13. The Jews in Thessalonica found out that Paul was preaching God's word in Berea. So they went there too. They stirred up the crowds and got them all worked up.
14. Right away the believers sent Paul to the coast. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.
15. The men who went with Paul took him to Athens. Then they returned with orders that Silas and Timothy were supposed to join him as soon as they could.
16. Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens. He was very upset to see that the city was full of statues of gods.
17. So he went to the synagogue. There he talked with Jews and with Greeks who worshiped God. Each day he spoke with anyone who happened to be in the market place.
18. A group of Epicurean and Stoic thinkers began to argue with him. Some of them asked, "What is this fellow chattering about?" Others said, "He seems to be telling us about gods we've never heard of." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus. He was telling them that Jesus had risen from the dead.
19. They took him to a meeting of the Areopagus. There they said to him, "What is this new teaching you're giving us?
20. You have some strange ideas. We've never heard them before. We want to know what they mean."
21. All the people of Athens spent their time talking about and listening to the latest ideas. People from other lands who lived there did the same.
22. Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus. He said, "Men of Athens! I see that you are very religious in every way.
23. As I walked around, I looked carefully at the things you worship. I even found an altar with ~to an unknown god= written on it. Now I am going to tell you about this 'unknown god' that you worship.
24. "He is the God who made the world. He also made everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in temples built by hands.
25. He is not served by human hands. He doesn't need anything. He himself gives life and breath to all people. He also gives them everything else they have.
26. From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live.
27. God did this so that people would seek him. Then perhaps they would reach out for him and find him. They would find him even though he is not far from any of us.