He explained the Scriptures to show them that the Christ had to die and then rise from death. He said, "This Jesus that I am telling you about is the Christ."
Some of the Jews there believed Paul and Silas and decided to join them. Also, a large number of Greeks who were worshipers of the true God and many important women joined them.
But the Jews who did not believe became jealous, so they got some bad men from around the city center to make trouble. They formed a mob and caused a riot in the city. They went to Jason's house, looking for Paul and Silas. They wanted to bring them out before the people.
When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the other believers to the city leaders. The people shouted, "These men have made trouble everywhere in the world, and now they have come here too!
The people in Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They were so glad to hear the message Paul told them. They studied the Scriptures every day to make sure that what they heard was really true.
But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was telling people God's message in Berea, they came there too. They upset the people and made trouble.
Those who went with Paul took him to the city of Athens. They returned with a message for Silas and Timothy to come and join him as soon as they could.
In the synagogue he talked with the Jews and with the Greeks who were worshipers of the true God. He also went to the public square every day and talked with everyone who came by.
Some of the Epicurean and some of the Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some of them said, "This man doesn't really know what he is talking about. What is he trying to say?" Paul was telling them the Good News about Jesus and the resurrection. So they said, "He seems to be telling us about some other gods."
I was going through your city and I saw the things you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: 'to an unknown god.' You worship a god that you don't know. This is the God I want to tell you about.
"He is the God who made the whole world and everything in it. He is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands.
God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly when and where they would live.
He has decided on a day when he will judge all the people in the world in a way that is fair. To do this he will use a man he chose long ago. And he has proved to everyone that this is the man to do it. He proved it by raising him from death!"
But some of the people joined with Paul and became believers. Among these were Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus council, a woman named Damaris, and some others.