Acts Chapter 17
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
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saying,
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I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles,
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That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
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And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region.
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But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders.
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But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
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And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.
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But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren.
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Long time therefore they tarried
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there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
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But the multitude of the city was divided; and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
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And when there was made an onset both of the Gentiles and of the Jews with their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them,
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they became aware of it, and fled unto the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the region round about:
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and there they preached the gospel.
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And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.
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The same heard Paul speaking: who, fastening his eyes upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,
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said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked.
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And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
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And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.
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And the priest of Jupiter whose
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temple was before the city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the multitudes.
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But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their garments, and sprang forth among the multitude, crying out
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and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
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who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways.
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And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
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And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them.
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But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
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But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe.
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And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch,
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confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.
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And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
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And they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And having journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews.
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And according to Paul's custom he went in among them, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures,
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opening and laying down that the Christ must have suffered and risen up from among the dead, and that this is the Christ, Jesus whom I announce to you.
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And some of them believed, and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and of the Greeks who worshipped, a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
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But the Jews having been stirred up to jealousy, and taken to [themselves] certain wicked men of the lowest rabble, and having got a crowd together, set the city in confusion; and having beset the house of Jason sought to bring them out to the people;
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and not having found them, dragged Jason and certain brethren before the politarchs, crying out, These [men] that have set the world in tumult, are come here also,
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whom Jason has received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, that there is another king, Jesus.
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And they troubled the crowd and the politarchs when they heard these things.
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And having taken security of Jason and the rest, they let them go.
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But the brethren immediately sent away, in the night, Paul and Silas to Berea; who, being arrived, went away into the synagogue of the Jews.
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And these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, receiving the word with all readiness of mind, daily searching the scriptures if these things were so.
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Therefore many from among them believed, and of Grecian women of the upper classes and men not a few.
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But when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that the word ofGod was announced in Berea also by Paul, they came there also, stirring up the crowds.
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And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as to the sea; but Silas and Timotheus abode there.
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But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and, having received a commandment to Silas and Timotheus, that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
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But in Athens, while Paul was waiting for them, his spirit was painfully excited in him seeing the city given up to idolatry.
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He reasoned therefore in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped, and in the market-place every day with those he met with.
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But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection [to them].
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And having taken hold on him they brought [him] to Areopagus, saying, Might we know what this new doctrine which is spoken by thee [is]?
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For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We wish therefore to know what these things may mean.
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Now all [the] Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else than to tell and to hear the news.
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And Paul standing in the midst of Areopagus said, Athenians, in every way I see you given up to demon worship;
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for, passing through and beholding your shrines, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, To the unknownGod. Whom therefore ye reverence, not knowing [him], him I announce to you.
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TheGod who has made the world and all things which are in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,
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nor is served by men's hands as needing something, himself giving to all life and breath and all things;
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and has made of one blood every nation of men to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, having determined ordained times and the boundaries of their dwelling,
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that they may seekGod; if indeed they might feel after him and find him, although he is not far from each one of us:
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for in him we live and move and exist; as also some of the poets amongst you have said, For we are also his offspring.
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Being therefore [the] offspring ofGod, we ought not to think that which is divine to be like gold or silver or stone, [the] graven form of man's art and imagination.
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God therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now enjoins men that they shall all everywhere repent,
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because he has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by [the] man whom he has appointed, giving the proof [of it] to all [in] having raised him from among [the] dead.
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And when they heard [of the] resurrection of the dead, some mocked, and some said, We will hear thee again also concerning this.
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Thus Paul went out of their midst.
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But some men joining themselves to him believed; among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman by name Damaris, and others with them.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Cum autem perambulassent Amphipolim, et Apolloniam, venerunt Thessalonicam, ubi erat synagoga Iudæorum.
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Secundum consuetudinem autem Paulus introivit ad eos, et per sabbata tria disserebat eis de Scripturis,
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adaperiens et insinuans quia Christum oportuit pati, et resurgere a mortuis: et quia hic est Iesus Christus, quem ego annuncio vobis.
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Et quidam ex eis crediderunt, et adiuncti sunt Paulo, et Silæ, et de colentibus, Gentilibusque multitudo magna, et mulieres nobiles non paucæ.
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Zelantes autem Iudæi, assumentesque de vulgo viros quosdam malos, et turba facta, concitaverunt civitatem: et assistentes domui Iasonis quærebant eos producere in populum.
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Et cum non invenissent eos, trahebant Iasonem, et quosdam fratres ad principes civitatis, clamantes: Quoniam hi, qui Urbem concitant, et huc venerunt,
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quos suscepit Iason, et hi omnes contra decreta Cæsaris faciunt, regem alium dicentes esse, Iesum.
