³ But ^(A)Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would ^(B)drag away men and women and put them in prison.

⁶ When they did not find them, they began ^(A)dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset ^[a](B)the world have come here also; ^7 [b]and Jason ^(C)has welcomed them, and they all act ^(D)contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ⁸ They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. ⁹ And when they had received a ^[c]pledge from ^(E)Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul in Berea

^10 (F)The brothers immediately sent ^(G)Paul and Silas away by night to ^(H)Berea, ^[d]and when they arrived, they went into ^(I)the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these people were more noble-minded than those in ^(J)Thessalonica, ^[e]for they received the word with ^[f]great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore, ^(K)many of them believed, ^[g]along with a significant number of ^(L)prominent Greek ^(M)women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews of ^(N)Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in ^(O)Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴ Then immediately ^(P)the brothers sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and ^(Q)Silas and ^(R)Timothy remained there. ¹⁵ Now ^(S)those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ^(T)Athens; and receiving a command for ^(U)Silas and Timothy to ^(V)come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Paul in Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them in ^(W)Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he was reasoning ^(X)in the synagogue with the Jews and ^(Y)the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. ¹⁸ And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were ^[h]conversing with him. Some were saying, “What could ^(Z)this ^[i]scavenger of tidbits want to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching ^(AA)Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they ^(AB)took him and brought him ^[j]to the ^[k](AC)Areopagus, saying, “May we know what ^(AD)this new teaching is ^[l]which you are proclaiming? ²⁰ For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ (Now all the Athenians and the strangers ^(AE)visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

²² So Paul stood in the midst of the ^[m]Areopagus and said, “Men of ^(AF)Athens, I see that you are very ^(AG)religious in all respects. ²³ For while I was passing through and examining the ^(AH)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what ^(AI)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (AJ)The God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is ^(AK)Lord of heaven and earth, does not ^(AL)dwell in temples made by hands; ²⁵ nor is He served by human hands, ^(AM)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; ²⁶ and ^(AN)He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having ^(AO)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, ^(AP)though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for ^(AQ)in Him we live and move and ^[n]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’ ²⁹ Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we ^(AR)ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. ³⁰ So having ^(AS)overlooked ^(AT)the times of ignorance, God is ^(AU)now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, ³¹ because He has set ^(AV)a day on which ^(AW)He will judge ^[o](AX)the world in righteousness ^[p]through a Man whom He has ^(AY)appointed, having furnished proof to all people ^[q]by ^(AZ)raising Him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard of ^(BA)the resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We shall hear from you ^[r]again concerning this.” ³³ So Paul went out from among them. ³⁴ But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the ^(BB)Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

³⁰ Then the whole city was provoked and ^[a]the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they ^(A)dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.