Acts 17:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
A. \\#13:1-14:28\\ The First Missionary Journey
1. \\#13:1-3\\ The Calling
2. \\#13:4\\ Seleucia
3. \\#13:5-12\\ Cyprus
4. \\#13:13\\ Perga in Pamphylia
5. \\#13:14-52\\ Antioch of Pisidia
6. \\#14:1-5\\ Iconium
7. \\#14:6-19\\ Lystra
8. \\#14:21\\ Debra
9. \\#14:22-25\\ Retracing the Journey
10. \\#14:25\\ Attalia
11. \\#14:26-28\\ Antioch of Syria
B. \\#15:1-35\\ Judaism or Grace
1. \\#15:1-3\\ The Issue
2. \\#15:4-29\\ The Council At Jerusalem
3. \\#15:30-35\\ The return to Antioch
C. \\#15:36-18:22\\ Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
1. \\#15:36-40\\ Problems in Preparation
2. \\#15:41\\ Syria and Cilicia
3. \\#16:1-5\\ Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium
4. \\#16:6-9\\ "they had gone throughout"
5. \\#16:11-40\\ On to Philippi
6. \\#17:1-9\\ Thessalonica
7. \\#17:10-14\\ Berea
8. \\#17:15-34\\ Athens
\\#15:36-18:22\\ Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
I. \\#1\\ "passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia" - No record of
ministry is mentioned, it is very likely that Paul preached here.
Map
II. \\#1-9\\ Thessalonica Map
A. \\#17:1-3\\ The Place - "a synagogue …went in"
1. Although Paul was a missionary to the Gentiles, he always
started with the Jews.
2. \\#2\\ This was Paul’s "manner" or custom.
3. Paul reasoned with the Jews "three sabbath days," meaning
that Paul was there about three weeks before the city
erupted as the story will reveal.
4. \\#3\\ "Opening and alleging"
a. Paul opened the Bible, their minds, understanding
concerning Jesus and what He had done.
b. And he alleged (reported and maintained)…
(1) …that Christ (the promised Messiah) must:
(a) suffer
(b) rise from the dead
(2) "and that …Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is
Christ."
B. \\#4\\ The Results
1. "some believed and consorted with Paul and Silas" - Some
from within the Jewish synagogue accepted Jesus as their
Savior, accepting and fellowshipping with Paul and Silas.
2. "and of the devout Greeks a great multitude" - This must
refer to the Gentile proselytes. It seems that even
though the Jews were not evangelistic, their view of the
monotheistic God had been attractive to many Gentiles.
Now many of them turn to Jesus.
3. "of the chief women not a few" - And there was a
substantial number of influential women in the city who
also believed.
C. \\#5-9\\ The Opposition - There was always opposition.
1. \\#5\\ "the Jews which believed not"
a. The opposition seemed to always arise from the
unbelieving Jews.
b. "moved with envy" - And envy seems to ALWAYS be the
reason the Jews reject Jesus. It was not for reasons
of theology or logic but rather that they could not
tolerate Gentiles accepting their Jewish Messiah.
c. "took unto them certain of the lewd …baser sort"
It is strange how they would not have moral Gentiles
worship with them but would gladly have immoral
Gentiles work with them!
d. "set all the city in an uproar" - The Jews were not
without influence in these Gentile cities. They were
often able to move the entire city to turn against
the Christians.
2. \\#5-7\\ Misdirected Anger
a. \\#5\\ "sought to bring them" - Paul, Silas, or any
leaders of their company.
b. \\#6\\ "found them not, they drew Jason and certain
brethren" - Not finding the leaders, they turned on
Jason, who had housed them \\#7\\.
c. \\#6-7\\ False Charges
(1) \\#6\\ "These have turned the world upside down"
What a compliment!
(2) \\#7\\ "these all do contrary to the decrees of
Caesar" - Only in that they revealed that Caesar
was no god.
(3) "saying that there is another king, one Jesus" -
While Jesus is King, Paul and Silas never set
Jesus against Caesar.
