1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."
4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas: of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women. 5 But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. 6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!" 8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. 9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15 But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?"
Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
19 They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about? 20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean." 21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. 25 He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. 26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead."
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this."
33 Thus Paul went out from among them. 34 But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
1 保罗和西拉经过暗非波里、亚波罗尼亚， 来到帖撒罗尼迦， 在那里有犹太人的会堂。
2 保罗照他的习惯进去， 一连三个安息日， 根据圣经与他们辩论，
3 讲解证明基督必须受害， 从死人中复活， 说： "我所传给你们的这位耶稣， 就是基督。"
4 他们中间有人给说服了， 就附从了保罗和西拉； 还有一大群虔诚的希腊人， 和不少显要的妇女。
5 但犹太人嫉妒起来， 招聚了一些市井流氓， 纠合成群， 骚动全城， 冲进了耶孙的家， 搜索保罗和西拉， 要把他们交给民众。
6 搜索不到他们， 就把耶孙和几个弟兄， 拉到地方长官那里， 喊叫着说： "这些扰乱天下的人， 也到这里来了，
7 耶孙却收留他们。这些人都违背凯撒的法令， 说另外还有一个王耶稣。"
8 群众和地方长官听见这话， 就惊慌起来，
9 取得耶孙和其余的人签保后， 才放了他们。
10 弟兄们当夜立刻送保罗和西拉往比里亚去。二人到了， 就进入犹太人的会堂。
11 这里的人， 比帖撒罗尼迦人开明， 热切接受主的道， 天天考查圣经， 要知道所听的是否与圣经相符。
12 结果他们中间有很多人信了， 也有高贵的希腊妇女， 男的也不少。
13 但帖撒罗尼迦的犹太人， 知道保罗又在比里亚宣讲 神的道， 就到那里去， 煽动挑拨群众。
14 弟兄们立刻把保罗送到海边去； 西拉和提摩太仍然留在比里亚。
15 护送保罗的人带他到了雅典； 保罗吩咐他们叫西拉和提摩太赶快去见他， 于是他们就回去了。
16 保罗在雅典等候他们的时候， 看见满城都是偶像， 心灵十分忿激。
17 于是在会堂里， 同犹太人和虔诚的人辩论； 并且天天在市中心和所遇见的人辩论。
18 还有伊壁鸠鲁派和斯多亚派的哲学家也同他争论， 有的说： "这个拾人牙慧的人要说什么呢？"有的说： "他似乎是一个宣传外地鬼神的人。"这是因为保罗传扬耶稣和复活的道理。
19 他们拉着保罗， 把他带到亚略．巴古那里， 说： "你所讲的这个新道理， 我们可以知道吗？
20 因为你把一切新奇的事， 传到我们耳中， 我们愿意知道这些事是什么意思。"
21 原来所有雅典人和外侨， 专好谈论和打听新奇的事， 来打发时间。
22 保罗站在亚略．巴古当中， 说： "各位雅典人， 我看你们在各方面都非常敬畏鬼神。
23 我走路的时候， 仔细看你们所敬拜的， 发现有一座坛， 上面写着‘献给不认识的神’。我现在把你们不认识而敬拜的这位神， 传给你们。
24 创造宇宙和其中万有的 神， 既然是天地的主， 就不住在人手所造的殿宇，
25 也不受人手的服事， 好像他缺少什么； 他自己反而把生命、气息和一切， 赐给万人。
26 他从一个本源造出了万族来， 使他们住在整个大地上， 并且定了他们的期限和居住的疆界，
27 要他们寻求 神， 或者可以摸索而找到他。其实他离我们各人不远，
28 因着他我们可以生存、活动、存在， 就如你们有些诗人说： ‘原来我们也是他的子孙。’
29 我们既然是 神的子孙， 就不应该以为他的神性是好像人用手艺、心思所雕刻的金银石头一样。
30 过去那无知的时代， 神不加以追究； 现在， 他却吩咐各处的人都要悔改，
31 因为他已经定好了日子， 要借着他所立的人， 按公义审判天下， 并且使他从死人中复活， 给万人作一个可信的凭据。"
32 众人一听到死人复活的事， 就讥笑他， 但有的说： "我们要再听听你讲这件事！ "
33 这样， 保罗就离开他们。
34 但有几个人接近他， 并且信了主， 其中有亚略．巴古的议员丢尼修， 一个名叫戴马里的女子， 还有其他的人。