Acts Chapter 17
Paul in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens
A. God’s Work in Thessalonica
Acts 17:1-4
“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.”
Thessalonica was a strategic and influential city, serving as the capital of Macedonia with a population estimated at over 200,000. It sat on the important Roman road, the Via Egnatia, which connected the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea and served as a primary east-west trade route.This city was a hub of commerce and politics, making it a key place for the spread of the gospel. When Paul and Silas arrived, Timothy and Luke remained behind in Philippi, showing that the missionary team often split up strategically to maximize ministry impact.
Paul’s method was consistent: he entered the synagogue first and reasoned from the Scriptures. The word “reasoned” carries the idea of dialogue, showing that Paul did not merely lecture but engaged in questions and answers, presenting the gospel as a rational faith grounded in Scripture. He “explained,” literally “opened,” the Scriptures, unfolding them so that his audience could understand. He also “demonstrated,” meaning he set evidence before them like a lawyer in court, showing from the Old Testament that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead.His message centered not only on what the Messiah must do but also on who He is: “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
The results were significant. Some Jews were persuaded, but the majority of converts were “a great multitude of the devout Greeks,” Gentile worshipers of God who attended the synagogue. In addition, “not a few of the leading women” believed, indicating that women of high social standing in the city were drawn to the truth of Christ. This reflects how the gospel penetrated different social classes and demonstrated its power across cultural and gender lines.
Paul’s short ministry in Thessalonica—only three Sabbaths of formal synagogue teaching—was nevertheless deeply impactful. His epistles to the Thessalonians later remind them of how much doctrine he had already taught them during this brief stay, particularly concerning eschatology (the return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead). The rapid growth of the church here shows the Spirit’s work in bringing fruit quickly when the Word is faithfully preached.
It is also worth noting that while Paul ministered in Thessalonica, he received financial support from the church in Philippi, as recorded in Philippians 4:15-16: “Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.” This illustrates the early church’s partnership in mission work, where one body of believers helped sustain gospel efforts in another city.
More Mob Violence Against Paul and Silas in Thessalonica
Acts 17:5-8
“But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king; Jesus.’ And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.”
As was often the case in Paul’s ministry, the greatest opposition came not from Gentile idolaters, but from Jewish leaders who rejected the gospel. Just as in Pisidian Antioch where it is written, “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 13:45), and as in Iconium, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren” (Acts 14:2), so again in Thessalonica, envy led to violence. Those who could not win by reason sought to win by riot.
They incited “evil men from the marketplace,” men of low character who loitered in the public square, easily bribed to stir up chaos. This mob set the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas were staying. Jason, likely a relative of Paul (see Romans 16:21), had opened his home for Christian gatherings, making it a natural target for persecution.
Unable to find Paul and Silas, the mob dragged Jason and other believers before the city rulers. Their accusation was dramatic: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” Ironically, this was an unintended compliment to the power of the gospel. The Christian message indeed overturns the thinking, priorities, and power structures of this fallen world. Jesus Christ Himself exemplified this in His teaching. For instance, in Luke 12:16-21, He told the parable of the rich fool, a man whom society would have honored as successful, but whom God declared a fool because he was not rich toward God. Christ’s kingdom reorients values away from materialism and self-glory toward eternal realities.
In truth, Paul and Silas were not turning the world upside down, but right side up. When a world is already distorted by sin, the restoration of God’s truth seems upside down to those who live in darkness. This is why the gospel always provokes strong reactions—it confronts sin and exposes false priorities.
The mob also accused the Christians of sedition: “These are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.” Under Roman law, treason against Caesar was among the gravest charges possible. This explains why both the crowd and the rulers were troubled by the accusation. In their fear of Roman reprisal, they saw Christianity not merely as a religious movement but as a potential political threat.