3. \\#8-9\\ The Consequences
a. \\#8\\ "they troubled the people and the rulers"
This news troubled the city. To oppose Caesar meant
a painful death.
b. \\#9\\ "whey they had taken security …they let them
go" - The idea is that they took some sort of bond
or financial security. What could have been taken
that would be worth the possible wrath of Caesar is
not known. But having done so, they let Jason and
any others brought with him go.
III. \\#17:10-14\\ Berea
A. \\#10\\ "the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas"
1. It is good to see that the hearts of the new converts were
concerned for their mentors.
2. While others may have been travelling with them, "Paul and
Silas" were the main team.
Ac 20:4 And there accompanied him into Asia
Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians,
Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe,
and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and
Trophimus.
3. Luke did not mention himself. It may be that Paul had
sent him else where.
B. "Berea" - Not much is known of the city from that time except
that it continued for centuries to come. In fact, it still
exists today but under a different name.
1. "went into the synagogue of the Jews" - Paul went first
into the Jewish synagogue to preach to the Jews.
2. \\#11\\ "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica"
Luke was speaking of the Jews in that city. At last some
Jews who were willing to consider that their Messiah had
come!
3. "in that they received the word" - The "word" is the
gospel.
4. "with all readiness of mind" - They were open to the
possibility of the gospel, that Messiah had come.
5. "and searched the scriptures daily" - And verified the
prophecies that Paul and Silas were claiming that Jesus
had fulfilled. The people had no way to verify that
Jesus had fulfilled these prophecies. For that, they
would have to trust Paul, Silas, and any others who
brought news to them about Jesus.
6. \\#12\\ "Therefore many of them believed"
a. Many of the Jews believed.
b. "honourable women" - This is the second time this
term has been used \\#Acts 13:50\\. Both times it
refers to "Greek" women, non Jews, who trusted
Christ.
c. "and of men, not a few" - And Gentile men.
7. \\#13\\ "Jews of Thessalonica …came thither …stirred
up the people." - The straight distance between the two
cities was about 40 miles.
a. Since there were not a lot of cities in those days, it
probably did not take long for word to get back to
Thessalonica.
b. The devil seemed to have settled on a method for
hindering the church. He brought discontented Jews
from one city to the next.
c. No matter how many came to know Christ, there were
always many who could be turned against Christianity.
8. \\#14\\ "And then immediately" - Those saved in Berea,
along with those who accompanied Paul, decided not to
wait for another near-death experience. They wanted Paul
to leave town immediately.
9. "Silas and Timotheus abode there still"
a. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea awhile longer.
b. This is an example of what I believe happened often.
Paul split up those who were with him, seeking to
accomplish the most good with those who were helping
in the ministry.
IV. \\#17:15-34\\ Athens
A.\\#15\\ The Journey
1. Images
a. Map
b. Mars Hill
2. "they that conducted Paul" - Paul was not sent alone but
some from Berea went with him.
3. Athens
a. Athens was a port city in Greece, having three ports.
b. It was a chief city in Greece and capital of Attica,
the state of which Athens was a part.
c. The straight line distance from Berea to Athens was
around 200 miles, but it is likely that they sailed
most of the journey.
4. Those who had accompanied Paul were instructed to send
Silas and Timothy to him when they returned.
B. \\#16-31\\ Paul’s Ministry
1. \\#16-17\\ "his spirit was stirred" - Paul was not able to
wait for the Silas and Timothy to start preaching,
especially when he saw "the city wholly given to
idolatry."
a. \\#17\\ "Therefore disputed he in the synagogue" - He
started preaching to the Jews and "devout persons,"
the Gentile proselytes.
b. "and in the market place daily"
2. \\#18-21\\ "philosophers" - The intellectuals and thinkers
of the city.
a. "Epicureans" - Followers of one Epicurus (341-270 BC).
The philosophy that pleasure is to be sought by
living modestly and doing good. Spiritually, they
did not accept a god as being divine.
b. "Stoicks" - Followers of one Zeno (300BC) who reject
pleasure. They also reject God, believing that all
things are material.
c. Their lack of faith is seen in their question, "What
will this BABBLER say?"
(1) "strange gods" - By strange they meant new or
different. The Bible does present a different
God, One not corrupt or corruptible who cares
for humans enough to send His Son to die for
them.
