1Pobrali sa cestou, ktorá vedie cez mestá Amfipolis a Apolóniu do Tesaloniky, kde bola židovská synagóga.2Pavol ako zvyčajne prišiel kázať Židom, po tri soboty im vysvetľoval proroctvá,3ako Mesiáš musel trpieť a vstať z mŕtvych, a dokazoval, že tým Mesiášom je Ježiš.4Niektorí zo Židov sa dali presvedčiť a pripojili sa k Pavlovi a Sílasovi. Bolo medzi nimi aj veľa Grékov a nemálo žien z vyšších vrstiev.5Ale to prebudilo závisť židovských vodcov. Pomocou povaľačov vyvolali rozruch a pobúrili celé mesto. Obkľúčili Jazonov dom, hľadali v ňom Pavla a Sílasa a chceli ich predviesť pred zhromaždený dav,6ale nenašli ich. Preto dovliekli Jazona a niekoľkých veriacich pred mestskú radu a kričali: „Pavol a Sílas, ktorí poburujú celý svet, prišli aj k nám7a Jazon ich prijal do svojho domu. Všetci porušujú cisárove nariadenia, lebo tvrdia, že pravým kráľom je Ježiš.“8Tieto slová popudili dav aj členov mestskej rady.9Ale keď Jazon aj ostatní zaplatili záruku, prepustili ich.
Nové ťažkosti v Berei
10Hneď v tú noc vypravili bratia Pavla a Sílasa do Berey. Keď ta prišli, zamierili rovno do židovskej synagógy.11Tamojší Židia boli omnoho prístupnejší ako v Tesalonike. Veľmi dychtivo prijímali zvestované slovo, každý deň študovali Písmo a skúmali, či sa Pavlova zvesť zhoduje s predpoveďami prorokov.12Mnohí z nich uverili, medzi nimi aj nemálo Grékov, mužov i žien z vyšších vrstiev.13No len čo sa Židia v Tesalonike dozvedeli, že Pavol káže v Berei, hneď ta prišli, poburovali a štvali ľudí proti nim.14Preto bratia vypravili Pavla na pobrežie a niektorí ho vyprevadili až do Atén. Sílas a Timotej zostali zatiaľ v Berei,15ale Pavol im po svojich sprievodcoch odkázal, aby čo najskôr prišli za ním.16Kým Pavol v Aténach čakal na Sílasa a Timoteja, bol hlboko znepokojený pri pohľade na množstvo pohanských modiel, obrazov i sôch, s ktorými sa stretával v meste na každom kroku.17Deň čo deň sa zhováral so Židmi aj bohabojnými Grékmi v synagóge, ale vychádzal aj na námestia a debatoval so všetkými, čo tam práve boli.18Tak sa dostal do rozhovoru aj s aténskymi filozofmi, epikurejcami a stoikmi. Hovoril im o Ježišovi a o tom, že vstal z mŕtvych, no reagovali rozlične. Jedni vraveli: „Nepočúvajte toho táraja!“ Iní zasa: „Chce tu zaviesť akési nové náboženstvo!“19Pozvali ho teda na Areopág, ktorý bol verejným rečníckym fórom. Tam sa ho spýtali: „Smieme sa dozvedieť, aké nové učenie to hlásaš?20Hovoríš prekvapujúce veci a radi by sme sa o tom dozvedeli čosi viac.“21Najväčšou záľubou Aténčanov, ako aj v meste žijúcich cudzincov bolo totiž oznamovať i dozvedať sa najnovšie zaujímavosti a správy.22Pavol teda vystúpil pred všetkých, ktorí sa zhromaždili na Areopágu, a oslovil ich: „Vážení Aténčania! Potešilo ma, že ste ľudia túžiaci po Bohu.23Keď som sa totiž prechádzal po meste a prezeral si vaše posvätné miesta, našiel som aj oltár s nápisom Neznámemu Bohu. A tohto Boha, ktorého uctievate, hoci ho nepoznáte, vám dnes chcem zvestovať.24Je to Boh, ktorý stvoril svet aj všetko, čo je na ňom. No jeho, ktorý ovláda zem i vesmír, si nemôžete postaviť ako sochu do svojich chrámov.25Nie je závislý od toho, či ho niekto uctieva alebo mu prináša obete.26Veď on sám vdýchol všetkému život a dáva aj všetko, čo je pre život potrebné.27On stvoril všetkých ľudí na zemi z jedného muža, Adama, a umožnil im bývať na celom zemskom povrchu. On určil, ako dlho a kde majú žiť. To všetko urobil, lebo chcel, aby ho ľudia hľadali, pátrali po ňom a našli ho. Veď je nám tak blízko.28On rozhodol o dĺžke ich života. Vďaka nemu žijeme, pohybujeme sa i jestvujeme, tak ako to vyjadrili aj niektorí z vašich básnikov: Sme jeho deti, jeho rodina.29Ak teda pochádzame z Boha, je nezmyselné sa domnievať, že sa Boh podobá modle, ktorú človek vytvoril zo zlata, zo striebra, alebo vytesal z kameňa. Veď je to iba výtvor ľudského umenia a zručnosti.30Doposiaľ to ľudia nemohli pochopiť a Boh im to odpustil. Ale teraz prikazuje všetkým ľuďom na celom svete, aby sa odvrátili od modiel a uctievali iba jeho.31Lebo už sa blíži deň, keď bude spravodlivo súdiť svet prostredníctvom muža, ktorého na to určil. Všetkým ľuďom o tom poskytol dôkaz, keď ho vzkriesil z mŕtvych.32Keď poslucháči počuli, že niekto, kto zomrel, vstal z mŕtvych, poniektorí sa začali Pavlovi posmievať a iní mu povedali: „Radi sa o tom dozvieme viac, ale až inokedy.“33Po týchto slovách Pavol odišiel z Areopágu.34Ale niektorých jeho reč predsa zaujala a uverili. Bol medzi nimi aj Dionýz, člen mestskej rady, žena, ktorá sa volala Damaris, a niektorí iní.
