Acts 17:10-20

The Beroeans Search the Scriptures

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men.

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that God's message had been proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing^[a] the crowds.

14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there.

15 Those 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.

Paul in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

18 Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, "What is this pseudo-intellectual^[b] trying to say?" Others replied, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities"-because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus,^[c] and said, "May we learn about this new teaching you're speaking of?

20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean."