Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Acts
Chapter 17: In Him We Live, and Move, and Have Our Being
Acts 17 shows the gospel confronting both the synagogue and the philosophers. At Thessalonica Paul reasons from the Scriptures that 'Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again,' and that 'this Jesus... is Christ,' and though many believe, envious Jews stir an uproar, crying that these men 'have turned the world upside down.' At Berea the Jews are 'more noble,' receiving the word 'with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.' At Athens, his spirit stirred by a city given to idolatry, Paul stands on Mars' Hill and preaches the living God to the philosophers: the God who 'made the world and all things therein,' who 'dwelleth not in temples made with hands,' who 'hath made of one blood all nations,' 'in him we live, and move, and have our being,' and who 'now commandeth all men every where to repent,' for He 'will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained,' having raised Him from the dead. The chapter shows us the Christ proved from Scripture, the noble heart that searches the Word, and the one true God, Creator and Judge, made known to the nations in the risen Jesus.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Acts chapter 17. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul preaches Christ from the Scriptures at Thessalonica and Berea, and proclaims the one true God and the risen Judge to the philosophers at Athens. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Turned the World Upside Down
Paul proves Christ from Scripture; the city is in uproar.
Searched the Scriptures Daily
The noble Bereans test the word by the Scriptures.
To the Unknown God
Paul declares the living God the idolaters did not know.
He Will Judge the World
God commands all to repent, and judges by the risen Man.
They Searched the Scriptures Daily (Acts 17:1-15)
Paul proves Christ from Scripture, stirring uproar at Thessalonica and finding noble, Scripture-searching hearts at Berea.
These That Have Turned the World Upside Down
"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed."
Word Study
"searched," Greek anakrino (ἀνακρίνω). The word means to examine, to investigate, to sift the evidence, as in a judicial inquiry. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." They were commended not for gullibly accepting everything nor for cynically rejecting it, but for two things held together: eagerness to receive the word, and diligence to test it by the Scriptures. They put even the apostle Paul's preaching to the test of Scripture, and Luke calls them "more noble" for it. This is the model for every believer: welcome the word gladly, but weigh all teaching against the written Word of God, for the Scriptures are the standard by which all preaching must be judged. A noble heart is one that loves the truth enough to search the Scriptures daily to confirm it.
Explanation
At Thessalonica Paul reasons in the synagogue "out of the scriptures," proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise, and that "this Jesus... is Christ." Some believe, but jealous opponents stir a mob and drag believers before the rulers, charging that these turn "the world upside down." At Berea the response is nobler: they receive the word "with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." The Bereans model the right posture toward preaching -- eager reception joined to careful testing by Scripture. The gospel invites examination, and the honest searcher finds Christ on every page.
Gospel Focus
At Thessalonica Paul follows "his manner", he goes to the synagogue and for three sabbaths "reasoned with them out of the scriptures." His method is worth noting: he was "opening and alleging" (explaining and proving) from the Old Testament two great truths, "that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." The whole gospel argument in a sentence: the Scriptures foretold a suffering and rising Messiah, and Jesus is that Messiah. Many believe, Jews, devout Greeks, and leading women, but the unbelieving Jews, "moved with envy," incite a mob and drag Jason and the brethren before the rulers with a telling charge: "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also." It was slander in intent but truth in fact; the gospel does turn the world's values upside down, and had already spread so widely that its reputation preceded it. They further charge that the Christians proclaim "another king, one Jesus", a distortion, for Christ's kingdom is not of this world, yet again true in the deepest sense, for Jesus is indeed the King. The brethren send Paul and Silas by night to Berea, and there Luke gives us one of the noblest commendations in Scripture. The Bereans "were more noble than those in Thessalonica," and the mark of their nobility was this: "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." They combined an open, eager heart with a careful, Scripture-testing mind, welcoming the word gladly yet weighing it against the written Word, even Paul's preaching. This is the perfect balance the church needs in every age: neither closed-minded resistance nor uncritical credulity, but a glad receiving of the word joined to a diligent searching of the Scriptures to confirm it. And the fruit of such nobility was faith: "therefore many of them believed." But the Thessalonian Jews pursue Paul even to Berea, stirring up the people, so the brethren send him on to Athens, while Silas and Timothy remain. The gospel is proved from Scripture, believed by the noble, and opposed by the envious; and the Christ who fulfills the Scriptures presses on toward the philosophers of Athens.
Whom Ye Ignorantly Worship, Him Declare I Unto You (Acts 17:16-34)
In idol-filled Athens Paul proclaims the one true God, Creator and Judge, made known in the risen Christ.
He Will Judge the World in Righteousness by That Man Whom He Hath Ordained
"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them."
Word Study
"the Godhead," Greek theios (θεῖος). The word means the divine nature, that which pertains to God, the Deity. Paul reasons, "we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." The one true God is not a material thing shaped by human hands, but the living Spirit who made all things; to reduce the Deity to an idol of metal or stone is the height of folly, for the Creator cannot be like the created. God is Spirit, and He fills heaven and earth; He "dwelleth not in temples made with hands," nor is "worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing." This is the truth every idolater must learn: God is not a lifeless image but the living Lord of heaven and earth, in whom "we live, and move, and have our being." And this same God has made Himself fully known, not in gold or stone, but in the man Christ Jesus, whom He raised from the dead; the invisible Godhead is manifest in the risen Lord.
Explanation
In Athens, stirred by a city full of idols, Paul addresses the philosophers at the Areopagus with striking wisdom -- beginning from their altar "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD," he proclaims the Creator who "dwelleth not in temples made with hands" and "in him we live, and move, and have our being." He calls all men everywhere to repent, for God has appointed a day of judgment by the Man He raised from the dead. At the mention of resurrection some mock, some delay, but some believe. Paul meets pagan thinkers on their own ground yet yields nothing of the gospel -- one Creator, universal accountability, and the risen Christ as Judge.
Gospel Focus
At Athens, the intellectual capital of the world, Paul's "spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry." He reasons in the synagogue and daily in the marketplace, until the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, curious about "Jesus, and the resurrection," bring him to the Areopagus (Mars' Hill) to explain his "new doctrine." Paul's sermon to these pagan intellectuals is a masterpiece of engaging his hearers where they are. He begins with their own altar "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD," and offers to make known the God they worshipped in ignorance: "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." Then he proclaims the living God in contrast to their idols. This God "made the world and all things therein" and is "Lord of heaven and earth"; He does not dwell "in temples made with hands," nor is He served "as though he needed any thing," for He is the Giver, not the receiver, "he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." He "hath made of one blood all nations of men", all humanity is one family from one origin, and He sovereignly governs the times and boundaries of the nations, all "that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us." God is near, and made the world so that men would seek Him. "For in him we live, and move, and have our being", our very existence is upheld moment by moment in God, a truth Paul confirms even from their own poets, "we are also his offspring." From this Paul draws the folly of idolatry: "we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone", for the living God, whose offspring we are, cannot be a lifeless image made by man. Then Paul turns to the demand of the gospel: "the times of this ignorance God winked at", overlooked in forbearance, "but now commandeth all men every where to repent." The day of ignorance is past; God summons all people to turn to Him. And He gives the reason: "he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." The living God will judge all men by the Man He has ordained, Jesus Christ, and the proof and guarantee is the resurrection. At the mention of the resurrection, the philosophers divide: "some mocked," others delayed, "We will hear thee again." Yet "certain men clave unto him, and believed," including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. Paul's sermon shows how to declare the one true God to those without the Scriptures: from creation and conscience to the living Creator, from the folly of idols to the risen Christ, and the universal call to repent before the coming judgment. The unknown God is made known in Jesus, the risen Judge of all.
Chapter 17 in Review
Acts 17 shows the gospel confronting the synagogue and the philosophers. At Thessalonica Paul reasons from the Scriptures that "Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again," and that "this Jesus... is Christ"; many believe, but envious Jews raise an uproar, charging that these men "have turned the world upside down." At Berea the "more noble" Jews "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." At Athens, grieved by the city's idolatry, Paul proclaims on Mars' Hill the living God who "made the world," who "dwelleth not in temples made with hands," who "hath made of one blood all nations," "in him we live, and move, and have our being," and who "now commandeth all men every where to repent," for He "will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained," raised from the dead.
For the Apostolic reader this chapter models both the content and the method of gospel witness. Paul proves Christ from the Scriptures, reasoning that the Messiah must suffer and rise, and that Jesus is He; and he commends the noble Bereans who received the word eagerly yet tested it by the Word, the pattern for every believer, glad reception joined to diligent searching of the Scriptures. And in Athens he shows how to reach those without the Scriptures: beginning from creation, conscience, and their own longing for the unknown God, he declares the one true God, the living Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, who is Spirit and not gold or stone, in whom all men live and move and have their being, and who has made all nations of one blood. This God is not far off; He made us to seek Him, and He is now made known, not in idols, but in the risen Christ, the Man He has ordained to judge the world, whose resurrection is God's assurance to all. Therefore the times of ignorance are past, and God commands all men everywhere to repent. So search the Scriptures like the Bereans, know the one true God who is Spirit and Creator, forsake every idol, and repent and believe on the risen Christ, for in Him the unknown God is made known, and by Him the world will be judged.
- The gospel proves from Scripture that Christ must suffer and rise, and Jesus is He (17:2-3).
- The noble Berean receives the word gladly yet searches the Scriptures daily (17:11).
- The one true God, Creator and Lord, dwells not in temples made with hands (17:24).
- "In him we live, and move, and have our being"; God is near, that we might seek Him (17:27-28).
- The Godhead is not gold or stone; God is the living Spirit (17:29).
- God commands all to repent, and will judge by the risen Man He ordained (17:30-31).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you test all teaching by searching the Scriptures, like the Bereans?
- Do you know the one true God, the living Creator, or serve idols of your own making?
- Do you live in awareness that in Him you live and move and have your being?
- Have you obeyed God's command to repent, in view of the coming judgment?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Christ's suffering and resurrection foretold: Isaiah 53; Psalm 16:10; Luke 24:26-27, 44-46. Searching the Scriptures to test teaching: John 5:39; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1. The living God, Creator, not in temples: 1 Kings 8:27; Isaiah 66:1-2; Acts 7:48-50. All nations of one blood: Genesis 3:20; Malachi 2:10; Romans 5:12. The folly of idols: Isaiah 44:9-20; Psalm 115:4-8; Romans 1:22-23. The command to repent and the coming judgment: Luke 24:47; Romans 2:16; John 5:22-27. The resurrection as God's assurance: Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Thessalonica and the noble Bereans: Acts 17:1-15; Luke 24:26-27; John 5:39.
- Paul on Mars' Hill: Acts 17:16-34; Isaiah 44:9-20; Romans 1:20-23.