12. Many of them put their faith in the Lord, including some important Greek women and several men.
13. When the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica heard that Paul had been preaching God's message in Berea, they went there and caused trouble by turning the crowds against Paul.
14. Straight away the followers sent Paul down to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.
15. Some men went with Paul as far as Athens, and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
16. While Paul was waiting in Athens, he was upset to see all the idols in the city.
17. He went to the Jewish meeting place to speak to the Jews and to anyone who worshipped with them. Day after day he also spoke to everyone he met in the market.
18. Some of them were Epicureans and some were Stoics, and they started arguing with him.People were asking, “What is this know-all trying to say?”Some even said, “Paul must be preaching about foreign gods! That's what he means when he talks about Jesus and about people rising from death.”
19. They brought Paul before a council called the Areopagus, and said, “Tell us what your new teaching is all about.
20. We have heard you say some strange things, and we want to know what you mean.”
21. More than anything else the people of Athens and the foreigners living there loved to hear and to talk about anything new.
22. So Paul stood up in front of the council and said:People of Athens, I see that you are very religious.
23. As I was going through your city and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar with the words, “To an Unknown God.” You worship this God, but you don't really know him. So I want to tell you about him.
24. This God made the world and everything in it. He is Lord of heaven and earth, and he doesn't live in temples built by human hands.
25. He doesn't need help from anyone. He gives life, breath, and everything else to all people.
26. From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be.
27. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us,