2 And G1161 Paul, G3972 as G2596 his manner was, G1486 went in G1525 unto G4314 them, G846 and G2532 G1909 three G5140 sabbath G4521 days reasoned G1256 with them G846 out of G575 the scriptures, G1124
And G2532 straightway G2112 he preached G2784 Christ G5547 in G1722 the synagogues, G4864 that G3754 he G3778 is G2076 the Son G5207 of God. G2316
And G2532 when they were G1096 at G1722 Salamis, G4529 they preached G2605 the word G3056 of God G2316 in G1722 the synagogues G4864 of the Jews: G2453 and G1161 they had G2192 also G2532 John G2491 to their minister. G5257
Now therefore stand still, H3320 that I may reason H8199 with you before H6440 the LORD H3068 of all the righteous acts H6666 of the LORD, H3068 which he did H6213 to you and to your fathers. H1
Come now, H3212 and let us reason together, H3198 saith H559 the LORD: H3068 though your sins H2399 be as scarlet, H8144 they shall be as white H3835 as snow; H7950 though they be red H119 like crimson, H8438 they shall be as wool. H6785
Jesus G2424 answered G611 him, G846 I G1473 spake G2980 openly G3954 to the world; G2889 I G1473 ever G3842 taught G1321 in G1722 the synagogue, G4864 and G2532 in G1722 the temple, G2411 whither G3699 the Jews G2453 always G3842 resort; G4905 and G2532 in G1722 secret G2927 have I said G2980 nothing. G3762
But G1161 when they G846 departed G1330 from G575 Perga, G4011 they came G3854 to G1519 Antioch G490 in Pisidia, G4099 and G2532 went G1525 into G1519 the synagogue G4864 on the sabbath G4521 day, G2250 and sat down. G2523
And G1161 it came to pass G1096 in G1722 Iconium, G2430 that they G846 went G1525 both G2596 together G846 into G1519 the synagogue G4864 of the Jews, G2453 and G2532 so G3779 spake, G2980 that G5620 a great G4183 multitude G4128 both G5037 of the Jews G2453 and also G2532 of the Greeks G1672 believed. G4100
And G1161 he went G1525 into G1519 the synagogue, G4864 and spake boldly G3955 for the space G1909 of three G5140 months, G3376 disputing G1256 and G2532 persuading G3982 the things concerning G4012 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316
And G1161 as he G846 reasoned G1256 of G4012 righteousness, G1343 temperance, G2532 G1466 and G2532 judgment G2917 to come, G3195 G1510 Felix G5344 trembled, G1096 G1719 and answered, G611 Go thy way G4198 for this time; G3568 when G1161 I have G2192 G3335 a convenient season, G2540 I will call for G3333 thee. G4571
And G1161 when they had appointed G5021 him G846 a day, G2250 there came G2240 many G4119 to G4314 him G846 into G1519 his lodging; G3578 to whom G3739 he expounded G1620 and testified G1263 the kingdom G932 of God, G2316 G5037 persuading G3982 them G846 concerning G4012 Jesus, G2424 both G5037 out of G575 the law G3551 of Moses, G3475 and G2532 out of the prophets, G4396 from G575 morning G4404 till G2193 evening. G2073
For G1063 this G3778 Melchisedec, G3198 king G935 of Salem, G4532 priest G2409 of the most high G5310 God, G2316 who G3588 met G4876 Abraham G11 returning G5290 from G575 the slaughter G2871 of the kings, G935 and G2532 blessed G2127 him; G846 To whom G3739 also G2532 Abraham G11 gave G3307 a tenth part G1181 of G575 all; G3956 first G4412 G3303 being by interpretation G2059 King G935 of righteousness, G1343 and G1161 after that G1899 also G2532 King G935 of Salem, G4532 which is, G3603 King G935 of peace; G1515 Without father, G540 without mother, G282 without descent, G35 having G2192 neither G3383 beginning G746 of days, G2250 nor G3383 end G5056 of life; G2222 but G1161 made like G871 unto the Son G5207 of God; G2316 abideth G3306 a priest G2409 continually. G1519 G1336 Now G1161 consider G2334 how great G4080 this man G3778 was, unto whom G3739 even G2532 the patriarch G3966 Abraham G11 gave G1325 the tenth G1181 of G1537 the spoils. G205 And G2532 verily G3303 they that are of G1537 the sons G5207 of Levi, G3017 who G3588 receive G2983 the office of the priesthood, G2405 have G2192 a commandment G1785 to take tithes G586 of the people G2992 according to G2596 the law, G3551 that is, G5123 of their G846 brethren, G80 though G2539 they come G1831 out of G1537 the loins G3751 of Abraham: G11 But G1161 he whose descent is G1075 not G3361 counted G1075 from G1537 them G846 received tithes G1183 of Abraham, G11 and G2532 blessed G2127 him that had G2192 the promises. G1860 And G1161 without G5565 all G3956 contradiction G485 the less G1640 is blessed G2127 of G5259 the better. G2909 And G2532 here G5602 G3303 men G444 that die G599 receive G2983 tithes; G1181 but G1161 there G1563 he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed G3140 that G3754 he liveth. G2198 And G2532 as G5613 I may so say, G2031 G2036 Levi G3017 also, G2532 who G3588 receiveth G2983 tithes, G1181 payed tithes G1183 in G1223 Abraham. G11 For G1063 he was G2258 yet G2089 in G1722 the loins G3751 of his father, G3962 when G3753 Melchisedec G3198 met G4876 him. G846
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.