THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 17a OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF chapter Acts 17:1-15 THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 17B I. OUTLINE OF chapter Acts 17:16-34 I. Paul In Thessalonica: Acts 17:1-10 II. Paul Among The Bereans: Acts 17:10-13 III. Paul Among The Athenians: Acts 17:14-34"T... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica" The use of the term "they" infers that Luke had remained in Philippi to work with that new congregation (Acts 16:10 "we"). Luke will once again join Paul in Acts 20:5. "Departing from Philippi, Paul and his part... [ Continue Reading ]
"And according to Paul's custom" His regular habit in preaching was to preach to the Jews first (Acts 13:14; Romans 1:16). "We may learn from Paul's methods some methods for evangelism in our own day. The evangelist will have or develop. prospect list, indicating what people are the nearest ready to... [ Continue Reading ]
"Explaining" He was unfolding the passages; make the passages plain and understandable for all. Compare this section with how Jesus taught in Luke 24:25. "And giving evidence" That is, to bring forth passages and use them as proof or to build. case, and what Paul is proving is found in the next stat... [ Continue Reading ]
"Some were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with. great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks" It looks like that. few Jews from the synagogue were persuaded ("some") but far more converts were gained among the God-fearing Gentiles. Such people were proselytes. The letter back to this congre... [ Continue Reading ]
"But the Jews becoming jealous" Repeatedly the Bible mentions Jewish jealousy as the reason why Jesus was executed and why the early Christians were persecuted (Acts 13:50). The jealousy appears to be connected with the fact that Paul and Silas through their preaching were taking families away from... [ Continue Reading ]
"When they did not find them" Paul and Silas were actually somewhere else. "They began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities" "Someone usually suffers the wrath of. mob like this; and since they did not find Paul and Silas, they pick on Jason and some Christians who happened t... [ Continue Reading ]
"And Jason has welcomed them" That is, Jason (who appears to be. well known person in the community), has been aiding and abetting such men. "They all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar" Notice the word all. They are "all" like this. "Saying that there is another king, Jesus" To this charge the c... [ Continue Reading ]
"And they stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things" The ironic thing is that the Jews and their thugs had actually caused more disturbance when they dragged Jason and the other Christians before the court, than Paul and Silas had caused. The citizens and rulers in this ci... [ Continue Reading ]
"And when they had received. pledge from Jason and the others, they released them" Apparently this pledge was in the form of. monetary bond or some other security they were forced to put up. Now Jason or any other Christian could never accept the condition that one must simply stop talking about Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
"By night" The new Christians here get Paul and Silas out of town at night, probably because Paul's enemies in Thessalonica would have still harmed him if they could find him. We are not sure how long Paul was in Thessalonica but he was here long enough to receive monetary support twice from the chu... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now these were more noble-minded" The word noble often means "well born" or "of noble birth". But here the word applies to. noble attitude. Unlike the Jews in Thessalonica who were only willing to listen to three sermons, the Jews in Berea were far more receptive to the gospel message. "For" This i... [ Continue Reading ]
"Many of them therefore believed" Because faith is the natural result of such an honest investigation (Romans 10:17). Please note that unbelievers or atheists are not produced by. honest investigation of the facts and the Scriptures, but Christians are produced. "Along with. number of prominent Gree... [ Continue Reading ]
"Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there likewise" The same evil zeal that characterized the unbelieving Jews on the first journey in Antioch and Iconium is also found among the Jews in Thessalonica. They claim that Paul is stirr... [ Continue Reading ]
"As far as the sea" The journey from Berea to the nearest seaport would have been around 20 miles. "Silas and Timothy remained there" The last time that Timothy was specifically mentioned, he was in Philippi (Acts 16:40). It was Paul's custom to leave someone with. new congregation for. while. Thus... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens" brethren escorted Paul to Athens. The distance between Berea to Athens by land was 250 miles, or about 12 days, but it was only. days by sea. "Receiving. command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible" Acts 18:5 will infor... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols"Paul waited for them at Athens" The word them refers to Timothy and Silas (Acts 17:15). "The distance between Berea and Athens by land is about 250 Roman miles; this would take about twe... [ Continue Reading ]
"So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him"Reasoned" "Paul was not. man to take. complete holiday from the main business of his life" (Bruce p. 349). The term reasoned means to "say thoroughly", and infers that Paul gave... [ Continue Reading ]
"And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be. setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection"Epicurean" Those who belonged to the school of philosophy founded by Epicurus... [ Continue Reading ]
"And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?"Took hold of him" Not in. hostile sense, but rather, escorted him. "Areopagus" Pronounced (air ee OP ah gus) (hill of Mars). "A limestone hill in Athens situated be... [ Continue Reading ]
"For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing)"Now" This is. statement that Luke adds to help the reader u... [ Continue Reading ]
"And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things,. perceive that ye are very religious"Paul stood" So that all could see and hear him. "In the midst of the areopagus" "The benches on which the judges sat formed three sides of. quadrangle, and in the midst of t... [ Continue Reading ]
"For as. passed along, and observed the objects of your worship,. found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this. set forth unto you"For as. passed along" Walking through the streets of your town. "Observed the objects of your worship" Thei... [ Continue Reading ]
"The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands"The God that made the world and all things therein" First, the true God is the Creator of the Universe (Genesis 1:1). Paul speaks of God (singular). In contrast to the pag... [ Continue Reading ]
"neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things"Neither is He served by men's hands, as though He needed anything" Paul is not saying that men cannot serve Him or that God does not want people to serve Him (Galatian... [ Continue Reading ]
"and He made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation"He made of one" The particular one was Adam. Paul again finds himself contradicting the theory of Evolution. Paul agrees with the Genesis recor... [ Continue Reading ]
"that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us"That they should seek God" This is the reason why God created mankind (Ecclesiastes 2:13). "What is the greatest good? It is not pleasure (as the Epicureans taught) nor apathy (as th... [ Continue Reading ]
"for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring"For" Expanding upon the last statement made. "In Him we live, and move, and have our being" Indicating that God is concerned about every person (2 Peter 3:9). Everyone is dep... [ Continue Reading ]
"Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man"Godhead" The Divine nature, "Lit., that which is divine" (Vincent p. 545). Paul is trying to get the Athenians to contemplate the real nature of God. Paul'... [ Continue Reading ]
"The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent"The times of ignorance" The times previous to the preaching of the gospel. "God overlooked" Paul is not saying that ignorance was an excuse or that before Gentiles hear the gospel they... [ Continue Reading ]
"inasmuch as He hath appointed. day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" "Inasmuch" Or, "because".. number of motivations for repentance exist, but one of them is th... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again"Some mocked" "Sneered" (Mof). "Laughed outright" (Phi). "Laugh ironically" (Rieu). Neither party (Epicurean or Stoic) believed in the resurrection of anyone, not to mention... [ Continue Reading ]
"Thus Paul went out from among them. But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and. woman named Damaris, and others with them"But certain men clave unto him, and believed" Various writers have suggested that Paul's efforts in Athens virtually amounte... [ Continue Reading ]