The Uproar in Thessalonica
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 1Th 1:1Php 4:162Th 1:1Act 20:42Ti 4:10Act 17:11Act 17:13Act 27:2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, Act 18:4Act 9:20Act 13:5Act 14:1Act 17:10Act 17:17Isa 1:18Luk 4:16 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared. Act 18:28Act 9:22Luk 24:321Co 15:3-41Th 1:5-6Act 3:18Gal 3:1Luk 24:46 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women. Act 17:12Act 13:43Act 14:42Co 8:5Act 13:50Act 15:22Act 28:242Co 6:17-18
The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people. Act 17:13Gal 5:261Th 2:14-16Act 14:2Act 17:7Gal 5:21Rom 16:211Co 3:3 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, Act 24:5Act 16:19-21Act 28:22Luk 23:5Act 21:28-311Ki 18:17-18Act 18:12-13Act 22:22-23 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!” Luk 23:2Act 16:21Jhn 19:121Pe 2:15Act 25:8-11Dan 3:12Dan 6:13Ezr 4:12-15
On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed. Jhn 11:48Mat 2:3 And they collected bond from Jason and the others, and then released them. Act 17:5
The Character of the Bereans
As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 1Th 2:2Act 17:13-14Act 17:2Act 20:4Act 9:251Sa 19:12-171Sa 20:42Act 14:6-7 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. 1 Isa 34:16Pro 2:1-5Jhn 5:391Th 2:131Pe 1:10-12Mat 13:232Pe 1:19-21Pro 9:9 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men. Eph 5:14Act 13:50Act 14:11Co 1:26Act 17:2-4Act 13:46Jas 1:10Jas 1:21
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they went there themselves to incite and agitate the crowds. 1Th 2:14-16Act 14:2Act 17:5Act 21:27Act 6:12Mat 23:13Pro 28:251Ki 21:25 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. Act 17:10Mat 10:23Act 16:1Act 9:25Act 9:301Ti 1:3Act 15:22Act 19:22 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. 1Th 3:1Act 18:5Act 18:12Ti 4:10-11Tit 3:122Ti 4:20-21Act 15:3Act 17:16
Paul in Athens
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. Psa 119:1582Pe 2:7Exo 32:19-20Psa 119:136Jer 20:9Job 32:18-20Mic 3:8Mrk 3:5 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day. Act 13:16Act 14:1-4Act 17:2-4Act 9:20Luk 12:3Mat 5:1-2Mrk 16:15Pro 1:20-22
Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. 1Co 1:20-211Co 3:181Co 4:10Act 4:2Col 2:8Luk 11:531Co 15:3-4Act 17:31-32
So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, 2 where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? Mrk 1:27Act 17:22Act 24:24Act 25:221Jn 2:7-8Act 17:20Act 26:1Jhn 13:34 For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 1Co 1:231Co 2:14Hos 8:121Co 1:181Pe 4:4Act 10:17Act 2:12Heb 5:11
Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas. 2Ti 2:16-17Col 4:5Eph 5:161Ti 5:132Th 3:11-12
Paul’s Address in the Areopagus
Then Paul stood up in the meeting 3of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. Act 25:19Act 17:16Act 19:35Jer 10:2-3Jer 50:38 For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: Gal 4:8-9Jhn 4:22Jhn 17:3Jhn 17:25Act 17:301Co 1:211Ti 1:172Th 2:4
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 1Ki 8:27Deu 10:14Act 7:48Isa 66:12Ch 6:18Mat 11:25Psa 115:162Ch 2:6 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Psa 50:8-13Gen 2:7Isa 42:5Act 17:28Job 33:4Rom 11:35Job 22:2Job 35:6-7 From one man 4He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. Deu 32:7-8Gen 3:20Mal 2:10Rom 5:12-191Co 15:221Co 15:47Job 12:23Job 14:5
God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Jer 23:23-24Deu 4:7Act 14:17Rom 1:20Act 15:17Psa 19:1-6Rom 2:4Psa 139:1-13 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ 5 As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ 6 Job 12:10Col 1:17Heb 1:3Psa 36:9Luk 20:38Jhn 11:25Jhn 5:26Psa 66:9 Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. Isa 40:25Exo 20:4Isa 46:5-6Psa 115:4-8Hab 2:19-20Jer 10:4-10Rom 1:20-23Psa 106:20
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. Act 14:16Tit 2:11-12Luk 24:47Rom 3:25Act 26:17-20Eph 4:17-321Pe 4:31Pe 1:14-15 For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” 2Pe 3:7Mat 25:31-46Rom 2:162Co 5:10Psa 9:8Psa 98:91Co 4:51Co 15:3-8
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this topic.” Act 17:18Act 26:81Co 4:102Co 6:2Act 2:13Act 24:25Act 25:192Ch 36:16 At that, Paul left the Areopagus. But some 7joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them. Act 17:19Rom 11:5-6Act 13:48Act 17:4Act 17:22Isa 55:10-11Jhn 19:38-42Jhn 7:48-52