20 For G1063 thou bringest G1533 certain G5100 strange things G3579 to G1519 our G2257 ears: G189 we would G1014 know G1097 therefore G3767 what G5101 these things G5023 mean. G302 G2309 G1511
I have written H3789 to him the great things H7230 H7239 of my law, H8451 but they were counted H2803 as a strange thing. H2114
Wherein G1722 G3739 they think it strange G3579 that ye G5216 run G4936 not G3361 with them to G1519 the same G846 excess G401 of riot, G810 speaking evil of G987 you:
Then G1161 said G2036 Jesus G2424 unto his G846 disciples, G3101 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 a rich man G4145 shall hardly G1423 enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of heaven. G3772 And G1161 again G3825 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 It is G2076 easier G2123 for a camel G2574 to go G1330 through G1223 the eye G5169 of a needle, G4476 than G2228 for a rich man G4145 to enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316 When G1161 his G846 disciples G3101 heard G191 it, they were exceedingly G4970 amazed, G1605 saying, G3004 Who G5101 then G686 can G1410 be saved? G4982
And G2532 they kept G2902 that saying G3056 with G4314 themselves, G1438 questioning one with another G4802 what G5101 the rising G450 from G1537 the dead G3498 should mean. G2076
And G1161 the disciples G3101 were astonished G2284 at G1909 his G846 words. G3056 But G1161 Jesus G2424 answereth G611 again, G3825 and saith G3004 unto them, G846 Children, G5043 how G4459 hard G1422 is it G2076 for them that trust G3982 in G1909 riches G5536 to enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God! G2316 It is G2076 easier G2123 for a camel G2574 to go G1525 G1330 through G1223 the eye G5168 of a needle, G4476 than G2228 for a rich man G4145 to enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316 And G1161 they were astonished G1605 out of measure, G4057 saying G3004 among G4314 themselves, G1438 G2532 Who G5101 then can G1410 be saved? G4982
Then G3767 said G2036 the Jews G2453 among G4314 themselves, G1438 Whither G4226 will G3195 he G3778 go, G4198 that G3754 we G2249 shall G2147 not G3756 find G2147 him? G846 will G3361 G3195 he go G4198 unto G1519 the dispersed G1290 among the Gentiles, G1672 and G2532 teach G1321 the Gentiles? G1672 What G5101 manner of saying G3056 is G2076 this G3778 that G3739 he said, G2036 Ye shall seek G2212 me, G3165 and G2532 shall G2147 not G3756 find G2147 me: and G2532 where G3699 I G1473 am, G1510 thither ye G5210 cannot G3756 G1410 come? G2064
And G1161 they were G1839 all G3956 amazed, G1839 and G2532 were in doubt, G1280 saying G3004 one G243 to G4314 another, G243 What G5101 meaneth G2309 G302 G1511 this? G5124
Now G1161 while G5613 Peter G4074 doubted G1280 in G1722 himself G1438 what G5101 this vision G3705 which G3739 he had seen G1492 should mean, G302 G1498 behold, G2400 G2532 the men G435 which G3588 were sent G649 from G575 Cornelius G2883 had made enquiry G1331 for Simon's G4613 house, G3614 and stood G2186 before G1909 the gate, G4440
For G1063 the preaching G3056 of the cross G4716 is G2076 to them G3303 that perish G622 foolishness; G3472 but G1161 unto us G2254 which are saved G4982 it is G2076 the power G1411 of God. G2316
But G1161 we G2249 preach G2784 Christ G5547 crucified, G4717 unto the Jews G2453 a stumblingblock, G3303 G4625 and G1161 unto the Greeks G1672 foolishness; G3472
But G1161 the natural G5591 man G444 receiveth G1209 not G3756 the things G3588 of the Spirit G4151 of God: G2316 for G1063 they are G2076 foolishness G3472 unto him: G846 neither G2532 G3756 can G1410 he know G1097 them, because G3754 they are spiritually G4153 discerned. G350
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.