Acts 17
The Uproar in
Thessalonica |
1 |
Now when they had passed through
Amphip'olis and Apollo'ni-a, they came to Thessaloni'ca, where was a
synagogue of the Jews:
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2 |
and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto
them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the
Scriptures,
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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;
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7 |
whom Jason hath received: and these all
do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another
king, one Jesus.
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8 |
And they troubled the people and the
rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
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9 |
And when they had taken security of
Jason, and of the others, they let them go.
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The Apostles at
Beroea |
10 |
And the brethren immediately sent away
Paul and Silas by night unto Beroe'a: who coming thither went
into the synagogue of the Jews.
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11 |
These were more noble than those in
Thessaloni'ca, in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were
so.
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12 |
Therefore many of them believed; also of
honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
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13 |
But when the Jews of Thessaloni'ca had
knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Beroe'a, they
came thither also, and stirred up the people.
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14 |
And then immediately the brethren sent
away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timothy abode
there still.
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15 |
And they that conducted Paul brought him
unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy for
to come to him with all speed, they departed.
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Paul at
Athens |
16 |
Now while Paul waited for them at
Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly
given to idolatry.
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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.
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18 |
Then certain philosophers of the
Epicure'ans, and of the Sto'ics, 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.
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19 |
And they took him, and brought him unto
Areop'agus, 2 saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
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20 |
For thou bringest certain strange things
to our ears: we would know therefore what these things
mean.
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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.)
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22 |
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars'
hill, 3 and
said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are
too superstitious.
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23 |
For as I passed by, and beheld your
devotions, 4 I
found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN
GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto
you.
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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;
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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; Is. 42.5
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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;
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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:
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28 |
for in him we live, and move, and have
our being; as certain also of your own poets have said,
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For we are also his
offspring. |
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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.
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30 |
And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to
repent:
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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.
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32 |
And when they heard of the resurrection
of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again
of this matter.
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33 |
So Paul departed from among
them.
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34 |
Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and
believed: among the which was Di-onys'ius the Areop'agite,
and a woman named Dam'aris, and others with
them.
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