Thematic Bible: Greece


Thematic Bible




Now the woman was a Greek [i.e., a Gentile], a Syrophoenician by nationality. [Note: This was a region just north of Galilee and consisted of Syria and Phoenicia]. She begged Him to drive out the evil spirit from her daughter. Verse Conceptsdemons, Kinds ofBeggarsGreeksLove, And The WorldJesus Casting Out Demons

The Jews [i.e., the authorities] were saying among themselves, "Where will this man go that we will not be able to find him? Will he go where the Jewish people are scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? Verse Conceptsdispersion, theGreeksJudaismNot FindingChrist TeachingWhere To?

What then? Are we [Jews] any better off [than those Gentiles]? No, not at all, for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] alike are under [the power of] sin, Verse ConceptsForgiveness, DivineAdvantagesFar Be It!The Gospel To Jew And GentileAll Have Sinned

But [He will bring] glory, honor and peace upon every person who does what is good; upon the Jews first, then also upon the Greeks, Verse ConceptsFavouritismTo The Jew FirstDoing GoodGod Bestowing GloryThe Gospel To Jew And Gentile

Do not [do what could] cause Jews, Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] or the church of God to fall [away from God]. Verse ConceptsStumblingAntagonism From Jew And GentileDo Not HinderThe Church UniversalChurch Distinct From IsraelChurch Of God

For there is no distinction [with God] between Jews and Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], for all have the same Lord, who is generous to all who appeal to Him [for help]. Verse ConceptsBarbariansGenerosity, God'sUnity, God's Goal OfNames And Titles For ChristGod, Impartiality OfAnswered PromisesNo DistinctionsChrist Is LordGod Answers PrayerGentilesJewsBeing Differentdiscrimination

[In this relationship] there is to be no [distinction between] Jews or Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], slaves or free persons, men or women; for all of you are united into one [body] because of your relationship with Christ Jesus. Verse ConceptsGentiles, In NtAfrican AmericansequalityBeing FairRacial EqualityServant, BondMenParticipation, In ChristRelationshipsStatusUnity, God's Goal OfWomenLibertyBigotryRacismOne ChurchSlavesNo DistinctionsFamily SolidarityInterracial MarriageGentilesJewsslaveryIdentity In ChristRacefreemovement

[In this state] there cannot be [such distinctions as] Greek [i.e., Gentile] and Jew; circumcised people and non-circumcised people; barbarian and Scythian [Note: These last two words refer to foreigners whose language was unintelligible and who were uncivilized heathens], or slave and free person; but Christ is all [that is important] and [He is] in all [of His people]. Verse ConceptsGentiles, In NtCircumcision, spiritualCircumcision, physicalBarbariansGreeksRacial EqualityParticipation, In ChristUncircumcisionUnity, God's Goal OfUnity, Of God's PeopleAbolish, Fulfilled By ChristBigotryRacismGod's FullnessSlavesNo DistinctionsNecessity Of CircumcisionGentilesJewsRenewalculturefree

preaching boldly in the name of the Lord [and] speaking and arguing with the Greek-[speaking] Jews, but they were out to kill him. Verse Conceptsevangelists, ministry ofGreeksHatredSuffering, Of BelieversDisputesPersecution Of The Apostle PaulReasoned ArgumentAttempting To Kill Specific PeopleBoldness

But several men from the synagogue, made up of freed slaves from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia, began arguing with Stephen. But they could not stand up to the wisdom and [power of] the Holy Spirit by which Stephen spoke. Then they enlisted men to say [i.e., to testify falsely against Stephen, verse 13], "We heard him criticizing Moses and [even] God." read more.
And they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the law of Moses and searched for him, seized him and brought him before the Council. They had arranged for the false witnesses to say, "This man will not stop speaking against the Temple and the law of Moses, for we [ourselves] heard him saying that this Jesus from Nazareth would destroy the Temple and change the customs handed down to us by Moses."

Then, all of them [Note: This "all" could refer to the Greeks, the Jews or the Roman officers. Since the text does not specify, it seems most reasonable to suggest it was the Romans] grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court of justice. But Gallio showed no interest in the whole affair. Verse ConceptsFloggingBeating Believers



Many people therefore became believers [in Christ], including a number of leading Greek women and also a number of men. Verse ConceptsMany In The ChurchThose Who Believed In Christ

But certain men continued to listen to him and became believers [in Jesus]. Among them was Dionysius, [an official] of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris and others with them. Verse ConceptsConverts To ChristianityThose Who Believed In Christ

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, [and] for three Sabbath days [in a row] he taught them from the Scriptures, explaining and declaring that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and [then] rise again from the dead. Paul was saying, "This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Christ." Some of the Jews were convinced [that Jesus was the Messiah] and so joined with Paul and Silas. Also, a large number of devoted Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] and leading women [joined their group].

Now there were certain Greeks among those going up to Jerusalem to worship [God] at the [Passover] Festival [Note: These people were God-fearing Gentiles like Cornelius. See Acts 10]. So, these people approached [the apostle] Philip, who was from Bethsaida, in Galilee with the request, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." Philip went and told [this to] Andrew [his brother]; [then] Andrew and Philip told [it to] Jesus. read more.
Then Jesus said to [all of] them, "The time has come for the Son of man to be glorified [i.e., by His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension].

Now Jews ask for [miraculous] signs and Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] are looking for wisdom, but we [apostles] preach that Christ was crucified [for our sins]. This message is offensive to Jews and foolishness to [unconverted] Gentiles.

For in [the strength of] God we [all] live, move around and have our [personal] identity, just as a certain one of your [Athenian] poets [once] said, 'For we too are His children.' Verse ConceptsGod's Activity In Human LifeGod Sustaining CreationConsciousnessGod, The ProviderLife, HumanAwarenessGod, Presence OfExistence Through GodKept Alive By GodGod Sustaining HumanityGeneral Revelationnatural LifeMoving OnLiveMoving To A New Placemovement

When Paul came to Derbe and [then] to Lystra, he met a certain disciple named Timothy, whose mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek [i.e., Gentile]. Verse ConceptsBelieversGrandmothers

But some became stubborn and refused to obey [the message], saying false things about "the Way" [Note: This was a term used to designate the early church] in front of the large crowds. So, Paul left [the synagogue] and took the disciples and began holding discussions every day at Tyrannus' school [house]. Verse Conceptsevangelism, kinds ofUnbelief, As Response To GodWay, TheUnbelief, Sourced InUnbelief, Results Of Being GuiltyUnbelief, Examples OfDiscussionsSchoolsObstinate IndividualsOnce A DaySchoolChristians Are Called Followers Of The Way

After the commotion died down, Paul sent for the [Ephesian] disciples and encouraged them before he left, [heading west] for Macedonia. And when he had traveled through those districts and had delivered many messages of encouragement, he went on [south] into Greece, where he spent three months. Then, just as he was about to set sail for Syria, Paul discovered that a plot was being laid against him by the Jews, so he decided to return through Macedonia. read more.
The following men accompanied Paul as far as [the province of] Asia [where Troas was located]: Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus, of Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus, of Thessalonica; Gaius, of Derbe; Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from [the province of] Asia, [seven in all]. and 5], where we remained for seven days. These [men] had gone ahead and were waiting for us [when we arrived] in Troas [i.e., a seaport town across the Aegean Sea from Philippi]. [Note: The use of "us" begins here again, suggesting that the writer Luke rejoins the party at Philippi. See next verse]. And we [ourselves] sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread [Note: This was the Jewish feast commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage], and five days later [we] joined them at Troas [i.e., the seven men mentioned in verses