Yet this charge was a distortion. The gospel indeed proclaims that Jesus is King, but His kingdom is not of this world, as Jesus Himself declared in John 18:36: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Far from being rebellious citizens, Christians are called to pray for their rulers and submit to lawful authority (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2). Even so, the enemies of the gospel rightly recognized one profound truth: Christianity proclaims that Jesus Christ has supreme authority as Lord and King, and that He alone has the right to rule over His people.
Paul and Silas Leave Thessalonica by Night
Acts 17:9-10a
“So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.”
The city officials released Jason and the other believers after requiring them to post security, essentially a financial bond to guarantee that no further disturbances would arise. Roman authorities were not concerned with theological debates, but they were intolerant of riots. If disturbances continued, imperial legions would be dispatched to restore order, something no city desired. Thus, Jason had to pay the price of peace even though he was not the one who had incited the riot.
Because of this, the brethren acted quickly to protect both Paul and Silas, and the reputation of the church. They sent them away by night to Berea, about fifty miles southwest. Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica lasted only a few weeks, yet during that time he had laid a strong doctrinal foundation. His desire to continue teaching them led to his writing of 1 Thessalonians, which many scholars believe to be the first inspired letter Paul wrote to a congregation. In that epistle, Paul reminded them of the truths he had taught, encouraged them in their trials, and clarified eschatological hope, especially the return of Christ.
B. God’s Work in Berea
1. More Evangelistic Success in the City of Berea
Acts 17:10b-12
“When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”
Upon arriving in Berea, Paul and Silas again began their ministry in the synagogue, following the same strategy as in Thessalonica. Yet, they encountered a very different response. Luke commends the Bereans as “more fair-minded” than the Thessalonians. This commendation rested on two qualities: first, they received the word with all readiness; second, they searched the Scriptures daily to verify the truth of what Paul taught.
The Bereans provide a model for how every Christian ought to approach teaching. They listened to Paul, but they did not accept his message blindly. Even though Paul was an apostle, the most prominent theologian of the early church, and the Spirit-inspired author of much of the New Testament, they still examined the Scriptures for themselves. They measured Paul’s preaching by the standard of God’s Word, not by his reputation or eloquence. This shows that no preacher, no matter how gifted, is above testing by Scripture. As Paul himself would later write, “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Their approach was also diligent. They searched, which indicates deep study and careful investigation, not casual reading. They searched the Scriptures daily, meaning it was not a one-time check but a continuous, ongoing discipline. They searched to find out whether these things were so, with confidence that truth could be discovered and understood in God’s Word. The Bible to them was not merely inspirational poetry, but the revelation of God that contained verifiable truth.
Yet their diligence did not make them cold skeptics. Luke notes that they received the word with all readiness, meaning their hearts were open to receive truth once it was confirmed by Scripture. They combined a clear head with an open heart, which is what made them truly noble. Too often people have one without the other—an open heart with little discernment, or a sharp mind closed to God’s Word. The Bereans had both.
The result was that many of them believed. Their careful study of Scripture led them to see that Paul’s message about Christ suffering, dying, and rising again was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promises. Once convinced, they believed without hesitation. Their faith was strengthened, not weakened, by their investigation. Luke adds that not a few of the Greeks believed as well, including prominent women and men, which shows once again the wide social reach of the gospel.
2. Paul is Forced to Leave Berea
Acts 17:13-15
“But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.”
The opposition that drove Paul from Thessalonica was relentless. The hostile Jews from Thessalonica were not content with chasing him from their own city; they traveled the fifty miles to Berea in order to disrupt his ministry there as well. Once again they stirred up the crowds, repeating the same strategy of mob violence that had already been seen in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:45, 50), Iconium (Acts 14:2, 5), Lystra (Acts 14:19), and Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-8). Berea became the fifth city where Paul was forced out by an angry mob.
