Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Athens » A city » A city of greece
And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. read more.
And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.
And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.
Therefore [when we] could bear [it] no longer, we determined to be left behind in Athens alone,
Attributes of God » Omnipresence
So you shall acknowledge {today}, and {you must call to mind} that Yahweh [is] God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no other [God].
If I ascend to heaven, there you [are], and if I make my bed [in] Sheol, look! [There] you [are].
In every place, the eyes of Yahweh keep watch over the evil and the good.
Thus says Yahweh: "Heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] the footstool for my feet. Where [is] this house that you would build for me? And where [is] this resting place for me?
Or can a person hide himself in secret places and I cannot see him?" {declares} Yahweh. "[Do] I not fill up the heaven and the earth?" {declares} Yahweh.
to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
Children » Who are the children of God
Blessed [are] the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.
The one who conquers will inherit these [things], and I will be {his God} and he will be {my son}.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
On the contrary, O man, who are you who answers back to God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded [it], "Why did you make me like this"? Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel that [is] for {honorable use} and [one] that [is] for {ordinary use}? And [what] if God, wanting to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? read more.
And [he did so] in order that he could make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory, us whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he also says in Hosea, "I will call those [who were] not my people, 'My people,' and those [who were] not loved, 'Loved.' And it will be in the place where it was said to them, 'You [are] not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"
And [he did so] in order that he could make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory, us whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he also says in Hosea, "I will call those [who were] not my people, 'My people,' and those [who were] not loved, 'Loved.' And it will be in the place where it was said to them, 'You [are] not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"
For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. read more.
And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought.
And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought.
For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [leading] to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, read more.
and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him].
and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him].
Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation [is there between] righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship [does] light [have] with darkness? And what agreement [does] Christ [have] with Beliar? Or what share [does] a believer [have] with an unbeliever? And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people." read more.
Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me," says the all-powerful Lord.
Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me," says the all-powerful Lord.
Do all [things] without grumbling and disputing, in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,
See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called children of God, and we are! Because of this the world does not know us: because it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever he is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.
Closeness » The lord being near
to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
A man of [many] friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
I have set Yahweh before me always. Because [he is] at my right hand I will not be shaken.
You [are] near, O Yahweh, and all your commands [are] truth.
And the Lord Yahweh helps me, therefore I have not been put to shame; therefore I have set my face like flint. And I know that I shall not be ashamed; he who obtains rights for me [is] near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who [is] the master of my judgment? Let him approach me.
Gentiles » Unclassified sciptures relating to
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women.
This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, [that] you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the futility of their mind, being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance [that] is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?,' for the pagans seek after all these [things]. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these [things].
that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world.
[No], but that [the things] which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons.
Thus says Yahweh: "You must not learn the way of the nations, and you must not be dismayed by the signs of the heavens, for the nations are dismayed by them. For the statutes of the peoples [are] vanity, for it [is] a tree cut down from [the] forest, [the] work of [the] hands of a craftsman with the tool.
"But [when you] pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows {what you need} before you ask him.
who in generations that are past permitted all the nations to go their [own] ways.
Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, read more.
nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is evident among them, for God made [it] clear to them. For from the creation of the world, his invisible [attributes], both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse. read more.
For [although they] knew God, they did not honor [him] as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, [that] their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature, and likewise also the males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, were inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males committing the shameless deed, and receiving in themselves the penalty that was necessary for their error. And just as they did not see fit {to recognize God}, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do the things [that are] not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. [They are] gossipers, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, faithless, unfeeling, unmerciful, who, [although they] know the requirements of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death, not only do they do the same [things], but also they approve of those who do [them].
For [although they] knew God, they did not honor [him] as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, [that] their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature, and likewise also the males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, were inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males committing the shameless deed, and receiving in themselves the penalty that was necessary for their error. And just as they did not see fit {to recognize God}, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do the things [that are] not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. [They are] gossipers, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, faithless, unfeeling, unmerciful, who, [although they] know the requirements of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death, not only do they do the same [things], but also they approve of those who do [them].
