The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Acts 17

Acts 17:1

Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

(a) Thessalonica. The busy seaport of Thessalonica was about 100 miles west of Philippi. Paul would have travelled on the Roman road known as the Via Egnatia. Assuming he did not linger in the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia, the whole journey would have taken about a week. A fit healthy person could’ve covered the distance in four days, but Paul and Silas were carrying injuries (Acts 16:22–23).

(b) Synagogue. Jesus preached in the Jewish assemblies or synagogues (Matt. 12:9, Mark 1:21, Luke 4:44, John 6:59) and the apostle Paul followed his example (Acts 17:1–2). The first Christians were Jewish and when they travelled they proclaimed the good news in Jewish assemblies. To a large degree, the Christian church was birthed in Jewish synagogues. See also the entry for Jas. 2:2.

Acts 17:4

And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.

(a) Some of them were persuaded. Faith is being persuaded.

(b) God-fearing Greeks. Since Luke distinguishes between God-fearing Greeks and Jewish proselytes (see Acts 13:43), we can conclude that these Greeks had not fully converted to Judaism. They attended the Jewish synagogue and worshiped God in the Jewish manner, but they had not been circumcised.

Acts 17:5

But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.

The Jews, becoming jealous. Most of the people who had become believers were Gentiles, so why were the Jews jealous? Paul wasn’t depleting the synagogue. They were jealous because he was offering people a way to God that did not run through Judaism. The “God accepts everyone” message did not go down with people who had long believed they were God’s treasured nation.

Acts 17:7

and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Another king, Jesus. Talk about Jesus the good teacher and no one will object. But preach Jesus the King of kings, as Paul did on many occasions, and there will be opposition and persecution.

Acts 17:8

They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

The city authorities or civic magistrates were local Macedonians officials serving under Roman authority. Since Thessalonica was a “free city” with considerable autonomy, they had every reason to ensure the city’s loyalty to Rome was never questioned.

Acts 17:10

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Berea. The inland town of Berea was about 50 miles or three days’ walk west of Thessalonica.
Although he is not mentioned by name, Timothy was with Paul and Silas in Thessalonica and would have left with them at the same time. Timothy had met Paul in Lystra, earlier in the trip (Acts 16:1) and was with Paul and Silas when they landed in Berea (Acts 17:14).

Acts 17:13

But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

(a) The word of God is the good news of Jesus. See entry for Word of God.

(b) Agitating and stirring up the crowds. If Paul and Barnabas had been preaching the law, the Jews of Thessalonica would not have created trouble (Acts 13:45). The apostles were preaching about the grace of God revealed in Jesus.

Acts 17:14

Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there.

(a) Sent Paul out. Perhaps no one faced more persecution than the Apostle Paul and his standard response was to walk away, keep moving, and keep preaching. See entry for Acts 14:20.

(b) As far as the sea. Paul was escorted to a nearby port such as Pydna and put on a boat to Athens. Some scholars argue that the trip to sea was a ruse and Paul actually walked to Athens. But the balance of probabilities suggest he sailed. As usual, Paul was in a hurry. By foot, Athens was 2–3 weeks away. By boat, it was only a few days away.

Acts 17:16

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.

(a) Provoked. In every city Paul visited there were idols and temples. But when he came to Athens, his spirit reacted with anger. “The longer Paul waited in Athens, the angrier he got – all those idols!” reads the Message Bible.

(b) Full of idols. The Athenians worshipped many idols because they were fearful and superstitious (see entry for Acts 17:22).

Acts 17:18

And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

(a) Babbler. The original word (spermologos) literally means seed-picker, like a crow.

(b) Preaching. Announcing the good news. The original word for preaching (euaggelizo) is closely related to the word for gospel (euaggelion). This is one of three words that are commonly translated as “preaching” in the New Testament. See entry for Acts 5:42.

Acts 17:22

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

Religious. The original word (deisidaimonia) means superstitious. According to Strong, it is related to two other words; deilos, which means faithless or fearful, and daimon, which means demon or devil. Paul is saying, “I see that you worship a lot of idols” (see Acts 17:16). The Athenians worshipped idols because they were fearful and superstitious. Paul brilliantly used their superstition as a stepping stone to introduce the one true God.

Acts 17:28

for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

In Him. When you believed the good news about Jesus, you were sealed in him (Eph. 1:13). All the blessings of heaven are found in him (Eph. 1:3), and in him we have redemption, forgiveness, and righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21, Eph. 1:7). All the promises of God are yes in him (2 Cor. 1:20), and in him you have been made complete (Col. 2:10). In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). See entry for Union.

Acts 17:29

“Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.

The children of God. A better translation might be “offspring of God” since the original word does not mean children. Although God is the Father of creation (Mal. 2:10, 1 Cor. 8:6), the phrase “children of God” usually refers to believers (Rom. 9:8, Eph. 5:1, 1 John 3:1). See entry for Children of God.

Acts 17:30

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,

(a) Now. Now is one of the key words of the new covenant. Because of Jesus, you can be set free now. In the old covenant, people looked forward to the coming Messiah. For them, salvation was tomorrow. But for us, salvation is today (2 Cor. 6:2). The shackles that bound you and the charges that condemned you were dealt with at the cross. Because of Jesus, you can be free now.

(b) All people everywhere. Like Peter, Paul understood that God wants no one to perish but all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). All people includes Jews and Gentiles. All people includes both the good and the bad.

(c) Should repent. The apostles preached for a verdict. They did not believe that the whole world was saved. Like Jesus who encouraged people to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15), they encouraged their listeners to repent, believe the good news, and be saved (Acts 4:12, 11:14, 1 Cor. 10:33, 1 Th. 2:16, 1 Tim. 2:4, 1 John 3:23).

(d) Repent. To repent means to change your mind. In context, it means changing your mind about Christ and the goodness of God (Rom. 2:4). Paul is echoing Jesus who said “Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). “Change your unbelieving mind and believe the glad tidings of God’s grace and forgiveness.” See entry for Repentance.

Acts 17:32

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”

Many Greeks viewed the body as a prison or tomb for the soul. They did not believe in bodily resurrection, which is why Paul was mocked when he began talking about the resurrection. Plato looked forward to the soul’s escape from the body, while Paul preached the redemption and resurrection of the body (Rom. 8:23, 1 Cor. 15:44).

The Grace Commentary is a work in progress with new content added regularly. Sign up for occasional updates below. Got a suggestion? Please use the Feedback page. To report typos or broken links on this page, please use the comment form below.

Help us get the good news of grace to everyone, everywhere. We’re building the world’s largest grace-based Bible commentary. Join the team and your support will help us complete the Grace Commentary and offer versions in multiple formats and languages to believers, leaders and churches all over the world.

Acts 17