1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. (Sk 20,4; Flp 4,16; 1 Sol 1,1)2And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (Sk 8,35; Sk 13,5)3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (Lk 24,26; Lk 24,32; Jn 20,9; Sk 3,18)4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. (Jn 7,35; Sk 14,4; Sk 17,12; 1 Sol 2,1)5But the Jews[1] were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. (Sdc 9,4; Sdc 11,3; 2 Krn 13,7; Sk 5,17; Sk 13,50; 1 Sol 2,14)6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, (Sk 16,19)7and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Lk 2,1; Lk 23,2; Sk 16,4)8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Paul and Silas in Berea
10The brothers[2] immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. (Jn 21,23; Sk 17,2; Sk 17,14)11Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Iz 34,16; Jn 5,39)12Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. (Sk 13,50; Sk 17,4)13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. (Sk 17,8)14Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. (Mt 10,23; Sk 16,1; Sk 17,10)15Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. (Sk 15,3; Sk 18,1; Sk 18,5; 1 Sol 3,1)
Paul in Athens
16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. (Iz 2,8; 2 Pt 2,8)17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. (Sk 13,5)18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. (Sk 4,2; Sk 5,42; Sk 17,31; 1 Kor 4,10; 1 Kor 15,12)19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? (Mk 1,27; Jn 7,16; Sk 17,22; Sk 17,34; Hebr 13,9)20For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” (Oz 8,12; 1 Pt 4,4; 1 Pt 4,12)21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
Paul Addresses the Areopagus
22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. (Jn 4,22; Sk 17,30; 1 Kor 15,34)24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,[3] (Dt 10,14; Ž 115,16; Iz 42,5; Mt 11,25; Sk 7,48; Sk 14,15)25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Gn 2,7; Gn 7,22; 1 Krn 29,14; 1 Krn 29,16; Jób 22,2; Jób 27,3; Jób 33,4; Ž 50,8; Kaz 12,7; Zach 12,1; Sk 17,28; 1 Tim 6,17; Jak 1,5; Jak 1,17)26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (Gn 3,20; Gn 11,8; Dt 32,8; Jób 12,23; Jób 14,5; Ž 74,17; Mal 2,10; Lk 21,35)27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, (Dt 4,7; Jób 23,3; Jób 23,8; Ž 145,18; Jer 23,23; Sk 14,17; Sk 15,17)28for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;[4] as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’[5] (Jób 12,10; Dan 5,23; Tit 1,12; Hebr 2,11)29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. (Iz 40,18; Iz 40,25; Iz 46,5; Lk 3,38; Rim 1,23; Hebr 12,9)30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, (Mk 1,15; Mk 6,12; Sk 14,16; Sk 17,23; Rim 3,25; Ef 4,18; Tit 2,11; 1 Pt 1,14; 1 Pt 4,3)31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Ž 9,8; Ž 96,13; Ž 98,9; Iz 2,12; Mt 12,36; Jn 16,10; Sk 2,24; Sk 10,42; Rim 1,4; Rim 2,16; Rim 3,6; 1 Kor 3,13; 2 Tim 4,8; 1 Pt 2,23; 2 Pt 2,9; 1 Jn 4,17)32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” (Sk 2,13; Sk 17,18; Sk 24,25; Sk 26,8; Hebr 6,2)33So Paul went out from their midst.34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. (Sk 17,19; Sk 17,22)