Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews.

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Acts 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Emmanuel, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

Acts 17:4 And 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.

Acts 17:5 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.

Acts 17:6 And 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.

Acts 17:7,8 Whom Jason has received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another king, one Emmanuel. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 

Acts 17:9 And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other they let them go.

Barnes Notes:.'taken security' is an expression taken from courts and means that Jason and the other gave satisfaction to the magistrates for the good conduct of Paul and Silas and became responsible for it. Whether it was by depositing a sum of money and by thus giving bail is not quite clear. The sense is, that they did it in accordance with the Roman usages and gave sufficient security for the good conduct of Paul and Silas. Heuman supposes that the pledge given was, that they should leave the city. Michaelis thinks that they gave a pledge that they would no more harbour them, but that if they returned again to them, they would deliver them to the magistrates.

Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Acts 17:11 These 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.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind.(they were open to the new things of spirituality, not close-minded as those in Thessalonica were and not lazy beasts as those on the island of Crete were:.Titus 1:12).and searched.(original for 'searched' is 'examined' and to examine you need take some study time) the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

John 5:39 "Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.".They researched and sought truth with prayerful guidance, checking out the scriptures, seeing how information told to them by others played out, that is, seeing, as best they knew how, if there was any love and accuracy to what they were hearing (Romans 13:10) or was it all just a bunch of hypocrisy without any substance to it, like this.

Acts 17:12,13 Therefore many of them believed also of honourable women which were Greeks and of men not a few. But when the Jews.of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea they came thither also and stirred up the people.

Acts 17:14,15 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea, but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. And 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.

Acts 17:16,17 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Acts 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? Others said, He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods. Because he preached unto them Emmanuel and the resurrection.

Acts 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

Acts 17:20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these things mean.

Acts 17:21 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.(*).

Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious.

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

These superstitious Greeks way back when wanted to be sure that they were covered by any and all gods that existed.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands;.(well then, where does He live?)

Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he gives to all life and breath and all things;

Well how then should God be worshipped?

Acts 17:26 And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation.

Acts 17:27 That 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.

Acts 17:28 For 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.

Acts 17:28 For in him we live and move and have our being.(the Great Conscious Infinite Intelligence is the intelligent energy that is all things, that is what is below the atom.where it's.all.the same intelligent energy:.Colossians 1:16); as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.(*).

Adam Clarke's Commentary:."As certain also of your own poets. Probably he means not only Aratus, in whose poem, entitled.Phaenomena, the words quoted by Paul are to be found literatim, but also Cleanthus, in whose.Hymn to Jupiter, the same words occur. The sentiment is also found in several others, being very common among the more enlightened philosophers. By saying "your own poets" he does not mean poets born at Athens, but merely Grecian poets, Aratus and Cleanthus being chief. Aratus was a Cilician, one of Paul's own countrymen and with his writings Paul was undoubtedly well acquainted, though he had flourished about 300 years before that time."

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone.(many idols), graven.(engraved).by art and man's device.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commands.all humans everywhere.to repent.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance.(Acts 14;16).God winked at but now commands.(or, 'has a message for' as the original has it).all men.(*).everywhere to repent.

The word 'repent' means 'to change' (Matthew 21:32) to what, from what. It's now the time of the New Testament, the time for the awakening of everyone:.John 17:6. Awakening to what; awakening to what was unavailable in Old Testament times. How does one awaken and change? By growing in knowledge of the truth:.1Timothy 2:4;.John 5:25; Romans 13:11; 1Timothy 2:4; 2Corinthians 6:2; Matthew 3:1,2; Mark 16:15.

Acts 17:31 Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained, whereof he has given assurance unto all men in that he has raised him from the dead.

Acts 17:31 Because he has appointed a day.(what day?), in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.(the world is judged by the laws of love, which are the ways of a higher consciousness the Creator has set up, not that the Creator specifically judges, because in actuality, it's we who judge ourselves; the world now is judged by the laws set up to show mankind results of both the evil and good ways; the invisible world is noting and watching).by that man.(that's why Christ was sent to Earth).whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.

Acts 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. And others said, We will hear you again of this matter.

They were intrigued and wanted to hear more.

Acts 17:33,34 So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him and believed, among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

....continues to Chapter 18

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