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Concitaverunt autem plebem, et principes civitatis audientes hæc.
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Et accepta satisfactione a Iasone, et a ceteris, dimiserunt eos.
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Fratres vero confestim per noctem dimiserunt Paulum, et Silam in Berœam. Qui cum venissent, in synagogam Iudæorum introierunt.
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Hi autem erant nobiliores eorum, qui sunt Thessalonicæ, qui susceperunt verbum cum omni aviditate, quotidie scrutantes Scripturas, si hæc ita se haberent.
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Et multi quidem crediderunt ex eis, et mulierum Gentilium honestarum, et viri non pauci.
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Cum autem cognovissent in Thessalonica Iudæi, quia et Berœæ prædicatum est a Paulo verbum Dei, venerunt et illuc commoventes, et turbantes multitudinem.
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Statimque tunc Paulum dimiserunt fratres, ut iret usque ad mare: Silas autem, et Timotheus remanserunt ibi.
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Qui autem deducebant Paulum, perduxerunt eum usque Athenas, et accepto mandato ab eo ad Silam, et Timotheum ut quam celeriter venirent ad illum, profecti sunt.
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Paulus autem cum Athenis eos exspectaret, incitabatur spiritus eius in ipso, videns idololatriæ deditam civitatem.
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Disputabat igitur in synagoga cum Iudæis, et colentibus, et in foro, per omnes dies ad eos, qui aderant.
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Quidam autem Epicurei, et Stoici philosophi disserebant cum eo, et quidam dicebant: Quid vult seminiverbius hic, dicere? Alii vero: Novorum dæmoniorum videtur annunciator esse: quia Iesum, et resurrectionem annunciabat eis.
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Et apprehensum eum ad Areopagum duxerunt, dicentes: Possumus scire quæ est hæc nova, quæ a te dicitur, doctrina?
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nova enim quædam infers auribus nostris: Volumus ergo scire quidnam velint hæc esse.
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(Athenienses autem omnes, et advenæ hospites, ad nihil aliud vacabant nisi aut dicere, aut audire aliquid novi.)
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Stans autem Paulus in medio Areopagi, ait: Viri Athenienses per omnia quasi superstitiosiores vos video.
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Præteriens enim, et videns simulacra vestra, inveni et aram, in qua scriptum erat: IGNOTO DEO. Quod ergo ignorantes colitis, hoc ego annuncio vobis.
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Deus, qui fecit mundum, et omnia quæ in eo sunt, hic cæli et terræ cum sit Dominus, non in manufactis templis habitat,
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nec manibus humanis colitur indigens aliquo, cum ipse det omnibus vitam, et inspirationem, et omnia:
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fecitque ex uno omne genus hominum inhabitare super universam faciem terræ, definiens statuta tempora, et terminos habitationis eorum,
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quærere Deum si forte attrectent eum, aut inveniant, quamvis non longe sit ab unoquoque nostrum.
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In ipso enim vivimus, et movemur, et sumus: sicut et quidam vestrorum Poetarum dixerunt: Ipsius enim et genus sumus.
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Genus ergo cum simus Dei, non debemus æstimare auro, aut argento, aut lapidi, sculpturæ artis, et cogitationis hominis, Divinum esse simile.
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Et tempora quidem huius ignorantiæ despiciens Deus, nunc annunciat hominibus ut omnes ubique pœnitentiam agant,
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eo quod statuit diem, in quo iudicaturus est orbem in æquitate, in viro, in quo statuit, fidem præbens omnibus, suscitans eum a mortuis.
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Cum audissent autem resurrectionem mortuorum, quidam quidem irridebant, quidam vero dixerunt: Audiemus te de hoc iterum.
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Sic Paulus exivit de medio eorum.
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Quidam vero viri adhærentes ei, crediderunt: in quibus et Dionysius Areopagita, et mulier nomine Damaris, et alii cum eis.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
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Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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,
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whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!”
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The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.
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When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
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The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
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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.
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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.
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Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
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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.
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Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.
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So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.
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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.
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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?
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For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.”
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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.
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Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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,
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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.
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‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
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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.
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The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
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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.”
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Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”
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Thus Paul went out from among them.
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But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
wh1881 (wh1881) - Westcott-Hort Greek NT 1881 eBible USFM
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διοδευσαντες δε την αμφιπολιν και την απολλωνιαν ηλθον εις θεσσαλονικην οπου ην συναγωγη των ιουδαιων
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κατα δε το ειωθος τω παυλω εισηλθεν προς αυτους και επι σαββατα τρια διελεξατο αυτοις απο των γραφων
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διανοιγων και παρατιθεμενος οτι τον χριστον εδει παθειν και αναστηναι εκ νεκρων και οτι ουτος εστιν ο χριστος ο ιησους ον εγω καταγγελλω υμιν
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και τινες εξ αυτων επεισθησαν και προσεκληρωθησαν τω παυλω και [τω] σιλα των τε σεβομενων ελληνων πληθος πολυ γυναικων τε των πρωτων ουκ ολιγαι
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ζηλωσαντες δε οι ιουδαιοι και προσλαβομενοι των αγοραιων ανδρας τινας πονηρους και οχλοποιησαντες εθορυβουν την πολιν και επισταντες τη οικια ιασονος εζητουν αυτους προαγαγειν εις τον δημον
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μη ευροντες δε αυτους εσυρον ιασονα και τινας αδελφους επι τους πολιταρχας βοωντες οτι οι την οικουμενην αναστατωσαντες ουτοι και ενθαδε παρεισιν
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ους υποδεδεκται ιασων και ουτοι παντες απεναντι των δογματων καισαρος πρασσουσιν βασιλεα ετερον λεγοντες ειναι ιησουν
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εταραξαν δε τον οχλον και τους πολιταρχας ακουοντας ταυτα
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και λαβοντες το ικανον παρα του ιασονος και των λοιπων απελυσαν αυτους
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οι δε αδελφοι ευθεως δια νυκτος εξεπεμψαν τον τε παυλον και τον σιλαν εις βεροιαν οιτινες παραγενομενοι εις την συναγωγην των ιουδαιων απηεσαν
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ουτοι δε ησαν ευγενεστεροι των εν θεσσαλονικη οιτινες εδεξαντο τον λογον μετα πασης προθυμιας [το] καθ ημεραν ανακρινοντες τας γραφας ει εχοι ταυτα ουτως
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πολλοι μεν ουν εξ αυτων επιστευσαν και των ελληνιδων γυναικων των ευσχημονων και ανδρων ουκ ολιγοι
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ως δε εγνωσαν οι απο της θεσσαλονικης ιουδαιοι οτι και εν τη βεροια κατηγγελη υπο του παυλου ο λογος του θεου ηλθον κακει σαλευοντες και ταρασσοντες τους οχλους
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ευθεως δε τοτε τον παυλον εξαπεστειλαν οι αδελφοι πορευεσθαι εως επι την θαλασσαν υπεμειναν τε ο τε σιλας και ο τιμοθεος εκει
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οι δε καθιστανοντες τον παυλον ηγαγον εως αθηνων και λαβοντες εντολην προς τον σιλαν και τον τιμοθεον ινα ως ταχιστα ελθωσιν προς αυτον εξηεσαν
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εν δε ταις αθηναις εκδεχομενου αυτους του παυλου παρωξυνετο το πνευμα αυτου εν αυτω θεωρουντος κατειδωλον ουσαν την πολιν
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διελεγετο μεν ουν εν τη συναγωγη τοις ιουδαιοις και τοις σεβομενοις και εν τη αγορα κατα πασαν ημεραν προς τους παρατυγχανοντας
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τινες δε και των επικουρειων και στωικων φιλοσοφων συνεβαλλον αυτω και τινες ελεγον τι αν θελοι ο σπερμολογος ουτος λεγειν οι δε ξενων δαιμονιων δοκει καταγγελευς ειναι οτι τον ιησουν και την αναστασιν ευηγγελιζετο
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επιλαβομενοι δε αυτου επι τον αρειον παγον ηγαγον λεγοντες δυναμεθα γνωναι τις η καινη αυτη [η] υπο σου λαλουμενη διδαχη
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ξενιζοντα γαρ τινα εισφερεις εις τας ακοας ημων βουλομεθα ουν γνωναι τινα θελει ταυτα ειναι
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αθηναιοι δε παντες και οι επιδημουντες ξενοι εις ουδεν ετερον ηυκαιρουν η λεγειν τι η ακουειν τι καινοτερον
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σταθεις δε παυλος εν μεσω του αρειου παγου εφη ανδρες αθηναιοι κατα παντα ως δεισιδαιμονεστερους υμας θεωρω
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διερχομενος γαρ και αναθεωρων τα σεβασματα υμων ευρον και βωμον εν ω επεγεγραπτο αγνωστω θεω ο ουν αγνοουντες ευσεβειτε τουτο εγω καταγγελλω υμιν
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ο θεος ο ποιησας τον κοσμον και παντα τα εν αυτω ουτος ουρανου και γης υπαρχων κυριος ουκ εν χειροποιητοις ναοις κατοικει
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ουδε υπο χειρων ανθρωπινων θεραπευεται προσδεομενος τινος αυτος διδους πασιν ζωην και πνοην και τα παντα
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εποιησεν τε εξ ενος παν εθνος ανθρωπων κατοικειν επι παντος προσωπου της γης ορισας προστεταγμενους καιρους και τας οροθεσιας της κατοικιας αυτων
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ζητειν τον θεον ει αρα γε ψηλαφησειαν αυτον και ευροιεν και γε ου μακραν απο ενος εκαστου ημων υπαρχοντα
28
εν αυτω γαρ ζωμεν και κινουμεθα και εσμεν ως και τινες των καθ υμας ποιητων ειρηκασιν του γαρ και γενος εσμεν
29
γενος ουν υπαρχοντες του θεου ουκ οφειλομεν νομιζειν χρυσω η αργυρω η λιθω χαραγματι τεχνης και ενθυμησεως ανθρωπου το θειον ειναι ομοιον
