Year of the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 17
Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 17:
Paul and his missionary team move further west into Europe, reaching Thessalonica and Beroea, two cities with established Jewish synagogues (vs. 1-15). Paul teaches God’s plan of salvation in Jesus his Son from the Scriptures [meaning the “Old Testament,” the only Scriptures written at the time]. Some Jews (as well as Gentiles) believe that Jesus is the Messiah and some do not. Moving on to Athens, Paul demonstrates a different kind of evangelization. He goes to the Areopagus (or “Mars Hill”), a place dedicated to a pagan “god” and shows awareness of their beliefs (vs. 23), acknowledging that they are “very religious” (vs. 22). Paul doesn’t use the name of Jesus in this speech and rather than quoting Scripture, quotes pagan philosopher-poets (vs. 28). The result? Some believe, some are open to hearing more, and some reject (vs. 32-34).
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 17:
The Uproar in Thessalonica
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, his house, and set food before and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. 9 And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Paul and Silas in Beroea
10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there too, stirring up and inciting the crowds. 14 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
Paul in Athens
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day with those who chanced to be there. 18 Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, “What would this babbler say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you present? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, 25 nor is he served by hu man hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, 28 for
‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteous ness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from among them. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Paul continues preaching the gospel in Greece, and recognizes both the religiosity of the people but also the tendency towards idol worship. Lord, what idols have I set up in my life that prevent me from giving my heart fully to you?
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1 Después de atravesar Anfípolis y
Apolonia, llegaron a Tesalónica, donde
había una sinagoga de los judíos.
2 Como era su costumbre, Pablo se
dirigió a ellos y durante tres sábados
les estuvo argumentando con las Escrituras,
3 explicando y probando que el
Cristo debía padecer y resucitar de entre
los muertos, y que: «Jesús, a quien yo
os anuncio, ése es el Cristo». 4 Algunos
de ellos se convencieron y se adhirieron
a Pablo y a Silas, así como un gran número
de griegos que adoraban a Dios y
no pocas mujeres de la nobleza. 5 Pero
los judíos, envidiosos, reunieron algunos
maleantes de entre la plebe y, organizando
un tumulto, soliviantaron la
ciudad y se presentaron en casa de Jasón
con la intención de llevarlos ante el
pueblo. 6 Al no encontrarlos, condujeron
a Jasón y a algunos hermanos ante
los magistrados de la ciudad gritando:
–Esos que han agitado a todo el
mundo han venido también aquí, 7 y Jasón
los ha hospedado. Todos ellos actúan
contra los decretos del César y dicen
que hay otro rey, Jesús.
8 Alborotaron a la multitud y a los
magistrados que oían estas cosas. 9 Pero,
en cuanto recibieron una fianza de parte
de Jasón y de los demás, los dejaron
marchar.
10 Enseguida los hermanos enviaron
por la noche a Pablo y a Silas hacia Berea.
Ellos al llegar se dirigieron a la sinagoga
de los judíos. 11 Eran éstos más nobles
que los de Tesalónica, y recibieron
la palabra con muy buena disposición y
examinaban diariamente las Escrituras
para ver si las cosas eran así. 12 Creyeron
muchos de ellos, así como mujeres griegas
distinguidas y no pocos hombres.
13 Cuando los judíos de Tesalónica se enteraron
de que también en Berea había
anunciado Pablo la palabra de Dios, vinieron
hasta allí agitando y alborotando
a la gente. 14 Entonces los hermanos enviaron
con rapidez a Pablo hasta el mar.
Silas y Timoteo permanecieron allí.
15 Los que conducían a Pablo le llevaron
hasta Atenas, y se volvieron con la indicación,
para Silas y Timoteo, de que se
uniesen con él cuanto antes.
16 Mientras Pablo los esperaba en
Atenas, se consumía en su interior al ver
la ciudad llena de ídolos. 17 Dialogaba en
la sinagoga con los judíos y los prosélitos,
y todos los días en el ágora con los
que acudían allí. 18 También algunos filósofos
epicúreos y estoicos conversaban
con él. Unos decían: «¿Qué querrá
decir este charlatán?» Y otros: «Parece
un predicador de divinidades extrañas»
–porque les anunciaba a Jesús y la Resurrección–.
19 Le llevaron con ellos y le
condujeron al Areópago diciéndole:
–¿Podemos saber cuál es esa doctrina
nueva de la que hablas? 20 Porque
haces llegar a nuestros oídos cosas extrañas
y queremos saber qué significan.
21 Todos los atenienses y forasteros
que residían allí no se dedicaban a otra
cosa que a decir o escuchar algo nuevo.
22 Entonces Pablo, de pie en medio
del Areópago, habló:
–Atenienses, en todo veo que sois
más religiosos que nadie, 23 porque al
pasar y contemplar vuestros monumentos
sagrados he encontrado también un
altar en el que estaba escrito: «Al Dios
desconocido». Pues bien, yo vengo a
anunciaros lo que veneráis sin conocer.
24 El Dios que hizo el mundo y todo lo
que hay en él, que es Señor del cielo y
de la tierra, no habita en templos fabricados
por hombres, 25 ni es servido por
manos humanas como si necesitara de
algo el que da a todos la vida, el aliento
y todas las cosas. 26 Él hizo, de un solo
hombre, todo el linaje humano, para
que habitase sobre toda la faz de la tierra.
Y fijó las edades de su historia y los
límites de los lugares en que los hombres
habían de vivir, 27 para que buscasen
a Dios, a ver si al menos a tientas
lo encontraban, aunque no está lejos de
cada uno de nosotros, 28 ya que en él vivimos,
nos movemos y existimos, como
han dicho algunos de vuestros poetas:
«Porque somos también de su linaje
». 29 Si somos linaje de Dios no debemos
pensar, por tanto, que la divinidad
es semejante al oro, a la plata o a la piedra,
escultura del arte y del ingenio humanos.
30 Dios ha permitido los tiempos
de la ignorancia y anuncia ahora a
los hombres que todos en todas partes
deben convertirse, 31 puesto que ha fijado
el día en que va a juzgar la tierra con
justicia, por mediación del hombre que
ha designado, presentando a todos un
argumento digno de fe al resucitarlo de
entre los muertos.
Cuando oyeron lo de «resurrección
de los muertos», unos se echaron a
reír y otros dijeron:
–Te escucharemos sobre eso en otra
ocasión.
33 Así que Pablo salió de en medio de
ellos. 34 Pero algunos hombres se unieron
a él y creyeron, entre ellos Dionisio
el Areopagita, y también una mujer que
se llamaba Dámaris, y varios más.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Pablo sigue predicando el Evangelio en Grecia, y reconoce tanto la religiosidad del pueblo como la tendencia a la adoración de ídolos. Señor, ¿qué ídolos he colocado en mi vida que me impiden entregar mi corazón plenamente a ti?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).