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Paul in Thessalonica and Berea (1–14). Paul in Athens (15–34) Acts 17:1. Having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. "Amphipolis" is an Athenian colony, at that time the main city of the first district of Macedonia, on the river Strymon, southwest of Philippi. “Apoloni I” is a small city southwest of Amphipolis, then classified as part of the Macedonian province of Mygdonia. “Thessalonica” or Solun (formerly Fermi) is the main city of the second district of Macedonia, on the Thermaean Gulf of the Aegean Sea, the residence of the Roman praetor, a trading city and densely populated. There were a lot of Jews here, and there was also a synagogue. Acts 17:2. Paul, as was his custom, went in to them and spoke to them from the Scriptures for three Sabbaths, "As usual". Wherever Paul went to preach, he first of all addressed the Jews, and only then the Gentiles (cf. Acts 13:46, 14, etc.). “He entered them,” that is, into the synagogue. Acts 17:3. revealing and proving to them that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that this Christ is Jesus, whom I preach to you. “The writer presented only the essence of the conversation, so he is not verbose and does not present Paul’s entire speeches everywhere” (Chrysostom). Acts 17:4. And some of them believed and joined Paul and Silas, both of the Greeks who worship God, a great multitude, and of the noble women not a few. Among those who believed, under the influence of Paul's preaching, in addition to the Jews, were many “Greeks who honor” God, that is, proselytes, to which the women mentioned here probably belonged. Acts 17:5. But the disbelieving Jews, having become jealous and taking some worthless people from the square, gathered in a crowd and disturbed the city and, approaching the house of Jason, tried to bring them out to the people. Who Jason was, with whom the apostles apparently stayed, is unknown: since the Jews of the Diaspora willingly adopted Greek names for themselves, it could have been a Hellenistic Jew or a purebred Hellenic proselyte, in both cases believing in Christ, although this is not clearly stated. Acts 17:6. Not finding them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers to the city leaders, shouting that these world-wide troublemakers had come here too, Acts 17:7. and Jason received them, and they all act against the commandments of Caesar, considering another king, Jesus. Not finding the apostles in Jason’s house, who had probably left in advance, the crowd drags Jason himself and some believing brothers to trial, accusing him of giving shelter to the “disturbers” of the universe - an exaggeration expressing the extreme excitement of the crowd and hatred of the preachers of the Gospel and all Christians. To better succeed their accusations, embittered Jews color them politically - a technique so successfully used on Jesus (John 19 et al.) - declaring that Christians honor Jesus as king, not Caesar of Rome. Acts 17:9. But these, having received a certificate from Jason and the others, released them. “But..., having received the certificate” - καί λαβόντες τό ικανόν, - glorified: “having taken enough” - having taken enough, i.e., apparently, money as bail or a fine, and even more correctly - having received sufficient information that the accused are not at all criminals against the Tsar’s Majesty, but the very peaceful people. Acts 17:10. The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas by night to Berea, where they arrived and went to the synagogue of the Jews. Nevertheless, the brethren sent Paul and Silas at night to Berea, in view of the fact that excitement could flare up every minute with new force. Veria is a city southwest of Thessalonica, in the third part of Macedonia (the main city of which was Pella) and on its southernmost border. Acts 17:11. The people here were more thoughtful than those in Thessalonica: they accepted the word with all zeal, daily examining the Scriptures to see if this was exactly so. “The people here were more generous than those of Thessalonica...” - Greek: οῦτοι δέ ῆσαν ευγενέστεροι, - glorified: “most noble” - nobler, in character and mood of spirit. “Is this exactly so...”, that is, as Paul preached. Acts 17:12. And many of them believed, and there were quite a few of the Greek honorable women and men. Acts 17:13. But when the Thessalonian Jews learned that Paul had preached the word of God in Berea, they came there too, stirring up and disturbing the people. Acts 17:14. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul away, as if he were going to the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. The brethren release only Paul. Why? Therefore, it is obvious that the indignation prepared by the Thessalonian immigrants was directed against him. “They release (we read Chrysostom) only Paul, because they were afraid for him, lest he suffer something, since he was their leader. Thus, grace did not act everywhere, but left them to act in their own human way, exciting them and disposing them to wakefulness and attention.” “As if going to the sea” - Greek: εξαπέστειλαν πορεύεσθαι ως επί τήν θάλασσαν - glav.: “let go to Pomorie”, let go to go towards to the sea (ως with a preposition extends the meaning of the latter, making it less specific). It is likely that Paul traveled by sea to Athens; By doing this, he better hid his trail from the Jews who were hot on his heels and made their pursuit more difficult. “Athens” is the main city of Greece, the center of the then Greek science, art, civilization, trade and luxury. Acts 17:15. Those who accompanied Paul accompanied him to Athens and, having received orders from Silas and Timothy that they should quickly come to him, they set off. Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy to come to Athens, but met them already in Corinth (Acts 18:5), probably forced to leave Athens earlier than he initially expected. From 1 Thess. 2:18–3:2, one can, however, conclude that Timothy came to Paul in Athens, but was sent by him back to Macedonia and specifically Thessalonica, and then, together with Silas, who remained in Berea, he arrived to Paul in Corinth. Acts 17:16. While waiting for them in Athens, Paul was troubled in spirit at the sight of this city full of idols. Acts 17:17. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, and daily in the marketplace with those who met him. “He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worship God,” that is, with the proselytes. This was, obviously, on Saturdays, in the interval between which Paul was also not idle, “daily” entering into conversations “in the square with those he met.” So restless was his great soul! Acts 17:18. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to argue with him; and some said: “What does this fool want to say?”, and others: “It seems that he is preaching about foreign deities,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. “Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers...” who were then most popular and most sharply opposed to Christianity. The basis of the first system - the Epicureans - was, as is known, the crudest materialism and nihilism; The second is based on self-enclosed pride and self-delusion. Acts 17:19. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and said: Can we know what this new teaching is that you are preaching? Acts 17:20. For you are putting something strange into our ears. Therefore, we want to know what it is? “They took him and brought him” - not by force, but obviously with the consent of Paul, who accepted their invitation. The Areopagus is the meeting place of the Supreme Council of Greek Democracy to discuss state, public and judicial affairs. This institution retained its importance, although not in all respects, even after the subjugation of Greece to Rome. This Supreme Council consisted of the best and most famous citizens. The meeting place - Mars Hill, adjacent to a large square (Acts 17:17), was convenient in that Paul could be heard by all the multitude of people from the adjacent square. They brought him here - not to put him on trial, but out of a desire to listen in more detail to the essence of his teaching, in view of its novelty, for which the Athenians were generally very keen (Acts 17:21). “And they said, can we know?” . Subtle irony, flavored with Athenian politeness, suggesting the insignificance of the new teaching before Athenian wisdom. The same irony is heard in the further expression: “you are putting something strange into our ears.” Acts 17:21. All the Athenians and the foreigners living among them spent their time in nothing better than talking or listening to something new. The Athenians' addiction to news showed their instability and lack of a deep and serious need to know the truth. “Their city was a city of idle talkers” (Chrysostom). Acts 17:22. And Paul stood among the Areopagus and said: Athenians! I can see from everything that you seem to be especially devout. Paul's speech in the Areopagus to the Athenians represents a high example of apostolic wisdom and eloquence and his application of his ever-present rule - to be to the Gentiles, as it were, a Gentile, in order to win the Gentiles also for the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:19-22). With careful, extremely subtle and restrained expressions, he avoids everything that could irritate the pagan pride of these representatives of world wisdom, with remarkable resourcefulness, having found the point of contact of his teaching with this wisdom in the altar to the “unknown God,” which gave him such a brilliant start for brilliant speech, the strength of the spirit of which found the most worthy and external expression, satisfying all the requirements of the harmony of secular speech. Gradually, from simpler to more complex, with irrefutable consistency, he reveals the system of Christian teaching, preaching: 1) about one God, the Creator of the world and humanity (Acts 17:22–26), 2) about the purpose and laws of human life (Acts 17:27–29), which make the doctrine of redemption and future judgment so natural (Acts 17:30–31). “As if especially devout” - ως δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ... Δεισαίμων - one who fears demons, who idolizes everything - wood, stone, and spirits. It seems that the