Acts 17:1–16

A SHORT MINISTRY IN THESSALONICA

17After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,ⁱ where there was a Jewish synagogue. ²As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,^{j 3}explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”^{k 4}Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.^l

RIOT IN THE CITY

⁵But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly.^{m 6}When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, ⁷and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees,ⁿ saying that there is another king—Jesus.”^{o 8}The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. ⁹After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

THE BEREANS SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

¹⁰As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.^p Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined^A the Scriptures^q daily to see if these things were so. ¹²Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. ¹³But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting^A the crowds. ¹⁴Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy^a stayed on there. ¹⁵Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.^b

PAUL IN ATHENS

¹⁶While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols.