The Book of Acts Chapter 17

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The Book of Acts Chapter 17

Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ACT.17.NIV

The Second Mission Journey (2) Thessalonica, Berea, & Athens

In Thessalonica(1)

1 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. (Notice that Paul went to a synagogue on the Sabbath as usual.)

2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. (Paul's credential as a rabbi gave him opportunities to share his message, the Gospel, in the meetings.)

4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. (His message was effective to the Jews and the converted Gentiles to the Judaism. Scanning through the OT plus Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.)

5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. (But there were always those who object to Paul's message due to their jealousy and territorialism, and tried to bring Paul and Silas to the public.)

6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” (When they didn't find them in Jason's resident, they publicly accused Paul and Silas for preaching Jesus as a new king other than a Roman emperor.)

8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.

9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. (It caused difficulties to Paul, Silas, and Jason, and resulted for them to leave the place. This is how they spread the Gospel; slowly, but steadily.)

In Berea(2)

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. (They ended up in Berea.)

11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. (Due to gentle Jews in Berea, they positively accepted and examined the truthfulness of the Gospel, and, even Greek men and women, made their faith in Jesus more solid. They were STUDYING believers.)

13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. (Those who objected the Gospel in Thessalonica came to Berea and did the same thing. It had happened before, showing a certain pattern which repeats in a certain situation. 14:19, Hatred never easily disappear.)

14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. (Paul fled the scene but Silas and Timothy, who less prominent and Paul, stayed at Berea to give them further instruction on the Gospel.)

15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

In Athens(3)

16 While Paul was waiting for them (He was by himself alone in Athens.) in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. (There were many statutes of their gods.) 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. (While sharing his message to the Jews and Converted Greek in synagogue, he also reasoned with whomever he met in the marketplace.)

18 A group of Epicurean(4) and Stoic(5) philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. (Paul presented Jesus and the resurrection to those preassure seekers and human dignity seekers.)

19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus(6), where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (They challenged Paul for his conviction which was different than theirs.)

21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) (This is what the Greeks liked at the time.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. (There were many gods in Greeks.)

23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. (even an altar for unknown god.) So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship- and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. (Paul was about to introduce a god whom was unknown to them. He tried to reason in their own Greek cultural frame.)

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. (He began with the Creator God. God is not man-made, can't defined with man-made temple.)

25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (The Source of All doesn't need anything from mankind; The Most Superior God.)

26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. (God is the Creator and the Rule of Order of the universe.)

27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (God also is the Communicator who wants His creature seeking fellowship with Him.)

28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (The Yahweh God is PERSONHOOD, neither a mere force nor physics. Ex. 3:14)

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone- an image made by human design and skill. (Mankind can't make God's image in anyway; physical or mental.)

30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance (in the OT time), but now (NT time) he commands all people everywhere to repent (through Jesus, Heb. 1:1-3).

31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. (The world is destined to His judgement by His Judge.) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (The Resurrection of Jesus proves God's existence, intention, and the Reality of the Kingdom of God.)

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them (maybe Epicureans) sneered, but others (maybe Stoics) said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”

33 At that, Paul left the Council. (What do you think of the rationale for Paul's message? Some are positive, while others are critical in that it is overly rational rather than strictly conservative.)

34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. (There were some followers of the Gospel as mentioned because of Paul's message.)

The Paul's Famous Message in Athens (my opinion)

He was culturally sensitive and also firmly based on the biblical teachings; Beginning from Omni God and ending up to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Some says that it was Paul's failure due to not being effective since the presentation was much compromised in culturization. There is no failure or success in the mission work, however. Only doing the best obeying and relying on God's Guidance and Provision. One thing I notice that Paul was alone by himself there while Silas and Timothy were still remaining in Berea. Working Together as a Team is the rule of the game and better for procedure.

(1)Thessalonica (Google AI)

Thessalonica (now Thessaloniki, Greece) was a major ancient city in northern Greece, a crucial Roman provincial capital, and a significant Byzantine metropolis, known for its strategic location, wealth, and role in early Christianity (visited by Paul the Apostle). Founded in 315 BC by Cassander, named after his wife, it became a vital trade hub and later, a key Byzantine center, showcasing rich archaeological remains and Byzantine architecture, including its iconic Arch of Galerius.

(2)Berea (Google AI)

Berea (or Beroea) in the Bible refers to a city in Macedonia (modern-day Greece) where the Apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy preached, famous for its noble-minded people who eagerly received the message and "searched the Scriptures daily" to verify Paul's teachings, becoming a model for diligent Bible study in Acts 17:10-15. Despite facing opposition from Thessalonian Jews, many Bereans, including prominent Greeks, believed, leading Paul to leave Silas and Timothy to strengthen the new church

(3)Athens (Google AI)

Athens appears in the Bible primarily in the Book of Acts (Acts 17:16-34) as the city where the Apostle Paul preached, challenging its rampant idolatry and engaging with Stoic and Epicurean philosophers at the Areopagus (Mars' Hill) by referencing their "altar to an unknown god" to introduce the true God. This visit highlights Athens as a major cultural and intellectual center, known for its philosophical debates and numerous idols, contrasting its wisdom with the Gospel's message of resurrection. This was the city of reasoning and philosophy.

(4)Epicurean (Google AI)

Epicureans are mentioned in the Bible in Acts 17:18, where Apostle Paul debated them (and Stoics) in Athens, as they inquired about his teaching of Jesus and resurrection, showing their focus on pleasure/tranquility (ataraxia) and skepticism towards divine intervention or afterlife. While their philosophy sought peace through simple living and avoiding pain, contrasting modern ideas, the Bible presents them as pagan philosophers challenging Christian concepts like a bodily resurrection, highlighting different worldviews.

(5)Stoics (Google AI)

Stoics appear explicitly in the Bible at Acts 17:18, where Apostle Paul debated them in Athens, and while Stoicism is distinct, its themes of self-control, virtue, endurance, and rational living appear in New Testament ethics (e.g., Romans, James, Hebrews), influencing Christian thought on facing adversity and working for the common good, though Christianity centers on God/Christ as the ultimate good, not just human reason.

(6)Areopagus (Google AI)

The Areopagus (or Mars Hill) in the Bible is the rocky hill in Athens where the Apostle Paul delivered his famous sermon recorded in Acts 17:16-34, addressing Greek philosophers about idolatry, the "Unknown God," and the resurrection of Jesus, leading to some conversions, including Dionysius the Areopagite, highlighting its role as an important site for early Christian evangelism.