In response, the believers quickly acted to protect Paul, sending him away by sea to Athens. Yet, Silas and Timothy remained behind in Berea. This was no accident. Paul understood that planting a church required more than making converts; it required establishing disciples. Leaving Silas and Timothy behind demonstrated Paul’s pastoral heart. He knew that the new believers needed ongoing instruction, encouragement, and strengthening, and that the ministry was not dependent upon him alone. Other faithful men could carry on the work. This principle reflects the wisdom of 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Those who escorted Paul took him to Athens, the intellectual capital of Greece, where he would soon face a different kind of opposition—not violent mobs, but skeptical philosophers. Before they returned, Paul sent word that Silas and Timothy should join him as soon as possible. This shows that though Paul was bold and courageous, he still valued the companionship and partnership of his fellow laborers. Ministry was never meant to be carried out in isolation.
C. God’s Work in Athens
1. Paul is Provoked to Preach in the City of Athens
Acts 17:16-17
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.”
Paul was escorted to Athens for safety, but while waiting for Silas and Timothy, his heart could not remain idle. Though Athens had long since declined in political power, it was still the cultural and intellectual center of the Greco-Roman world, the city of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the great dramatists. Its architecture and art reflected centuries of human achievement. Yet, when Paul observed the city, he was not impressed by its beauty but provoked by its idolatry. Luke describes Athens as “given over to idols,” literally swamped or submerged in idolatry. Historians estimate that Athens had more statues of gods than all the rest of Greece combined. The grandeur of the Parthenon, the temples, and the monuments only deepened Paul’s grief, for all of it glorified false gods rather than the true and living God.
Paul’s spirit was stirred, not with admiration but with holy indignation. He could not simply wait passively for his companions. The truth of God compelled him to act. He began where he always did, in the synagogue with Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, reasoning from the Scriptures. Yet, unlike other cities, he also engaged daily in the agora, the bustling marketplace where Athenians gathered to debate and exchange ideas. Paul showed himself willing to meet people where they were—whether in the synagogue with the Scriptures or in the marketplace with the philosophers and common citizens. His strategy reminds us of his later words in 1 Corinthians 9:22: “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
Athens provided Paul with perhaps his most intellectually challenging audience. This was a city proud of its history, a university-like environment where ideas were constantly debated. As F. F. Bruce notes, “Although Athens had long since lost the political eminence which was hers in an earlier day, she continued to represent the highest level of culture attained in classical antiquity.” Yet, in God’s providence, Paul’s mission field now extended to the very center of Greek philosophy and learning.
2. Paul Encounters the Philosophers and is Invited to the Areopagus
Acts 17:18-21
“Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,’ because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.’ For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.”
Paul’s preaching in the marketplace soon drew the attention of two prominent schools of Greek philosophy: the Epicureans and the Stoics.
The Epicureans taught that the highest good was pleasure, not indulgence in luxury but the pursuit of tranquility, freedom from pain, and the absence of fear—especially fear of death and divine judgment. They acknowledged the existence of gods but believed these deities were distant and unconcerned with human affairs. In practice, their philosophy led to a life of detached comfort and self-centered contentment.
The Stoics, on the other hand, were pantheists who believed that god was in everything and everything was god. They emphasized reason, duty, and virtue, cultivating a spirit of endurance and proud self-sufficiency. They taught that one must accept fate and all circumstances, whether good or evil, as divine will. To them, suicide was preferable to living without dignity. Their philosophy could produce outward nobility, but it lacked true hope and a personal relationship with the Creator.
To these philosophers, Paul’s message seemed strange. Some mocked him, calling him a “babbler,” a term meaning a seed-picker—like a bird picking up scraps of ideas without coherence. Others thought he was introducing foreign gods, misunderstanding his proclamation of Jesus and the resurrection (the Greek word for resurrection, “anastasis,” may have been mistaken as the name of a deity). Yet, despite their mockery and confusion, his teaching intrigued them enough to invite him to speak at the Areopagus.
The Areopagus, or Mars Hill, was both a physical location and a council that evaluated new religious and philosophical ideas. Paul was invited not because they were eager to repent and believe, but because the Athenians, as Luke notes, “spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.” Their intellectual curiosity opened the door for Paul to present the gospel on one of the most famous platforms in history.
