Paul and Silas preached in Thessalonica and Berea
(Acts 17)

After Paul and Silas left Philippi, they traveled to a big city called Thessalonica. As was his custom, Paul went to the Jewish synagogue. For three Sabbaths, he reasoned with the people from the Scriptures. He opened the scrolls and explained what was written about the Messiah. Paul showed them that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He declared, "This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Messiah."

Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great number of God-fearing Greeks and many prominent women. But other Jews became jealous. They rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace and formed a mob. They started a riot in the city and rushed to Jason's house, where Paul and Silas were staying. When they couldn't find the missionaries, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials. They shouted, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, and Jason has welcomed them!" The crowd accused them of defying Caesar's decrees by saying there is another king, named Jesus. The officials were troubled but eventually let Jason and the others go after they posted bail.

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to a nearby town called Berea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue again. The Berean Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of them believed, including a number of prominent Greek women and men. The Bereans didn't just take Paul's word for it—they checked God's Word for themselves to make sure the teachings were accurate.

But when the Jews from Thessalonica heard that Paul was preaching in Berea, they came and stirred up the crowds again. The believers quickly sent Paul to the coast, while Silas and Timothy stayed behind. Paul was taken to Athens, a city full of idols. He was deeply distressed to see the city filled with statues of false gods. He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some philosophers debated him, calling him a "babbler" because he was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection. They brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, a council of thinkers, and asked, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?"

Paul stood up before them and said, "People of Athens! I see that you are very religious in every way. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you." Paul explained that the God who made the world and everything in it does not live in temples built by human hands. He gives everyone life and breath and everything else. He made all the nations from one man so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. Paul told them that in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He gave proof of this to everyone by raising Jesus from the dead. When they heard about the resurrection, some mocked, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." A few men became followers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. The good news continued to spread, even in the face of opposition and disbelief.