1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia , they came to Thessalonica , where was a synagogue of the Jews :
2 And Paul , as his manner was , went in unto them , and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures ,
3 Opening and alleging , that Christ must needs have suffered , and risen again from the dead ; and that this Jesus , whom I preach unto you , is Christ .
4 And some of them believed , and consorted with Paul and Silas ; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude , and of the chief women not a few .
5 But the Jews which believed not , moved with envy , took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort , and gathered a company , and set all the city on an uproar , and assaulted the house of Jason , and sought to bring them out to the people .
6 And when they found them not , they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city , crying , These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also ;
7 Whom Jason hath received : and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar , saying that there is another king , one Jesus .
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city , when they heard these things .
9 And when they had taken security of Jason , and of the other , they let them go .
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea : who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews .
11 G1161 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica , in that they received the word with all readiness of mind , and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so .
12 Therefore many of them believed ; also of honourable women which were Greeks , and of men , not a few .
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea , they came thither also , and stirred up the people .
14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea : but Silas and Timotheus abode there still .
15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens : and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed , they departed .
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens , his spirit was stirred in him , when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry .
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews , and with the devout persons , and in the market daily with them that met with him .
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans , and of the Stoicks , encountered him . And some said , What will this babbler say ? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods : because he preached unto them Jesus , and the resurrection .
19 And they took him , and brought him unto Areopagus , saying , May we know what this new doctrine , whereof thou speakest , is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears : we would know therefore what these things mean .
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else , but either to tell , or to hear some new thing .)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill , and said , Ye men of Athens , I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious .
23 For as I passed by , and beheld your devotions , I found an altar with this inscription , TO THE UNKNOWN GOD . Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship , him declare I unto you .
24 God that made the world and all things therein , seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth , dwelleth not in temples made with hands ;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands , as though he needed any thing , seeing he giveth to all life , and breath , and all things ;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth , and hath determined the times before appointed , and the bounds of their habitation ;
27 That they should seek the Lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him , though he be not far from every one of us :
28 For in him we live , and move , and have our being ; as certain also of your own poets have said , For we are also his offspring .
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God , we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold , or silver , or stone , graven by art and man's device .
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now commandeth all men every where to repent :
31 Because he hath appointed a day , in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead .
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some mocked : and others said , We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them .
34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him , and believed : among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite , and a woman named Damaris , and others with them .
