Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ACTS 17
In Thessalonica
1 When Paul and his companions 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 Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
In Berea
10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to 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 built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any 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 since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he 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 of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Application Notes
17:1-2 A synagogue, a group of Jews who gathered for teaching and prayer, could be established wherever ten Jewish males lived. Paul's regular practice was to preach in synagogues as long as he was welcome. Often people who weren't Jews would come to these services and hear Paul's preaching. (For a description of a synagogue service, see the note on 13:14-15.)
17:1 Thessalonica was one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in Macedonia. This is the first city Paul visited where his teachings attracted a large group of socially prominent citizens. The church he planted grew quickly, but in AD 50 or 51, he was forced out of the city by a mob (17:5-6, 10). He later sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the Christians there were doing. Soon afterward, Paul wrote two letters to the Thessalonian believers (1 and 2 Thessalonians), encouraging them to remain faithful and to refuse to listen to false teachers who tried to refute their beliefs.
17:2-3 When Paul spoke in the synagogues, he wisely began by talking about Old Testament writings and explaining how the Messiah fulfilled them, moving from the known to the unknown. This is a good strategy for us. When we witness for Christ, we should begin where people are, affirming the truth they do know, and then we can present Jesus, the one who is truth.
17:5 The Jewish leaders didn't try to refute the theology of Paul and Silas, but they were jealous of the popularity of these itinerant preachers. Their motives for causing the riot were rooted in personal jealousy, not doctrinal purity.
17:6 We don't know much about Jason except that he was evidently the local host and sponsor of Paul and Silas; thus, he took the heat for all the problems. Jason is just one of many unsung heroes who faithfully played their parts to help spread the gospel. Because of Jason's courage, Paul and Silas were able to m1n1ster more effectively. You may not receive much attention as you serve Jesus (in fact, you may receive only grief). But he sees you, and you can be confident that lives will be changed because of your courage and faithfulness.
17:6 What a reputation these early Christians had! The power of the gospel revolutionised lives, broke down all social barriers, threw open prison doors, caused believers to care deeply for one another, and stirred people to worship God. Our world needs to be turned upside down--to be transformed. The gospel doesn't merely improve programs and encourage good conduct; it dynamically transforms lives. Take courage and ask God how you can help spread His Good News throughout your world.
17:7 The Jewish leaders had difficulty manufacturing an accusation that would be heard by the city government. The Romans did not care about the theological disagreements between the Jews and these preachers. Treason, however, was a serious offence in the Roman Empire. Paul and Silas were not advocating rebellion against Roman law, but their loyalty to another king sounded suspicious. The Jewish leaders twisted the truth purposely to cause trouble.
17:8-9 Jason posted bond-putting up cash for freedom. By doing so, he promised that the trouble would cease or his own property and possibly his own life would be taken.
17:11 How do you evaluate sermons and teachings? The people in Berea searched the Scriptures for themselves to verify the message they heard. A preacher or teacher should never contradict or explain away anything that is found in God's Word. Always compare what you hear with what the Bible says.
17:16 Athens, with its magnificent buildings and many gods, was a centre tor Greek culture, philosophy, and education. Philosophers and other educated people were always ready to hear something new, so they invited Paul to speak to them at the meeting of the Areopagus, the high council of the city (17:18-19).
17:16 Paul was "greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols." The word translated "distressed" is the Greek word par6xyneto, expressing the experience of sudden, violent emotion. Paul was filled with a combination of anger and grief. Seeing people spiritually lost, blinded by Satan, and trapped in a pagan culture caused Paul to be in a state of emotional upheaval. Though highly educated, the Athenians were ignorant of the one true God. Paul turned his internal turmoil into positive action: He looked for opportunities to share about Jesus. Are you deeply troubled about the condition of people who don't know God? Let their lostness motivate you to learn about what they believe and use that as a stepping stone to share the message of salvation.
17:18 The Epicureans and Stoics were the dominant philosophers in Greek culture. The Epicureans believed that seeking happiness or pleasure was the primary goal of life. By contrast, the Stoics placed thinking above feeling and tried to live in harmony with nature and reason, suppressing their desire for pleasure. Thus, they were very disciplined.
17:19 For a time, this council, the Areopagus, met on a low hill in Athens near the Acropolis. As Paul stood there and spoke about the one true God, his audience could look down on the city and see the many idols representing gods that Paul knew were worthless.
17:22-34 Paul's address is a good example of how to communicate the gospel. Paul did not begin by reciting Jewish history, as he usually did, for this would have been meaningless to his 1reek audience. He began by building a case for the one true God, using examples they understood (17:22-23). The Athenians had built an idol to an unknown god for fear of missing blessings or receiving punishment. Paul's opening statement to the men of Athens was about their unknown god. Paul was not endorsing this god but using the inscription as a point of entry for his witness to the one true God. Then he established common ground by emphasising what they agreed on about God (17:24-29). Finally, he moved his message to the person of Jesus, centring on the Resurrection (17:30-31). When you witness to others, you can follow Paul's approach: Use examples, establish common ground, and then move people toward a decision about Jesus.
17:22 Paul was well prepared to speak to this group. He came from Tarsus, an educational centre, and had the training and knowledge to present his beliefs clearly and persuasively. Paul was a rabbi, taught by the finest scholar of his day, Gamaliel, and he had spent much of his life thinking and reasoning through the Scriptures.
Like Paul, we must be prepared to give a defence for what we believe in any situation. The more we know about the Bible, what it means, and how to apply it to life, the more convincing our words will be. This does not mean that we should avoid presenting the gospel until we feel adequately prepared. We should work with what we have learned, but continue to seek to know more in order to be effective witnesses and be able to respond to people's questions and arguments.
17:23 Paul explained the one true God to these educated men of Athens; although these men were, in general, very religious, they did not know God. Christianity is talked about a lot today, but to most people, God is still unknown. We need to proclaim who he is and make clear what he has done for everyone through his Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot assume that even religious people around us truly know Jesus or understand the importance of faith in him alone.
17:27-28 God is revealed in his creation and is close to every one of us. Through his Holy Spirit, he lives within all who believe in Jesus Christ. But he is not trapped in his creation--he is transcendent. God is the Creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control, while at the same time, he is close and personal. We do not shape God to meet our needs; we serve him as the holy God who loves us. If you find yourself trying to make God fit your expectations, ask him to reveal Himself to you as he really is and to help you find your purpose in him.
17:30-31 Paul did not leave his message unfinished. He confronted his listeners with Jesus' resurrection, future return, and coming judgment. The Greeks had no concept of judgment. Most of them worshipped many gods instead of just one. Paul did not hold back the truth, however, even though the concept of resurrection seemed unbelievable to them. Paul often changed his approach to fit his audience, but he never changed his basic message.
17:32-34 Paul's speech received a mixed reaction: Some laughed, some wanted more information, and a few believed. Be bold and tell others about Jesus when given the opportunity. God is always moving in people's hearts, nudging them closer to accepting his gift of salvation. Even if only a few believe based on your witness, it's worth the effort.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)