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- 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.
- So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.
- 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.
- And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?
- "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean."
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- While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
- So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
- A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
- Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
- You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean."
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- (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)
- So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
- "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD ' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
- "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
- nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
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- (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
- Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
- For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
- "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
- And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
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- and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
- that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
- for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'
- "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.
- "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
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- From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
- God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
- 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
- "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.
- In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
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- because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
- Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this."
- So Paul went out of their midst.
- But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
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- For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
- When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."
- At that, Paul left the Council.
- A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
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