Out of Jail! Escorted out by magistrates One last visit at Lydia’s house

Was Paul Headed To Rome? In A.D. 49, the Roman Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from the city of Rome.

Amphipolis & Apollonia Probably skipped by Paul because there were no synagogues there.

Amphipolis & Apollonia The Lion Of Amphilipolis

Amphipolis & Apollonia …came to Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue. (17:1)

Thessalonica: 2 nd Largest City In both Ancient & Modern Greece 1 st Century Population – 200,000

Paul in Thessalonica Taught on 3 Sabbath days Reasoned …from the Scriptures Proved that Jesus is the Christ Some Jews & many God-fearers responded No pagans (compare 1 Thess. 1:9)

Paul in Thessalonica Jews became jealous (17:5; 13:45) Rounded up bad characters from the agora (5) Jason (Joshua in Hebrew) was host These men have caused trouble all over the world…. (6)

Archeology and The Bible Politarch (“city officials”) does not appear in any Greek literature. Found on inscription on an arch in Thessalonica in 1835

On To Berea! Escaped at night (10) Came to Berea An out-of-the-way town Began in Synagogue

The Noble Bereans The Bereans were of more noble character…for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (11)

The Noble Bereans Many of the Jews believed as did a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. (13)

Out of Berea Ship to Athens Paul left alone there

Paul in Athens Athens was a small university town of 25,000 people – more concerned with ideas than with commerce.

Petronius Roman Consul died A.D. 66 It is easier to find a god than a man in Athens!

Paul in Athens Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy (15-16) “Greatly distressed” by idols (16) Synagogue & Marketplace (17)

Epicureans Epicurus ( B.C.) No afterlife Gods are uninvolved Eat, drink, be merry! Similar to today’s secularists

Stoics Zeno ( B.C.) Met in Stoa in Athens Logos/Universal Reason Accept fate! Divine spark in all Today’s New Agers

Paul’s Debates in Athens Babbler – “seed-picker” (18) Foreign gods – Jesus and “Resurrection” (18) Taken to the Areopagus which met in the Roman forum (agora)

Paul to The Areopagus Acknowledged their idols – altar to the “unknown god” (19-23) God created everything (24-26) God is very near (27-29) God judges/Call to repent (30-31) (From: Dennis Gaertner, Acts, pp )

Quotes in Paul’s Sermon In him we live and move and have our being (Epimenides – 600 B.C.) We are his offspring (Aratus – B.C.)

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered (32) 1 Corinthians 15:12-13

Greeks and Resurrection The Greeks believed in the immortality of the soul but not in the resurrection of the body

Response in Athens Very little response Some sneered Some wanted to hear more Dionysius (a member of the Areopagus) and a woman named Damaris responded and others

Paul’s different approaches to Preaching To Jews in a synagogue in Antioch (13) To pagans in Lystra (14) To philosophers in Athens (17)

Outline of Acts 1:8