Actschapter 17

A.Thessalonica: These That Turned the World Upside Downvv. 1-9

1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!” 8 On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed. 9 And they collected bond from Jason and the others, and then released them.

B.The Bereans Search the Scriptures Dailyvv. 10-15

10 As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 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. 12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men. 13 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. 14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

C.Athens: A City Wholly Given to Idolsvv. 16-21

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day. 18 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. 19 So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.

D.On Mars' Hill: The Unknown God Declaredvv. 22-34

22 Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. 24 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. 25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. 27 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. 28 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ 29 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. 30 Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 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.” 32 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.” 33 At that, Paul left the Areopagus. 34 But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Thessalonica and Berea: 'more noble than those in Thessalonica … they searched the scriptures daily.' Athens.

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Thessalonica and Berea: 'more noble than those in Thessalonica … they searched the scriptures daily.' Athens. Mars Hill; the unknown-god altar. 'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' Some mocked, some believed, some said 'we will hear thee again of this matter.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

History · Luke — Acts overview

A. 1–9 Thessalonica: These That Turned the World Upside Down
B. 10–15 The Bereans Search the Scriptures Daily
C. 16–21 Athens: A City Wholly Given to Idols
D. 22–34 On Mars' Hill: The Unknown God Declared

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Acts 178 verses
- Acts 17:2As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
- Acts 17:4Some 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.
- Acts 17:10As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 17:12As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
- Acts 17:13But 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.
- Acts 17:18Some 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.
- Read Acts 17: 2 more there →
Acts 145 verses
- Acts 14:1At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
- Acts 14:2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
- Acts 14:4The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
- Acts 14:16In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
- Acts 14:17Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
- Read Acts 14 →
Acts 184 verses
- Acts 18:1After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
- Acts 18:4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.
- Acts 18:5And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
- Acts 18:28For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
- Read Acts 18 →
Acts 133 verses
- Acts 13:16Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
- Acts 13:43After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
- Acts 13:50The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
- Read Acts 13 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Acts 163 verses
- Acts 16:1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.
- Acts 16:19When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
- Acts 16:21by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”
- Read Acts 16 →
Acts 92 verses
- Acts 9:20Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
- Acts 9:22But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
- Read Acts 9 →
Luke 242 verses
- Luke 24:32They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
- Luke 24:47and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Read Luke 24 →
Acts 242 verses
- Acts 24:5We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
- Acts 24:25As Paul expounded on righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now. When I find the time, I will call for you.”
- Read Acts 24 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.