is the Messiah. Some of them were convinced (believed) and joined with Paul and Silas. A large crowd of the devout Greeks and of the prominent women also joined. The Jews were moved with jealousy so they gathered bad people who organized a crowd for a riot. They assaulted the house of Jason in order to bring them out to the crowd. When they did not find them they dragged Jason and other brothers before the rulers of the city. They said: These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also. Jason welcomed them. They all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. The crowd and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. They made Jason post bond and they let them go. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived there they went to the synagogue of the Jews. The Bereans were nobler than those in Thessalonica because they received the word with all readiness of mind and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul told them was true. Many of them believed. So did the prominent Greek women and prominent men. When the Jews of Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Beroea, they went there and stirred up the crowds and caused trouble. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the sea. Silas and Timothy stayed at Beroea. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens. He sent orders to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible. Paul waited for them at Athens. His spirit was irritated within him when he saw the city full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons. He went to the marketplace every day with those who would meet with him. The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said: What is this babbler saying? Others: He seems to be advocating strange gods because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus. They said, May we know what is this new teaching? You bring strange ideas to our ears. We want to know what these things mean. The Athenians and the strangers who lived there spent their time doing nothing else except talking about and listening to new ideas. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our existence. Your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, a device made by man's design or skill. God overlooked the times of ignorance; but now he commands men everywhere to repent. He has established a day (time) in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man [Jesus] whom he has ordained. Of that he gives proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (John 5:22) (Isaiah 2:4) (Acts 10:42) Some mocked when they heard about the resurrection of the dead. Yet others said: We will hear you again concerning this. Thus Paul went out from among them. Some men joined themselves to him and believed. Included among the believers were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. After this Paul left Athens to go to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus who is currently from Italy with his wife Priscilla. Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. So he came to them. He was of the same trade as Paul. So he stayed with them and worked at their tentmaker trade. He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks. Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia. He witnessed to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. When they opposed Paul and treated him abusively he shook out his garment and said to them: Your blood is upon your own heads. I am clean. From now on I will go to the people of the nations. He left the synagogue and went next door to the house of a man named Titus Justus, one who worshiped God. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord and so did his household. Many of the Corinthians who heard and believed were baptized. The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision: Do not be afraid, but speak. Do not keep silent! I am with you and no man will harm you. I have many people in this city. He lived there a year and six months teaching the word of God to them. When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. They said: This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. Paul was about to speak when Gallio said to the Jews: If you Jews were about to complain about some crime it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But it involves questions about words and names in your own law so look to it yourselves. I will not be judge of these matters. He drove them from the court. They all grabbed Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the court. Gallio did not care about this. Paul stayed many days. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria. Also with Paul were Priscilla and Aquila. Paul clipped this hair short in Cenchreae because of a vow. They traveled to Ephesus where he left them. Paul entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay longer he declined. I will return again to you if it is God's will, Paul said. Then he set sail from Ephesus. When he landed at Caesarea, he greeted the congregation and traveled to Antioch.