Acts 17

The Explanation

Paul and Silas walked from town to town, telling people about Jesus. In Thessalonica they went to the synagogue and talked for three Sabbath days, showing from the Scriptures that the Christ had to suffer and rise again. "This Jesus is the Christ," Paul said. Many believed, but other people got angry. They grabbed troublemakers from the marketplace and started a riot. "These men have turned the world upside down!" they shouted. It got so dangerous that the believers sent Paul and Silas away at night, like sneaking out a back door.

They came to Berea next. These people were different. They listened carefully and checked the Scriptures every day to see if it was true. Many of them believed. But the angry men from Thessalonica followed and stirred up trouble there too, so Paul had to leave again, this time alone, all the way to Athens.

Athens was a big city full of statues of gods, on every corner, in every square. Paul's heart hurt when he saw it. So he talked about Jesus in the synagogue and in the marketplace, every single day. Some clever philosophers heard him and were curious, others just laughed. "What is this babbler trying to say?" they said. They brought him to a place called the Areopagus, a hill where important people talked about new ideas. "Tell us what this teaching means," they said.

Paul stood up. "I see you are very religious," he said. "I even found an altar with the words: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. I will tell you about him." He explained that this God made heaven and earth, and does not live in temples built by hands. He does not need anything from us, since he gives us life and breath. He made every nation, and put them in their places, so that people would search for him and find him, for he is not far away. "In him we live and move and exist," Paul said. He told them God is not like gold or stone shaped by human hands. God overlooked the times when people did not know better, but now he calls everyone to turn back to him. He has set a day to judge the world fairly, through a man he raised from the dead.

When Paul spoke about the resurrection, some people laughed. Others said, "We want to hear more about this." Paul left the meeting. But some believed, among them a man named Dionysius and a woman named Damaris.

What Does This Mean?

Paul kept telling the truth about Jesus, even when people got angry, even when he had to run at night, even when strangers laughed at him. He did not stop because people mocked him. He looked for the smallest opening, even an altar to an unknown god, and used it to talk about the real God who can be known.

The Common Thread

Paul's whole message was always the same: Jesus died and rose again. That is the heart of the whole Bible story. From Athens to Berea to Thessalonica, wherever Paul went, he pointed to the same risen Jesus, the one God promised long ago.

For You

You might feel scared to talk about Jesus if someone might laugh. Paul felt that too, but he kept going. You do not need clever words. You can simply tell a friend what you know is true, and trust God with what happens next.

Talk About It

Why do you think some people in Berea listened so carefully to Paul, checking the Scriptures every day?

If someone laughed at you for talking about Jesus, what could you do, like Paul did?

Praying Together

Dear God, thank you that you are not far away, but close to us. Give us courage like Paul, to speak about Jesus even when it feels hard. Thank you that Jesus rose from the dead, and that this is really true. Amen.