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τους μεν ουν χρονους της αγνοιας υπεριδων ο θεος τα νυν απαγγελλει τοις ανθρωποις παντας πανταχου μετανοειν
31
καθοτι εστησεν ημεραν εν η μελλει κρινειν την οικουμενην εν δικαιοσυνη εν ανδρι ω ωρισεν πιστιν παρασχων πασιν αναστησας αυτον εκ νεκρων
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ακουσαντες δε αναστασιν νεκρων οι μεν εχλευαζον οι δε ειπαν ακουσομεθα σου περι τουτου και παλιν
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ουτως ο παυλος εξηλθεν εκ μεσου αυτων
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τινες δε ανδρες κολληθεντες αυτω επιστευσαν εν οις και διονυσιος [ο] αρεοπαγιτης και γυνη ονοματι δαμαρις και ετεροι συν αυτοις
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
And having passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews,
2
and according to the custom of Paul, he went in unto them, and for three sabbaths he was reasoning with them from the Writings,
3
opening and alleging, `That the Christ it behoved to suffer, and to rise again out of the dead, and that this is the Christ--Jesus whom I proclaim to you.'
4
And certain of them did believe, and attached themselves to Paul and to Silas, also of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude, of the principal women also not a few.
5
And the unbelieving Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken to them of the loungers certain evil men, and having made a crowd, were setting the city in an uproar; having assailed also the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring <FI>them<Fi> to the populace,
6
and not having found them, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the city rulers, calling aloud--`These, having put the world in commotion, are also here present,
7
whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying another to be king--Jesus.'
8
And they troubled the multitude and the city rulers, hearing these things,
9
and having taking security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10
And the brethren immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went to the synagogue of the Jews;
11
and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all readiness of mind, every day examining the Writings whether those things were so;
12
many, indeed, therefore, of them did believe, and of the honourable Greek women and men not a few.
13
And when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that also in Berea was the word of God declared by Paul, they came thither also, agitating the multitudes;
14
and then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul, to go on as it were to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy were remaining there.
15
And those conducting Paul, brought him unto Athens, and having received a command unto Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come unto him, they departed;
16
and Paul waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, beholding the city wholly given to idolatry,
17
therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshipping persons, and in the market-place every day with those who met with him.
18
And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, `What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, `Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,
19
having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought <FI>him<Fi> , saying, `Are we able to know what <FI>is<Fi> this new teaching that is spoken by thee,
20
for certain strange things thou dost bring to our ears? we wish, then, to know what these things would wish to be;'
21
and all Athenians, and the strangers sojourning, for nothing else were at leisure but to say something, and to hear some newer thing.
22
And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;
23
for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God--unknown; whom, therefore--not knowing--ye do worship, this One I announce to you.
24
`God, who did make the world, and all things in it, this One, of heaven and of earth being Lord, in temples made with hands doth not dwell,
25
neither by the hands of men is He served--needing anything, He giving to all life, and breath, and all things;
26
He made also of one blood every nation of men, to dwell upon all the face of the earth--having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings--
27
to seek the Lord, if perhaps they did feel after Him and find, --though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us,
28
for in Him we live, and move, and are; as also certain of your poets have said: For of Him also we are offspring.
29
`Being, therefore, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, graving of art and device of man;
30
the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,
31
because He did set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He did ordain, having given assurance to all, having raised him out of the dead.'
32
And having heard of a rising again of the dead, some, indeed, were mocking, but others said, `We will hear thee again concerning this;'
33
and so Paul went forth from the midst of them,
34
and certain men having cleaved to him, did believe, among whom <FI>is<Fi> also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman, by name Damaris, and others with them.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).