What stands out here is Paul’s unchanging message. Regardless of whether he was before Jews in a synagogue, pagans in a marketplace, or philosophers in Athens, his message was always centered on Christ crucified and risen. Luke records simply that he “preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.” The methods varied, but the message never changed.
Adam Clarke, writing in the nineteenth century, observed how the Athenian obsession with novelty mirrored his own age. He lamented how even ministers of the gospel became consumed with news and politics rather than the Scriptures, offering sermons that were “no better than husks for swine.” His warning is even more fitting today, when the hunger for the latest news or trend often eclipses the diligent study of God’s Word. Like Paul, the church must remain fixed on preaching Christ and the resurrection, not being swayed by the constant itch for novelty.
Paul’s Sermon on Mars’ Hill (Areopagus)
1. Paul Begins to Speak on Mars’ Hill
Acts 17:22-23
“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.’”
Paul opened his sermon by addressing the Athenians with respect and observation rather than immediate rebuke. Unlike his synagogue sermons, which were rooted in exposition of Old Testament Scripture, here he began with references that his pagan audience would understand. His introduction was tactful but direct.
He acknowledged their religiosity, noting that the city was saturated with temples, statues, and shrines. To be “very religious” in Paul’s statement was not entirely a compliment. Religion without truth leads to idolatry, and misplaced worship is as damning as no worship at all. As Jesus said in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The Athenians were sincere, but sincerely wrong.
Paul then drew attention to an altar inscribed “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Greek historians record that Athens had multiple altars dedicated to unknown gods. According to tradition, six centuries earlier, during a plague, the Cretan philosopher Epimenides advised the Athenians to release a flock of sheep. Where each sheep lay down, it was sacrificed—to the nearest temple if one was nearby, and to “the unknown god” if none was present. This practice reflected their superstition and fear of offending a deity they might have overlooked.
Paul seized this as a point of contact. They admitted ignorance, and Paul declared he had come to reveal the identity of this “unknown God.” This was a masterful rhetorical move. He did not begin by tearing down their culture outright, but by showing that their own religious practices admitted a void, an incompleteness, that only the true God could fill.
2. Paul Tells the Athenians Who God Is
Acts 17:24-29
“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.”
Paul began at the foundation: God is the Creator. This immediately confronted both Epicurean and Stoic philosophy. To the Epicureans, who believed the universe was the result of random combinations of atoms, Paul declared that God made the world and everything in it. To the Stoics, who believed that god was part of everything, Paul proclaimed that God is distinct from His creation, the Lord of heaven and earth, sovereign over all.
Paul emphasized that the true God cannot be contained in temples or represented by idols. Temples may impress men, but they cannot house the infinite God. Statues and images may inspire devotion, but they cannot capture the glory of the Creator. As the prophet Isaiah declared, “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made” (Isaiah 66:1-2).
God is also self-sufficient. Unlike the Greek gods who were dependent upon human offerings, the true God does not need anything from man. Instead, He gives to all life, breath, and all things. Human existence is entirely dependent upon Him. This echoes Job 12:10: “In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
Paul also proclaimed the unity of mankind: God has made from one blood every nation of men. This statement cuts against both Greek pride and modern prejudice. All nations, all ethnicities, and all people descend from one common ancestor, Adam, through Noah. There is no basis for racial superiority, since all men share the same Creator and the same need for redemption. Furthermore, God has determined the times and boundaries of nations, meaning that history itself unfolds under His sovereign plan.
The purpose of God’s providence in history is that people should seek Him, grope for Him, and find Him. Paul makes clear that God is not far from us. He is not distant like the Epicurean gods, nor lost within creation like the Stoic god. Rather, He is near to every person.
Paul even built upon truths expressed in Greek poetry. He quoted Epimenides, who wrote, “In Him we live and move and have our being,” and Aratus, who wrote, “For we are also His offspring.” Paul was not affirming their entire philosophy but appropriating what was true to bridge to the gospel. If they could acknowledge that we are God’s offspring, then it follows that God must be greater than any lifeless image of gold, silver, or stone. To think otherwise is to diminish the very Creator they dimly acknowledged.
