Acts 17


Acts 17 is the seventeenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It continues the second missionary journey of Paul, together with Silas and Timothy: in this chapter, the Christian gospel is preached in Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 34 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
;In Greek
  • Codex Vaticanus
  • Codex Sinaiticus
  • Codex Bezae
  • Codex Alexandrinus
  • Papyrus 127
  • Codex Laudianus
;In Latin
This chapter mentions the following places :
The second missionary journey of Paul took place in around AD 49.

Distances

The distance from Philippi to Amphipolis is about by Via Egnatia and further on this road from Amphipholis to Apollonia in the district of Mydonia is about, then from Apollonia to Thessalonica, as noted in Antonine Itinerary. From Thessalonica to Berea is about westward. Paul then traveled to 'the sea', which would have been at least 42 km at the nearest point, and then south to Athens, approximately 300 km. The journey 'by night' from Thessalonica to Berea presumably took more than one night.

In Thessalonica (17:1–9)

Paul, Silas and Timothy continued to travel westwards from Philippi on Via Egnatia, passing several cities before arriving at Thessalonica, which had "a well-established Jewish community with a synagogue", which Paul visited, "as was his custom", on three successive sabbaths to speak about the gospel. That he was allowed to speak on three successive sabbaths gives an indication of "the respect commanded by his character as a Rabbi, and, it may be, by his earnest eloquence".
After some initial success among synagogue members extending to the receptive Gentile adherents, an outbreak of 'jealousy' occurred among "the Jews", who took the city mob to launch an attack on Paul and Silas. When Paul and Silas could not be found, the mob took a man named "Jason", as one of Paul's followers, to the civic authorities with a charge of disturbance that Paul's teaching of "the Kingdom" was 'inherently incompatible with the personal oaths of loyalty to the emperor' as 'demanded of all inhabitants of the empire'.

In Berea (17:10–15)

Paul's departure from Thessalonica "by night" reflected "the need immediate action", which W. R. Nicoll attributes either to "obedience to the direct charge of the magistrates that Paul should not come again to Thessalonica, or danger of a revival of the tumult". He may have journeyed to Berea because of its "comparative seclusion". His mission was initially dependent on 'the networks of the Jewish diaspora': each time he arrived in an unfamiliar city, Paul first visited a synagogue to preach the gospel among the Jewish people. The Jews in Berea were noted as "more noble", as they were willing to give a 'careful and open-minded examination' of Paul's teaching, before many of them came to belief. There is a contrast between "women of high standing and men" who believe and "the crowds", who were agitated by the Jews of Thessalonica.

In Athens (17:16–21)

The absence of any mention of places between Berea and Athens provides presumptive evidence that Paul did indeed travel by sea, "rounding the promontory of Sunium, Athens by the Piræus". That he spent some time waiting in Athens is confirmed by, which must have been written not long after this time. The philosophical scene was reminiscent of the classical period in Athens, when Socrates engaged in philosophical dialogue in the streets and agora of Athens, and the charge against Paul about proclaiming "foreign divinities" would recall the charge brought against Socrates of preaching "new divinities". The Areopagus was the chief administrative body at that time in Athens.

Verse 18

Epicureans and Stoics are from two most dominant and popular schools of philosophy in Athens at that time and also with the greater contrast of teachings with the doctrines of Christianity, that Paul preached.
  • "Babbler": translated from, literally "seed-picker", figuratively "one who picks up scraps of knowledge".

    Addressing the Areopagus (17:22–34)

The speech, known as the Areopagus sermon, refers to a sermon or explanation delivered by Apostle Paul at the Areopagus in Athens, and described in Acts 17:16–34. The Areopagus sermon is the most dramatic and fullest reported speech of the missionary career of Saint Paul and followed a shorter address in Lystra. Paul explained concepts such as the resurrection of the dead and salvation, in effect a prelude to the future discussions of Christology. According to the record, after the sermon, a number of people became followers of Paul. These included a woman named Damaris, and Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus. This latter has at times been suggested as Dionysius the Areopagite, but that may be a historical confusion.

Verse 28

  • "For in Him we live and move and have our being": is quoted from Cretica by Epimenides as found by J. Rendel Harris based on a 9th-century Syriac commentary by Isho'dad of Merv on the Acts of the Apostles.
  • "'For we are also His offspring'": Paul might take this quotation from either of two poets:
  • *Aratus, probably of Tarsus or Soli in Cilicia, thus Paul's countryman. The words are found in a didactic poem titled "Phenomena", comprising the main facts of astronomical and meteorological science at that time, starting with an invocation to Zeus.
  • *Cleanthes, of Assos in Mysia, who wrote in a hymn to Zeus.