The Uproar in Thessalonica 1 UDB They traveled through the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to the city of Thessalonica. There was a Jewish meeting place there. BSB BSB: When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2 UDB On the Sabbath day, Paul went to the meeting place as he usually did. For three weeks he went there on each Sabbath day. He spoke to the people about how the scriptures said that Jesus would be the Christ. BSB BSB: As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 UDB He showed from the scriptures that the prophets wrote that the Christ would have to die and come alive again. He said, "This man Jesus, the one I proclaim to you, is the Christ. He died and became alive again, just like the prophets said he would." BSB BSB: 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 UDB Some of them there believed what Paul had said and began to meet with Paul and Silas. There were also many Gentiles and some important women who worshiped God who also believed the message about Jesus, and they also began to meet with Paul and Silas. BSB BSB: 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 UDB But some leaders of the Jews became angry because many people believed what Paul taught. So they went to the public square and persuaded some evil men to follow them. In this way, they gathered a crowd and caused them to make a lot of noise, and they formed a mob and ran to the house of a man named Jason where Paul and Silas were staying. They wanted to bring Paul and Silas outside to where the crowd of people was. BSB BSB: 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.
7 UDB and this fellow Jason has asked them to stay at his house. They are acting against the emperor. They say that another person, whose name is Jesus, is the real king!" BSB BSB: and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”
8 UDB When the crowd of people that had gathered and the city rulers heard that, they became very angry and excited. BSB BSB: On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed.
9 UDB The city rulers made Jason and the other believers pay a fine and told them that they would give the money back to them if they did not cause any more trouble. Then the city rulers let Jason and the other believers go. BSB BSB: And they collected bond from Jason and the others and then released them.
The Character of the Bereans 12 UDB Because of Paul's teaching, many of the the Jews believed in Jesus, and also some of the important Greek women and many men believed in him. BSB BSB: As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
13 UDB But then the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea preaching the message from God about Jesus. So they went to Berea and said things to the people there that made them very angry with Paul. BSB BSB: 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 UDB Some of the believers in Berea took Paul to the seacoast to go to another city. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. BSB BSB: The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
15 UDB When Paul and the other men arrived at the coast, they got on a boat and went to the city of Athens. Then Paul said to the men who had come with him, "Tell Silas and Timothy to come to me here in Athens as soon as they can." Then those men left Athens and returned to Berea. BSB BSB: Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
Paul in Athens 17 UDB So he went to the Jewish meeting place and talked about Jesus with the Jews, and also with the Greeks who had accepted what the Jews believe. He also went to the public square every day and talked to the people whom he met there. BSB BSB: So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.
18 UDB Paul met some teachers who liked to talk about what people believe. People called some of them Epicureans, and they called others Stoics. They told Paul what they believed, and they asked him what he believed. Then some of them said to one another, "He is saying something about some strange gods." They said that because Paul was telling them that Jesus had died and then had become alive again. BSB BSB: 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 UDB So they took him to the place where the city leaders met. When they arrived there, they said to Paul, "Please tell us, what is this new message that you are teaching people? BSB BSB: 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 UDB You are teaching some things that we do not understand, so we want to know what they mean." BSB BSB: For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
21 UDB The people of Athens and also the people from other regions who lived there loved to talk about what was new to them. BSB BSB: Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.
Paul’s Address in the Areopagus 23 UDB I say that because, while I was walking along, I saw the things that you worship. I even saw an altar that had these words that someone had carved on it: THIS HONORS A GOD THAT WE DO NOT KNOW. So now I will tell you about that God whom you worship but you do not know. BSB BSB: 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.
25 UDB He does not need to have anything made for him by people, because he makes people live and breathe, and he gives them everything they need. BSB BSB: Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
29 UDB "Therefore, because we are God's children, we should not think that God is like gold, silver, or stone, made into something by man. BSB BSB: 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 UDB During the times when people did not know what God wanted them to do, he did not punish them for what they did. But now God commands all people everywhere to turn away from their evil deeds. BSB BSB: Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 UDB He tells us that, on a certain day he has chosen, he is going to judge all of us justly by the man he has chosen, making sure we understand this by raising this man from the dead." BSB BSB: 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 UDB When the men heard Paul say that a man had become alive again after he had died, some of them laughed at him. But others asked him to come back and tell them about it another day. BSB BSB: 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 UDB After they said that, Paul walked away. BSB BSB: At that, Paul left the Areopagus.
34 UDB However, some of the people went with Paul and believed the message about Jesus. Among those who believed in Jesus was a man named Dionysius, who was a member of the council. A woman named Damaris and some other people with them also believed. BSB BSB: But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.