Acts:17

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* Now traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia , they came to Thessalonica , where there was a synagogue of the Jews . * And according to Paul 's custom , he went in to them , and for three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures , * interpreting and pointing out that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer , and to arise from the dead , and [saying ]that "This is the Christ , Jesus , whom I proclaim to you ." * And some of them were persuaded and were joined with Paul and Silas , both of the devout Greeks , a great multitude , and not a few of the chief women . * And the Jews who did not believe [ ]took some wicked men from the marketplace , and forming a mob , [they ]threw the city into disorder , and came upon the house of Jason , and sought to bring them to the people . * But when they did not find them , they dragged Jason and some brothers to the rulers of the city , crying out , "The men who have upset the whole world , these have come here , too ; * whom Jason has received ; and these all practice contrary to the decrees of Caesar , saying there is another king-Jesus ." * And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things . * And having taken the security bond from Jason and the rest , they released them . * Then the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away during the night to Berea . When they arrived , they went into the synagogue of the Jews . * And these were more noble-minded than [ ]those in Thessalonica , who received the word with all readiness , each day examining the Scriptures [to see ]whether these things might be so . * Therefore many of them believed , and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men . * But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea , they came there also , agitating the crowds . * Then immediately the brothers sent Paul away , to go toward the sea ; but both Silas and Timothy remained there . * And those conducting Paul brought him to Athens ; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy , that as quickly as possible they should come to him , they departed . * And in Athens , while Paul waited for them , his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was full of idols . * Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the [Gentile ] worshippers , and in the marketplace daily with those coming by . * And also some of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers were conversing with him . And some were saying , "What does this seed-picker wish to say ?"But others [said ], "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities ,"because he was preaching the good news of Jesus and the resurrection . * And taking hold of him , they brought [him ] to the Areopagus , saying , "Are we able to know what this new doctrine is you speak about ? * For you are bringing some strange things to our ears . Therefore we desire to know what these things might mean ." * Now all the Athenians and the strangers staying there as visitors spent their time in nothing other than to say or to hear some new thing . * Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said , "Men , Athenians , according to all things I perceive you as [being ]very religious ; * for as I passed by and considered the objects of your worship , I found also an altar on which it had been inscribed : TO THE UNKNOWN GOD . Therefore , [Him ] whom being ignorant of you worship , this [One ] I announce to you : * The God who made the world and all the things in it , Him being Lord of heaven and earth , does not dwell in temples made by human hands , * nor by the hands of men is He served , as though He needed anything , for He gives to all life , and breath , with respect to all things . * And He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth , and He ordained their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings , * [in order for them ]to seek the Lord , if perhaps indeed they might grope for Him and find [Him ], and yet being indeed not far from each one of us ; * for in Him we live and move and have our being , as also some of your own poets have said , 'For we are also His offspring .' * "Therefore , being the offspring of God , we ought not to suppose that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone , something shaped by art and the imagination of man . * So then these times of ignorance God overlooked , but now He commands all men everywhere to repent , * because He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by [the ] Man whom He has appointed , having given proof to all , by raising Him from the dead ." * But when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some were scoffing , but others said , "We will hear you again concerning this ." * And thus Paul went forth from their midst . * However , some men were joined to him and believed , among whom were also Dionysius the Areopagite , a woman named Damaris , and others with them .

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