Paul’s point is clear: if we are God’s offspring, we bear His image and owe Him worship, obedience, and honor. Ignorance of the true God is not innocence; it is culpable rebellion. As John Stott remarked, the Athenians’ altar to the “unknown god” was not an excuse but evidence of their ignorance, which God now calls them to abandon in light of revealed truth.
5. Paul Tells the Athenians What They Must Do Because of Who God Is
Acts 17:30-31
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Paul now moved from introduction to direct application. He had shown the Athenians who God is—the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge—and who they are—His offspring, accountable to Him. Now he pressed upon them the demand of the gospel: repentance.
The Athenians could no longer plead ignorance. God had graciously allowed times of ignorance to pass, but with the revelation of Christ, the call is clear and universal. God “commands all men everywhere to repent.” Repentance is not optional, nor is it limited to Jews or Greeks, but extends to all humanity. It is a divine command, not merely an invitation. To repent means to turn from sin and idolatry, and to turn to the true and living God through faith in Christ.
Paul emphasized accountability: God has appointed a day of judgment. This judgment will not be arbitrary but in righteousness, by the standard of God’s perfect holiness. The Judge is “the Man whom He has ordained”—Jesus Christ. Though Paul had not yet named Him explicitly in this speech, there could be no doubt that he was referring to the risen Christ. The same Jesus who died for sinners will one day return to judge the world.
The assurance of this future judgment is the resurrection. By raising Jesus from the dead, God provided irrefutable evidence that Jesus is His chosen One. The resurrection validated Jesus’ life, teaching, sacrifice, and authority. As Paul would later write in Romans 1:4, “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” For Paul, the resurrection was not an optional doctrine but the cornerstone of the gospel. Without it, there is no salvation, no assurance, and no hope.
6. The Reaction of the Listeners at the Areopagus
Acts 17:32-34
“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’ So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
The responses to Paul’s message were mixed, just as they always are when the gospel is preached. The mention of the resurrection divided the crowd. Some mocked openly, dismissing the very idea as foolish. The Greeks valued the immortality of the soul but despised the concept of bodily resurrection. Their philosophy taught that matter was evil and spirit was good, so the idea of an eternal glorified body was repugnant to them. As James Boice observed, “All Greeks thought that man was composed of spirit (or mind), which was good, and matter (or body), which was bad. If there was to be a life to come, the one thing they certainly did not want it cluttered up with a body.”
Others were curious but noncommittal, saying, “We will hear you again on this matter.” This polite postponement reflected a desire for novelty rather than truth. They wanted more discussion but were unwilling to repent and believe. Delaying obedience to the gospel is still disobedience.
Paul then departed, cut short before he could fully present the cross in detail. It is clear, however, that his sermon included more than what Luke records here, since he tied the resurrection to judgment, which necessarily assumes the death of Christ for sin. Luke’s account gives a summary of Paul’s speech, not every word.
The fruit, though seemingly small, was real. Some believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a member of the council, and a woman named Damaris, along with others. This showed that even in a hostile and skeptical audience, God’s Word does not return void. Though Athens never became a great center of Christianity like Corinth or Ephesus, God still called His elect from that city.
Some critics suggest Paul’s sermon in Athens was a failure because it did not produce the same results as his preaching in Corinth or elsewhere. They point to 1 Corinthians 2:2, where Paul later wrote, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” as if he had learned not to engage with philosophy after Athens. Yet this is a misunderstanding. Paul’s sermon was thoroughly biblical, beginning with God the Creator and ending with God the Judge. As John Stott observed, “We learn from Paul that we cannot preach the gospel of Jesus without the doctrine of God, or the cross without the creation, or salvation without judgment.”
The response in Athens was not meager because Paul failed, but because the Athenians’ hearts were hardened. The gospel always produces mixed reactions—mockery, delay, and faith. But even one soul saved is evidence of God’s power and grace.
