ACT 17-18

17:1-2 A journey of about 100 miles is passed over briefly.

Thessalonica had great geographical importance; it was located on the main E-W road.

Paul probably stayed longer than 3 weeks (see Philippians 4:15-16)

17:4 “Leading women” reads literally “first women.” It may refer to their dignity or social position as 

wife of a prominent Roman citizen.

17:5 "Rabble" is literally agora or marketplace. In what ways do we act like the jealous Jews in these 

passages?

17:6 Politarchs: a word not found in classical Greek and suspected of being inaccurate. It was recently 

found on 17 different inscriptions in the area of Thessalonica.

17:16-21 As philosophers become less religious, people become more religious.

17:18-19 babbler = bird who picks seeds out of dung.

Areopagus = hill of Ares (Mars). It probably refers to the court and not the location. They decided 

criminal and religious questions. Socrates was earlier tried by this court for introducing new gods.

17:16 Read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:2 to fill in this period. We can infer from 3:1-2 that Timothy came 

to Athens, but Paul sent him to Thessalonica. Both Timothy and Silas re-join Paul in Acts 18:5.

17:17 There is an word choice in the ESV: “he reasoned.” NRSV says “argued.” The word dialegomai 

appears many times in Acts. See 17:2, 18:4, 18:19. It means to dispute with others, to have a discussion 

with, or give a sermon with people asking questions.

17:18 Who are today's Stoics and Epicureans?

17:21 What are some examples today of this phenomenon? C.S. Lewis' said when asked why he didn't 

read the newspaper: “All that is not eternal is doomed to be eternally out of date.” Apply this to news 

junkies.

17:21-24 21. Thucydides and Demosthenes both accused the Athenians of the same traits hundreds of 

years earlier.

22. religious = demon-fearing

17:22-27 In the 6th cent. BC to stop a plague in Athens, the Cretan poet Epimenides told the people to 

release sheep and sacrifice to any gods whose altar a sheep lay near. If none was near, they were to 

sacrifice to the "unknown god."

17:22-31 Extract some evangelistic principles and techniques from Paul's speech. Compare Paul's 

approach with that used before predominantly Jewish audiences.

24. quoted from Isaiah 42:5 and Stephan (Acts 7:48)

17:28-29 The first quote is from Epimenides in a poem to Zeus: "They fashioned a tomb for Thee, O 

holy and high one, the Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies! But Thou art not dead; forever 

Thou are risen and alive. For in thee we live..."

The second quote is from Stoic poet Aratus. It originally had to do with the material world being 

emanations or radiations from God that solidified. Paul doesn't argue; he adapts the idea.

17:31 Paul says that Jesus is the final judge, not God. This idea appears elsewhere in the NT:

Matthew 7:21-23 – Those who call “Lord, Lord” are told, “Depart from me, you evildoers.”

Matthew 25:31-46 – The Son of man comes and sits on throne to separate sheep from the goats...these 

will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

17:32-34 Do you think Paul was reasonably successful, considering his audience? What does I 

Corinthians 1-2 have to say that bears on this question?

Acts 18:1-5 Claudius (41-54) expelled (Christian) Jews from Rome. Suetonius said it was due to 

"rioting because of Chrestus" (49 AD). The time of events inActs is about 51 AD.

4. The inscription "Synagogue of the Hebrews" has found in Corinth.

5. This is the second arrival from Macedonia, the last time the three were together. This was the 

probable time of Paul writing the letters to the Thessalonians.

18:9-11 Can you recall incidents in your life where God gave you such confidence in a course of 

action?

18:12 Gallio was a brother of the Stoic philosopher Seneca. An inscription in Delphi was found stating 

"As Lucius Janius Gallio, my friend, and the Procounsel of Achaia..." AD 51-52

18:12-17 Note how evil actions often backfire on the offenders.

18:15 This is a lesson on how our differences with Christian brothers are perceived by those on the 

outside.

18:16 The Western and Byzantine texts read "the Greeks seized..." In I Corinthians, there is a 

Sosthenes called “brother” by Paul.

18:24-28 How common is it necessary or appropriate to correct religious leaders? How generally 

willing are such Christian teachers and leaders to be taught by others?