apostle seems to praise the Athenians, but at the same time rewards them for their irony - with his own, no less subtle and bitter irony, characterizing their piety with a word that expresses the essence of all pagan piety - superstition, fearlessness. This subtle irony is enhanced even more by the “praise” of their “special” “piety”, with which they were superior to all other Greeks. The Greek writers themselves, such as Isocrates, Plato, Sophocles, and Xenophon, testify to this comparative piety of the Athenians. Acts 17:23. For, passing and examining your shrines, I also found an altar on which is written “to the unknown God.” This, which you honor without knowing, I preach to you. "To the Unknown God". The complete inscription of the altar, according to the testimony of the blessed one. Theophylact, read like this: “to the gods of Asia and Europe and Libya. To a God unknown and alien." With this inscription the Athenians wanted to say: “perhaps there is another god whom we do not know, and since we do not know him, although he is a god, we make a mistake by neglecting him and not honoring him.” Therefore, they erected a church and made an inscription on it “to the unknown God,” saying with this inscription that if there is another god whom we do not know, then we will honor him too (Theophilus.). “This, which you ignorantly revere, I preach to you.” The Athenians reproached Paul for introducing a new teaching, new gods. Therefore, wanting to free himself from suspicion and show that he is not preaching a new god, but the One whom they previously honored with his service, he says: you warned me, your service to Him forestalled my preaching, because I proclaim to you that god whom you worship without knowing. “There’s nothing strange,” he says, “I’m not offering anything new. They kept repeating to him: what is this new teaching that you are preaching? (Acts 17:19). Therefore, he immediately destroys their prejudice” (Chrysostom). Acts 17:24. God, who created the world and everything in it, He, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in churches made by hands Acts 17:25. and does not require the service of human hands, as if he needed anything, Himself giving to all things life and breath and everything. "God who created the world". “He said one word and undermined all the positions of the philosophers. The Epicureans claim that everything happened by itself and from atoms, but he says that the world and everything in it is the work of God” (Theophilus). “He does not live in churches made with hands.” So that they do not think that one of their many gods is being preached, Paul corrects what was said, adding: “he does not live in churches made with hands,” but in the human soul, and does not require the service of human hands, such as, for example, making sacrifices, etc. “How? Didn't God dwell in the temple in Jerusalem? No, but he just acted. Did He not receive services from the hands of men from the Jews? Not from the hands, but from the soul, and he demanded this not because he needed it” (Chrysostom). “Giving to all” – διδούς πᾶσι – glorified: “giving to all”, that is, to people first of all, and then to all creatures. “Life” is the beginning of existence, vital force. “Breath” is the ability to maintain life through breathing. “Everything” is necessary for life. Acts 17:26. From one blood He brought forth the whole human race to inhabit all the face of the earth, having appointed predetermined times and limits for their habitation, “From the same blood” - from one person - the ancestor, from one ancestral couple. Since blood - both according to the biblical view (Lev. 17:11, 14), and according to the view of the ancients in general, was considered the seat of the soul, the above expression - about the origin of everyone from one blood - means the origin not only in the body, but also in the soul from the same ancestors common to all - as opposed to pagan fables about the origin of different peoples from different ancestors. Representing all humanity as a single whole, due to its origin from the same blood, the Writer rightly calls it created from the One God, the Creator of the whole world, due to the direct origin of the first couple from the hands of the Creator Himself. “Having appointed predetermined times and limits for their habitation” is the wonderful thought of the apostle, that the Lord is not only the Creator of mankind, but also the Provider - the Creator of its history, in an extent that does not deprive man of the freedom he needs. Acts 17:27. so that they would seek God, if they would not feel Him and find Him, although He is not far from each of us: The highest goal of man and humanity is the search for God, entering into living heartfelt communication with Him, for which man is given not only such faithful guidance as the Word of God, but also his own internal instructions and attractions, from subtle and tangible, to the most reliable and obvious, explained by such an immediate proximity of the Divine to each of us. Acts 17:28. for in Him we live and move and have our being, just as some of your poets said: “We are His generation.” “We live by Him” - Εν αντῶ - more precisely - in Him - (glorified “about Him”), so outside of Him there is and cannot be any life, no movement, no space, no time. St. Chrysostom explains it this way: “As if he were pointing to a similar material example: just as it is impossible not to know the air that is spread everywhere and is located not far from each of us, or better yet, is located in ourselves, so is the Creator of everything. Look how Paul attributes everything to Him - providence, preservation, being, action and continuation. And he did not say through Him, but – which means greater intimacy – in Him “(By Him).” “We live, move and exist” is a strong expression, meaning that outside of God, any kind of existence is impossible to imagine. The quoted words of “some poets” - “we and His race” are, among other things, found in Arat the Cilician, a compatriot of Pavlov, who lived in the 3rd century. before the Nativity of Christ in his astronomical poem (Φαινόμενα) from where, apparently, they were taken with literal accuracy. The poet Cleanthes, a student of Zeno, has a similar saying (in his hymn to Zeus - we are your kind). Both of the mentioned poets have in mind Zeus himself, but Paul, using the same bold oratorical technique as above (“to the unknown God”), refers this saying to the One True God, “meaning, in the words of Chrysostom, not the very means that he (Arat) meant - let it not be! - but applying to Him what is actually said about the other; as well as the altar (with the inscription “to the unknown God!”) he attributed to Him, and not to the one whom they revered. He called us the race of God, that is, the closest relatives, since God deigned to be born from our race on earth. And he didn’t say: you shouldn’t eat like the Godhead is gold or silver, but he used a more humble turn: “We shouldn’t!” . “Look how he borrows evidence from what they themselves have done and said...” Acts 17:29. So we, being the race of God, should not think that the Divinity is like gold, or silver, or stone, which received its image from the art and invention of man. If we are the race of God, then it is inconsistent with common sense to think that the Divinity is like that which is not akin to Him, just as it is not akin to us - His race, i.e., gold, silver, etc. The Divinity can only be like us, the people who make up His race: in people we must look for this Divine likeness, from them ascend in thought to their Prototype and Likeness (shone to the highest perfection in the God-man). The failure of paganism is thus revealed in two ways; from the inconsistency of the substance of the revered “gods” with the nature of the Divine and from the absence in reality of the depicted gods themselves. From here one can see the enormous difference between Christian icon veneration and pagan idolatry: in St. in icons the nature of the Divine is depicted not by substance, but by the nature of the images, their idea; and this idea is borrowed not from the fiction of fantasy, but from the world of reality, from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Saints, from the entire content of the Word of God and the living, real life of humanity. Acts 17:30. So, leaving the times of ignorance, God now commands people everywhere to repent, “Times of ignorance”, i.e., the truth of God, “leaving”, i.e. without imputation, subject to the condition proposed below - “God now commands... everyone everywhere to repent.” “Now” - from this time, which has the significance of a turning point in history. “Commands” - as the sovereign Lord of all humanity. “To everyone everywhere” - this denotes the universality of the purpose of Christianity for the entire human race, regardless of whether one is Greek or Jew, barbarian or free. “Repent” - recognize your mistakes and reject them. Acts 17:31. for He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed, giving proof to all by raising Him from the dead. As the strongest incentive to repentance and fulfillment of God's will, God's establishment of a specific day for the future judgment of all humanity is indicated. “Through the predestined”, that is, in the eternal council of God, “Husband”, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose authority is confirmed by His own resurrection from the dead. Acts 17:32. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said: We will listen to you about this at another time. “We’ll hear from you about this at another time” is an ironically polite expression of reluctance to listen to the apostle’s sermon. Acts 17:34. Some men, having approached him, believed; among them was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damar, and others with them. "Some" is apparently "few". “Coming to him” - entering into closer communication (Acts 5:12, 9:26). “Dionysius the Areopagite...”, i.e., a member of the Areopagus, therefore, an eminent and educated person, from whom members of the Areopagus were usually elected. According to church tradition, he became the most devoted disciple of St. Paul, was appointed bishop of Athens by him, then preached the Gospel in Gaul and died a martyr's death in Paris. “Damar” - according to legend - the wife of Dionysius. You might be interested in: