13 But G1161 when G5613 the Jews G2453 of G575 Thessalonica G2332 had knowledge G1097 that G3754 G2532 the word G3056 of God G2316 was preached G2605 of G5259 Paul G3972 at G1722 Berea, G960 they came G2064 thither also, G2546 and stirred up G4531 the people. G3793
But there was none like unto Ahab, H256 which did sell H4376 himself to work H6213 wickedness H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 whom Jezebel H348 his wife H802 stirred up. H5496
But G1161 woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye shut up G2808 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 against G1715 men: G444 for G1063 ye G5210 neither G3761 go in G1525 yourselves, neither G3756 suffer ye G863 them that are entering G1525 to go in. G1525
But G1161 the unbelieving G544 Jews G2453 stirred up G1892 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 made G2559 their minds G5590 evil affected G2559 against G2596 the brethren. G80
But G1161 the Jews G2453 which believed not, G544 moved with envy, G2206 G2532 took unto them G4355 certain G5100 lewd G4190 fellows G435 of the baser sort, G60 and G2532 gathered a company, G3792 and set all G2350 the city G4172 on an uproar, G2350 and G5037 assaulted G2186 the house G3614 of Jason, G2394 and sought G2212 to bring G71 them G846 out G1519 to the people. G1218
For G1063 ye, G5210 brethren, G80 became G1096 followers G3402 of the churches G1577 of God G2316 which G3588 in G1722 Judaea G2449 are G5607 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus: G2424 for G3754 ye G5210 also G2532 have suffered G3958 like things G5024 of G5259 your own G2398 countrymen, G4853 even G2532 as G2531 they have G846 of G5259 the Jews: G2453 Who both G2532 killed G615 the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 and G2532 their own G2398 prophets, G4396 and G2532 have persecuted G1559 us; G2248 and G2532 they please G700 not G3361 God, G2316 and G2532 are contrary G1727 to all G3956 men: G444 Forbidding G2967 us G2248 to speak G2980 to the Gentiles G1484 that G2443 they might be saved, G4982 to G1519 fill up G378 their G846 sins G266 alway: G3842 for G1161 the wrath G3709 is come G5348 upon G1909 them G846 to G1519 the uttermost. G5056
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 17
Commentary on Acts 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
We have here a further account of the travels of Paul, and his services and sufferings for Christ. He was not like a candle upon a table, that gives light only to one room, but like the sun that goes its circuit to give light to many. He was called into Macedonia, a large kingdom, ch. 16:9. He began with Philippi, because it was the first city he came to; but he must not confine himself to this. We have him here,
Act 17:1-9
Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians, the first two he wrote by inspiration, give such a shining character of that church, that we cannot but be glad here in the history to meet with an account of the first founding of the church there.
Act 17:10-15
In these verses we have,
Act 17:16-21
A scholar that has acquaintance, and is in love, with the learning of the ancients, would think he should be very happy if he were where Paul now was, at Athens, in the midst of the various sects of philosophers, and would have a great many curious questions to ask them, for the explication of the remains we have of the Athenian learning; but Paul, though bred a scholar, and an ingenious active man, does not make this any of his business at Athens. He has other work to mind: it is not the improving of himself in their philosophy that he aims at, he has learned to call it a vain thing, and is above it (Col. 2:8); his business is, in God's name, to correct their disorders in religion, and to turn them from the service of idols, and of Satan in them, to the service of the true and living God in Christ.
Act 17:22-31
We have here St. Paul's sermon at Athens. Divers sermons we have had, which the apostles preached to the Jews, or such Gentiles as had an acquaintance with and veneration for the Old Testament, and were worshippers of the true and living God; and all they had to do with them was to open and allege that Jesus is the Christ; but here we have a sermon to heathens, that worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world, and to them the scope of their discourse was quite different from what it was to the other. In the former case their business was to lead their hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the latter it was to lead them by the common works of providence to the knowledge of the Creator, and the worship of him. One discourse of this kind we had before to the rude idolaters of Lystra that deified the apostles (ch. 14:15); this recorded here is to the more polite and refined idolaters at Athens, and an admirable discourse it is, and every way suited to his auditory and the design he had upon them.
Act 17:32-34
We have here a short account of the issue of Paul's preaching at Athens.