Therefore you are without excuse, O man, every one [of you] who passes judgment. For in that which you pass judgment on someone else, you condemn yourself, for you who are passing judgment are doing the same [things]. Now we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who do such things. But do you think this, O man who passes judgment on those who do such things, and who does the same [things], that you will escape the judgment of God? read more.
Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will reward each one according to his works: to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, but to those [who act] from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. [There will be] affliction and distress for every {human being} who does evil, of the Jew first and of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and to the Greek. For [there] is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law [who are] righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, [although they] do not have the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts [one] after another accusing or even defending them
Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will reward each one according to his works: to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, but to those [who act] from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. [There will be] affliction and distress for every {human being} who does evil, of the Jew first and of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and to the Greek. For [there] is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law [who are] righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, [although they] do not have the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts [one] after another accusing or even defending them
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the speechless idols, however you were led.
For it is shameful even to speak [about] the things being [done] by them in secret,
[that] each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
For the time that has passed [was] sufficient {to do what the Gentiles desire to do}, having lived in licentiousness, [evil] desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries, with respect to which they are surprised [when] you do not run with [them] into the same flood of dissipation, [and so they] revile [you].
God » Mercy of » Nearness of
Yahweh [is] near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
Yahweh [is] near to [those who are] heartbroken and saves [those who are] crushed in spirit.
Verse Concepts
I have set Yahweh before me always. Because [he is] at my right hand I will not be shaken.
You [are] near, O Yahweh, and all your commands [are] truth.
he who obtains rights for me [is] near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who [is] the master of my judgment? Let him approach me.
God » Mercy of » Omnipresence of
So you shall acknowledge {today}, and {you must call to mind} that Yahweh [is] God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no other [God].
If I ascend to heaven, there you [are], and if I make my bed [in] Sheol, look! [There] you [are].
In every place, the eyes of Yahweh keep watch over the evil and the good.
Thus says Yahweh: "Heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] the footstool for my feet. Where [is] this house that you would build for me? And where [is] this resting place for me?
Or can a person hide himself in secret places and I cannot see him?" {declares} Yahweh. "[Do] I not fill up the heaven and the earth?" {declares} Yahweh.
to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
God » Remember » Search for
to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
Let us know, let us press on to know Yahweh; his rising [is] sure like [the] dawn. He will come like the showers to us, like [the] spring rain that waters [the] earth.
When you search for me, then you will find [me], if you seek me with all your heart.
{O that} I knew and [that] I might find him; [O that] I might come to his dwelling.
Mar's hill » Hill » Athens
And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) read more.
So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.
So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.
Missionary journeys » Ac 13-14 » Second - with silas
And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come then,[let us] return [and] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [to see] how they are [doing]." Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. read more.
And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there {named} Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day. And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And [when they] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia [and] help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following [day] to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed. Now [after they] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. {And as was his custom}, Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath [days] he discussed with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly. And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also, whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!" And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things]. And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them. Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. {They} went into the synagogue of the Jews [when they] arrived. Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. {They} accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day [to see] if these [things] were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them. After these [things] he departed from Athens [and] went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them. And because [he] was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks. Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus. And [when] they resisted and reviled [him], he shook out [his] clothes [and] said to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own] heads! I [am] guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone {named} Titius Justus, a worshiper of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city." So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now [when] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!" But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and {your own law}, see to [it] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these [things]." And he drove them away from the judgment seat. So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio. So Paul, [after] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers [and] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved [his] head at Cenchrea, because he had [taken] a vow. So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue [and] discussed with the Jews. And [when] they asked [him] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, but saying farewell and telling [them], "I will return to you again [if] God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.
And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there {named} Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day. And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And [when they] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia [and] help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following [day] to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed. Now [after they] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. {And as was his custom}, Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath [days] he discussed with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly. And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also, whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!" And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things]. And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them. Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. {They} went into the synagogue of the Jews [when they] arrived. Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. {They} accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day [to see] if these [things] were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them. After these [things] he departed from Athens [and] went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them. And because [he] was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks. Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus. And [when] they resisted and reviled [him], he shook out [his] clothes [and] said to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own] heads! I [am] guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone {named} Titius Justus, a worshiper of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city." So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now [when] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!" But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and {your own law}, see to [it] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these [things]." And he drove them away from the judgment seat. So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio. So Paul, [after] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers [and] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved [his] head at Cenchrea, because he had [taken] a vow. So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue [and] discussed with the Jews. And [when] they asked [him] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, but saying farewell and telling [them], "I will return to you again [if] God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.
Nearness to God » General references to
Yahweh [is] near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,
Yahweh [is] near to [those who are] heartbroken and saves [those who are] crushed in spirit.
Verse Concepts
I have set Yahweh before me always. Because [he is] at my right hand I will not be shaken.
You [are] near, O Yahweh, and all your commands [are] truth.
he who obtains rights for me [is] near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who [is] the master of my judgment? Let him approach me.
Paul » Debates » Mar's hill
Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. read more.
And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.
And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them.
Paul's » First - with barnabas and john mark ac 13-14 » Second - with silas
And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come then,[let us] return [and] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [to see] how they are [doing]." Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. read more.
And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there {named} Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day. And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And [when they] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia [and] help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following [day] to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed. Now [after they] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. {And as was his custom}, Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath [days] he discussed with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly. And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also, whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!" And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things]. And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them. Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. {They} went into the synagogue of the Jews [when they] arrived. Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. {They} accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day [to see] if these [things] were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them. After these [things] he departed from Athens [and] went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them. And because [he] was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks. Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus. And [when] they resisted and reviled [him], he shook out [his] clothes [and] said to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own] heads! I [am] guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone {named} Titius Justus, a worshiper of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city." So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now [when] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!" But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and {your own law}, see to [it] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these [things]." And he drove them away from the judgment seat. So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio. So Paul, [after] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers [and] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved [his] head at Cenchrea, because he had [taken] a vow. So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue [and] discussed with the Jews. And [when] they asked [him] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, but saying farewell and telling [them], "I will return to you again [if] God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.
And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there {named} Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took [him] [and] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for [they] all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders [who were] in Jerusalem. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day. And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. And [when they] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia [and] help us!" And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following [day] to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city [of that] district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the [city] gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down [and] spoke to the women assembled [there]. And a certain woman {named} Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened {her} heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged [us], saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house [and] stay." And she prevailed upon us. And it happened that [as] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners [by] fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us [and] was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!" And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out {immediately}. But [when] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas [and] dragged [them] into the marketplace before the rulers. And [when they] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, [because we] are Romans!" And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing [and] gave orders to beat [them] with rods. And [after they] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw [them] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such an order, {he} put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [and] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened. And [after] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew [his] sword [and] was about to kill himself, [because he] thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!" And demanding lights, he rushed in and, {beginning to tremble}, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he brought them outside [and] said, "Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!" And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. And he took them at that [very] hour of the night [and] washed [their] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his [household]. And he brought them up into [his] house [and] set a meal before [them], and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household. And [when it] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, "Release those men." And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!" But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!" So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens. And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city. And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed. Now [after they] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. {And as was his custom}, Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath [days] he discussed with them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and [saying], "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and [also] a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women. But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly. And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also, whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these [people] [are] all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!" And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these [things]. And [after] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them. Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. {They} went into the synagogue of the Jews [when they] arrived. Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. {They} accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day [to see] if these [things] were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought [him] as far as Athens, and [after] receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away. Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him [when he] observed the city was full of idols. So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But [others said], "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news [about] Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him [and] brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "May we learn what [is] this new teaching being proclaimed by you? For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what {these things mean}." (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend [their] time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.) So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead." Now [when they] heard about the resurrection of the dead, [some] scoffed, but [others] said, "We will hear you about this again also." So Paul went out from the midst of them. But some people joined him [and] believed, among whom also [were] Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman {named} Damaris and others with them. After these [things] he departed from Athens [and] went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew {named} Aquila, {a native} of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy {along with} Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, [and] he went to them. And because [he] was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks. Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews [that] the Christ was Jesus. And [when] they resisted and reviled [him], he shook out [his] clothes [and] said to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own] heads! I [am] guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone {named} Titius Justus, a worshiper of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, [when they] heard about [it], believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city." So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Now [when] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!" But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and {your own law}, see to [it] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these [things]." And he drove them away from the judgment seat. So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, [and] began beating [him] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these [things] was a concern to Gallio. So Paul, [after] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers [and] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved [his] head at Cenchrea, because he had [taken] a vow. So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue [and] discussed with the Jews. And [when] they asked [him] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, but saying farewell and telling [them], "I will return to you again [if] God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.
