Acts 17:1-16

Holman Christian Standard Bible

A Short Ministry in Thessalonica

17 Then they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica,^(A) where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As usual, Paul went to the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,^{(B) 3} explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”^{(C) 4} Then some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a great number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number^[a] of the leading women.^(D)

Riot in the City

⁵ But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some scoundrels 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.^{(E) 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, ⁷ and Jason has received them as guests! They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees,^(F) saying that there is another king—Jesus!”^{(G) 8} The Jews stirred up the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. ⁹ So taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

The Bereans Search the Scriptures

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea.^(H) 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^(I) 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 Berea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing^[b] the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy^(J) 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.^(K)

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.