(2) "he preached …Jesus and the resurrection" - The
gospel Paul preached was Jesus!
d. \\#19-21\\ "they took him …unto Areopagus"
(1) The word is a joining of two Greek words meaning
a "big piece of rock." Unless something was
built on it, it appears to be a large, marble
slab used as a meeting place for legal and civil
matters.
(2) \\#19\\ "May we know…?" - There does not appear
to have been any charges brought against Paul.
The people brought him there to hold an official
inquiry.
(3) \\#21\\ (For all the Athenians …spent their
time …to tell, or to hear some new thing." It
would seem that some regions of the world were
very wealthy and did not need to WORK much for a
living.
3. \\#22-31\\ Paul’s Sermon
a. \\#22\\ "Mars Hill" - Appears to be another name for
Areopagus.
b. \\#22-23\\ "superstitious …to the unknown god"
(1) Paul charged the people with being too
superstitious; that is, they saw God where He
was not.
(2) Most likely, the hill was covered with false
idols. Above all of them, someone had dedicated
an idol to any gods forgotten or unknown.
(3) "him declare I unto you." - Paul would use that
idol to make them aware of Jehovah.
c. \\#24-31\\ Who is this unknown God?
(1) \\#24\\ He is the "God that made the world and
all things therein."
(2) He is "Lord of heaven and earth."
(3) He "dwelleth not in temples."
(4) \\#25\\ "Neither is worshipped with men’s hands"
That is He is not contained in any idol because
He does not need "any thing" to sustain Him,
"seeing he giveth to all life, and breath"; that
is, seeing He sustains all things.
(5) \\#26\\ It is He who "hath made of one blood all
nations." - He is the God who from Adam and Eve
formed all the nations.
(6) He has "determined the times ..and the bounds of
their habitation" - God is the One who
determines what nations will live, when they
will live, and where they will live.
(7) \\#27-28\\ "that they should seek the Lord"
(a) He it is that wants to be sought after and
found, who is never far away.
(b) \\#28\\ "For in him we live, and move, and
have our being" - We live and do by this
God’s favour.
(8) \\#28-29\\ "your own poets have said, ‘For we are
also his offspring"
(a) Paul quoted a Greek poet. The exact phrase
is found in several Greek writings.
(b) The fact that Paul is quoting the statement
means there is some truth to it. We are
God’s offspring in that we are created by
Him, but that does not make us "saved." As
Paul goes on to state, we must accept God’s
Son as Savior.
(c) \\#29-31\\ "we ought not to think that the
Godhead is …gold, or silver, or stone"
i. This logic flows from the fact that a
child resembles his parents. If we
are God’s "offspring," God cannot be
a rock, mineral, or metal.
ii. "Godhead" - This is a term that refers
to the nature of God. Paul was saying
that God’s nature cannot be found by
worshipping the things that God had
created.
iii. \\#30\\ "the times of this ignorance
God winked at" - God had been
merciful, not reeking justice on every
inhabitant who sought God through
idols.
A. Paul was not saying that God did
not hold idol worshippers as
sinless, for He did and does.
B. He was saying that God had not
always immediately judged them.
iv. "but now commandeth all men every where
to repent" - But by calling
missionaries to bring the gospel, God
was commanding informing all that
idolatry was wrong and commanding them
to turn from it to Jesus Christ as the
Source for finding God.
v. \\#31\\ "he hath appointed a day
…judge the world …by that man"
God had appointed the day of judgment
when all will stand before Jesus.
4. \\#32-34\\ The Response
a. \\#32\\ "some mocked" - Not believing in the
resurrection of the dead. This is not surprising
as the Stoicks did not believe in anything more than
what they could see, touch, feel, smell, and hear.
b. "We will hear thee again of this matter" - Some were
curious enough to listen more.
c. \\#34\\ "certain men clave" - But some believed and
devoted themselves to helping Paul spread the gospel.
(1) "Dionysius the Areopagite"
(2) "a woman named Damaris"
(3) "and others with them."
d. \\#33\\ "So Paul departed" - Not immediately from
Athens but from Mars Hill. He was not being held.
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