The Word Made Fresh
1They passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, and came to Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2Paul entered the synagogue as was his custom, and on three successive Sabbaths argued with them. Quoting from the scriptures, 3he explained to them that it was necessary for the Messiah to die and then to rise from the dead. He said, “The Messiah I’m telling you about is Jesus.”
4Some of them were persuaded. They joined with Paul and Silas along with a large number of devout Greeks, including more than a few of the leading women. 5But the Jews were jealous, and they formed a mob with some of the ruffians in the marketplaces, and created an uproar in the city. They looked for Paul and Silas, planning to put them on trial, and they broke into Jason’s house. 6But they couldn’t find them, so they dragged Jason and some others to the city authorities. They were yelling, “These people who have been causing trouble all over the world have come here now, 7and Jason has taken them in as his guests. They are all breaking the emperor’s laws by claiming there is another king named Jesus.” 8The city authorities and the people were upset when they heard this, 9but after they had received bail from Jason and the others they let them go.
10That same night they sent Paul and Silas away to Beroea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11The Jews there were more receptive than the ones in Thessalonica. They welcomed their message and searched the scriptures every day to see if what Paul and Silas were saying was true. 12A lot of them believed, including more than a few Greek women and important men.
13But when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul and Barnabas were preaching the word of God in Beroea, they came there to stir up the crowds. 14The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed behind. 15Those who were accompanying Paul brought him to Athens. He told them to bring Silas and Timothy to him as soon as possible, and they left.
16While he was waiting in Athens he was disturbed to see so many idols in the city. 17He debated with the Jews and others in the synagogue on the Sabbaths, and every day with whoever happened to be in the marketplace. 18And there were some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who debated with him.
Some were asking, “What is he babbling about?” And others said, “It sounds like he is preaching about some foreign gods,” because he was telling the good news about Jesus, and about the resurrection. 19They took him to the Areopagus and asked him to tell them about this new teaching he was proclaiming. 20“It sounds strange to us, so tell us what it means.” 21All the Athenians and even the foreigners who lived there would spend their time just telling and listening to anything that sounded new.
22Then Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens, I see how very religious you are. 23I walked through the city and looked at all the objects of your worship. I found an altar that was inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’ What you worship as unknown, I have come to reveal to you. 24The God who created the earth along with everything it contains – the God who is Lord of heaven and earth – does not live in shrines built with human hands, 25and is not served by human hands as though he needed anything, for he himself gives to all of us life and breath and everything else. 26All the nations in the world descended from one ancestor, and God assigned them the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God and perhaps find him, even though he is not far from any of us. 28After all, ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’ And some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his children.’ 29Since we are God’s children we should never believe that God is like gold or silver or stone or any statue shaped by the skill and imagination of human beings. 30God has long overlooked the years of human ignorance, but now he orders all people everywhere to repent 31because a day has already been fixed on which the world will be judged by a man whom God has appointed. God has given assurance to all of us, by raising him from the dead!”
32When he said this, some of them laughed, but others said, “We want to hear more about this.” 33When Paul left, 34some of them followed him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others as well.
Commentary
1-9: Paul and Silas (along with Timothy and Luke?) continue their journey through Macedonia to Thessalonica (named after Alexander the Great’s half-sister, Thessaloniki) where there is an established synagogue. Paul argues with them over a point concerning the Messiah. Paul’s argument is that the scriptures prove the Messiah must die and be raised from the dead. Since Jesus died and was raised from the dead, he wants them to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Some of the Jews are converted to the new faith along with a number of Gentiles, but some of the Jews, probably leaders in the synagogue, start a riot. Paul and Silas are apparently staying at the home of one Jason. Jason is an enigmatic character who appears out of nowhere and disappears after verse 9 (a Jason is mentioned at Romans 16:21 as being a relative of Paul’s, but we have no way of knowing if that is the same man). In any case, failing to find Paul and Silas they drag Jason and some others out of his house and haul him to the authorities and accuse them of treason. Jason is allowed to forfeit bail, and they are set free.
10-15: They waste no time getting Paul and Silas and Timothy off to Beroea, however. Beroea is located about 50 miles west of Thessalonica and 25 miles inland at the foot of Mt. Bermius. In Beroea they get a better reception until the Jews in Thessalonica descend upon them and stir up trouble. Paul is sent on to Athens.
16-21: Athens is about 250 miles south of Beroea, and the trip there is probably made by boat. While Paul waits for Silas and the others he begins attending the synagogue where he argues with them that Jesus is the Messiah. He also takes advantage of the Athenians’ love of debate and grapples with the philosophers in the agora (marketplace). Epicureans follow the teachings of Epicurus, who believed the highest good is the pleasure one might achieve through modest living. The Stoics are products of a school founded in Athens several hundred years before by Zeno. They taught a form of virtuous living that is particularly suspicious of emotions. The agora is a marketplace and probably not the best arena for serious debate, so they take Paul to the Areopagus, an official site near the Acropolis where city officials examine the teachings of outsiders.
22-31: Paul presents his argument to the officials. The story of the altar of the “unknown god” is that hundreds of years before a plague had swept through the city. The poet Epiminides suggested that they send sheep throughout the city and wherever one of them lay down it was to be sacrificed to the god whose shrine was nearest. If there was no shrine nearby they were to erect an altar on the spot and sacrifice the sheep to “the unknown god.” Paul’s argument before the Athenians is that the unknown God is the uncreated creator who has shaped history. God created people so that they would seek God. For most of human history they have groped around searching for God, but those days are past with the coming of Jesus, he says. A day of judgment is coming when Jesus Christ will judge the nations. The proof of his exalted status is his resurrection.
32-34: At least they don’t try to kill him, but most of them scoff at Paul’s ideas. Some, though, are convinced, including one of the Areopagus officials and a woman named Damaris, neither of whom is mentioned again.
Takeaway
Have you ever been treated poorly because you are a follower of Jesus? No? Then try harder!