Select readings » Paul on mars' hill
So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus [and] said, "Men of Athens, I see you [are] very religious {in every respect}. For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, read more.
nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead."
nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore [although] God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone [by] raising him from the dead."
Religion » Natural
And yet he did not leave himself without witness [by] doing good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying [you] with food and your hearts with gladness."
"But ask [the] animals, and they will teach you, and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you; or ask the earth, and it will teach you, and the fishes of the sea will declare to you. Who among all of these does not know that Yahweh's hand has done this? read more.
In whose hand [is] the life of all living things and {the breath of every human being}? Does not [the] ear test words and [the] palate taste food for itself? Wisdom [is] with [the] aged, and understanding [is in] length of days. "With him [are] wisdom and powerful deeds, and to him [belong] counsel and understanding. If he tears down, then it will not be rebuilt; if he shuts a man in, then he cannot be freed. Look, [if] he withholds the water, then they dry up; and [if] he sends them out, then they overwhelm [the] land. "Strength and sound wisdom [are] with him; [the] deceived and [the] deceiver [are] his.
In whose hand [is] the life of all living things and {the breath of every human being}? Does not [the] ear test words and [the] palate taste food for itself? Wisdom [is] with [the] aged, and understanding [is in] length of days. "With him [are] wisdom and powerful deeds, and to him [belong] counsel and understanding. If he tears down, then it will not be rebuilt; if he shuts a man in, then he cannot be freed. Look, [if] he withholds the water, then they dry up; and [if] he sends them out, then they overwhelm [the] land. "Strength and sound wisdom [are] with him; [the] deceived and [the] deceiver [are] his.
But no one says, 'Where [is] God my Maker, [who] gives songs in the night, [who] teaches us more than [the] animals of [the] earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?' There they cry out, but he does not answer {because of the pride of evildoers}.
The heavens [are] telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands. {Every day} [they] pour forth speech, and {every night} [they] tell knowledge. There is no speech and there are no words; their sound is inaudible. read more.
[Yet] in all [the] world their line goes out, and their words to [the] end of [the] world. In them he has pitched a tent for the sun, and it [is] like a bridegroom who comes out of his bridal chamber. It is glad like a strong man to run [its] course. Its rising [is] from [one] end of the heavens and its circuit to the [other] end of them; and nothing [is] hidden from its heat.
[Yet] in all [the] world their line goes out, and their words to [the] end of [the] world. In them he has pitched a tent for the sun, and it [is] like a bridegroom who comes out of his bridal chamber. It is glad like a strong man to run [its] course. Its rising [is] from [one] end of the heavens and its circuit to the [other] end of them; and nothing [is] hidden from its heat.
For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. read more.
And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.'
And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.'
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is evident among them, for God made [it] clear to them. For from the creation of the world, his invisible [attributes], both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse.
But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" Consequently, faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing through the word about Christ. But I say, they have not heard, have they? On the contrary, "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world."