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Acts 17

34 verses

TL;DR

Paul travels through Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, preaching the gospel amid opposition, yet gaining believers and provoking debate, especially in Athens’ Areopagus.

Summary

In Thessalonica Paul and Silas preach in the synagogue, arguing from Scripture that Christ must have suffered and risen. Some Jews and Greeks accept, but others stir up a mob, assaulting Jason’s house and attempting to drag Paul out. The Romans intervene, release the believers, and Paul is escorted to Berea where the Jews there receive the message more readily and many convert. Word spreads, causing further unrest in Thessalonica, so Paul is sent to Athens. In Athens, Paul encounters philosophers and the Areopagus, uses the altar to the "Unknown God" to point to the true God, explains creation, humanity, and the need for repentance, and declares Christ’s resurrection. Some mock, but several, including the Areopagus member Dionysius and a woman named Damaris, believe.

Outline
  1. Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica sparks conflict and conversion
  2. Paul’s journey to Berea leads to more believers
  3. Paul’s address to the Athenian Areopagus and its mixed reception
Themes
Evangelism amid oppositionUse of Scripture and logic in preachingContrast between idolatry and monotheism
Keywords
ChristJewsSynagogueResurrectionAreopagusAthenianIdolatryMonotheismEpicureanStoic
People
PaulSilasJasonthe brothers (Brethren)Dionysius the AreopagiteDamarisJews in ThessalonicaJews in BereaGreek worshippersEpicureansStoics
Places
AmphipolisApolloniaThessalonicaBereaAthensAreopagus
Things
altar with inscription "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"synagoguethe baser men (lewd fellows)the house of Jason
Key Verses
  • Acts 17:22-34: Paul’s famous Areopagus sermon introduces key theological concepts and reflects his rhetorical strategy
  • Acts 17:2: Paul’s method of reasoning from Scripture establishes his authority
  • Acts 17:17: Illustrates Paul's encounter with philosophical skeptics in Athens
Questions
  • How does Paul’s use of the altar to the "Unknown God" serve as a bridge to Athenian audiences?
  • In what ways does the chapter portray the tension between religious conviction and political authority?
  • What does the reaction of the Athenian philosophers reveal about the spread of the gospel?
  • How might Paul’s arguments in Thessalonica differ from those in Berea and Athens?
  • What is the significance of the inclusion of a woman (Damaris) among the believers?
Sentiment

mixed
Conflicts and opposition coexist with conversions and theological exposition.