1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5¶ But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
10¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 13But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. 14And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 15And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
16¶ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22¶ Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33So Paul departed from among them. 34Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
保罗在帖撒罗尼迦传道
1保罗和西拉经过暗非坡里和亚波罗尼亚，到了帖撒罗尼迦。那里有犹太人的会堂。 2保罗照以往的习惯进入会堂，一连三个安息日引用圣经与当地人讨论， 3解释、证明基督必须受害，然后从死里复活，又说：“我向你们宣讲的这位耶稣就是基督。” 4不少人被说服，成为保罗和西拉的同道，其中有许多是敬畏上帝的希腊人和有地位的妇女。
5那些不信主的犹太人却妒火中烧，他们召集了一群市井无赖，在城里引发骚乱，闯进耶孙的家企图把保罗和西拉揪出来示众。 6他们找不到保罗和西拉，就把耶孙和几个弟兄拉到当地官员面前，高喊：“那些搅乱天下的人到我们这里来了， 7耶孙接待了他们。他们违抗凯撒的命令，说另有一个王叫耶稣。” 8百姓和当地官长听后，深感不安。 9于是，官长命耶孙等人缴纳保释金，然后释放了他们。
庇哩亚人接受福音
10弟兄姊妹在夜间把保罗和西拉送往庇哩亚。他们二人一到，就进了犹太会堂。 11当地的人比帖撒罗尼迦人通情达理，非常乐意接受真道，还天天查考圣经，研究这道是否正确。 12结果有很多人信了，包括不少有名望的希腊妇女和男子。 13可是，帖撒罗尼迦的犹太人听到保罗在庇哩亚宣扬上帝的道，就赶来怂恿、煽动众人。 14庇哩亚的弟兄姊妹立刻送保罗到海边，西拉和提摩太仍然留在庇哩亚。 15护送保罗的人一直把他送到雅典，然后带着保罗的口信回庇哩亚，交代西拉和提摩太尽快赶去雅典与保罗会合。
保罗在雅典传道
16保罗在雅典等候他们的时候，看见满城都是偶像，心里非常着急。 17于是，他在会堂跟犹太人和虔诚的外族人辩论，每天在广场上跟遇见的人辩论。 18还有一些伊壁鸠鲁和斯多亚学派的哲学家和保罗争论，有人嘲笑他说：“这人在胡说八道些什么呀？”还有人说：“他好像在宣扬外国的神明。”他们这样说是因为保罗在传讲耶稣和祂复活的福音。 19他们带保罗到一个称为亚略·巴古的论坛，问他：“我们可以知道你所教导的这个新道理吗？ 20你的言论确实稀奇，我们很想知道个究竟。”
21这些雅典人和侨居在那里的人没有别的嗜好，只喜欢谈论和打听一些新奇的事。
22保罗在亚略·巴古论坛中站起来说：“各位雅典人，我看得出你们在各方面都非常虔诚。 23我在街上走的时候，观察了你们所敬拜的对象，发现一座祭坛上面写着‘献给未知之神’。这位你们不认识却在敬拜的神明，我现在介绍给你们。
24“这位创造宇宙万物的上帝是天地的主宰，并不住在人手建造的庙宇里， 25也不需要人的侍奉，因为祂一无所缺。祂将生命、气息和万物赐给世人。 26祂从一人造出万族，让他们散居世界各地，又预先定下他们的期限和居住的疆界， 27以便他们在其间寻求祂，或许他们可以摸索着找到祂。祂原本就离我们各人不远， 28我们的生活、行动和存在都靠祂，你们的诗人也说过，‘我们是祂的子孙。’ 29我们既然是上帝的子孙，就不该认为上帝是人凭手艺和想象用金、银、石头所雕刻的样子。
30“上帝以往不鉴察世人的无知，现在则命令世上所有的人都要悔改。 31因为祂已经定了日子，要借祂所设立的人按公义审判这个世界。祂叫那人从死里复活，给了全人类可信的凭据。”
32听见保罗提到死人复活的事，有些人就嘲笑他，还有些人说：“我们改天再听你讲这个。” 33于是保罗离开了他们。 34不过，也有人跟随保罗，信了耶稣，其中有亚略·巴古的会员丢尼修和一位名叫戴玛丽的妇人及其他人。
