Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Acts 17

Act 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

as his manner was

Act 16:10; Luk 4:16; Act 9:20; 13:5, 14; 14:1; 16:13; 19:8.

Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

Christ

the Christ, i.e. that, according to the Scriptures, the Messiah must die and rise again. That Jesus was the Messiah was the second part of his argument.

must needs have suffered

Cf. Luk 24:26, 46.

risen again

Resurrection. Act 16:3, 31; 20:9, 12. (Job 19:25; 1 Cor 15:52.)

Jesus…is Christ

Act 18:5, 28.

Act 17:4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

believed

were persuaded.

chief women

Act 13:50; Phl 4:3.

Act 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

lewd

vile.

of the baser sort

of the rabble.

Jason

Rom 16:21.

Act 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

drew

dragged. Scofield Acts 16:19, ref.

Act 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

another king

Luk 23:2; Jhn 19:12; 1Pe 2:13.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

readiness of mind

Act 16:14.

searched the scriptures daily

Luk 16:29; Jhn 5:39; Act 26:22-23.

Act 17:12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Therefore many of them believed

Illustrates Jhn 5:46. Believing the O.T. they believed the Gospel.

honourable women which were Greeks

Greek women of honourable estate.

Act 17:15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him

Act 18:5.

Act 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry

provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.

Act 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

disputed

reasoned.

Act 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

Epicureans

Disciples of Epicurus, B.C. 342-271, who abandoned as hopeless the search by reason for pure truth (cf. Jhn 18:38), seeking instead true pleasure through experience.

Stoicks

Disciples of Zeno, B.C. 280, and Chrysippus, B.C. 240. This philosophy was founded on human self-sufficiency, inculcated stern self-repression, the solidarity of the race, and the unity of Deity. Epicureans and Stocis divided the apostolic world.

preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection

1Co 2:2; 15:12.

Act 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

Areopagus

Mars' hill.

Act 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

your devotions

the objects of your worship.

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD

Rom 1:19-21; 1Co 1:21; 1Th 4:5.

Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

God that made

The God who made, etc.

world

i.e. earth.

dwelleth not in temples made with hands

Act 7:48-50.

Act 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

worshipped

he served by. Psa 50:8.

giveth to all life, and breath, and all things

Gen 2:7; Num 16:22; Isa 42:5; Dan 5:23.

Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

blood

"blood" is not in the best manuscripts. R.V. omits.

the bounds of their habitation

Deu 32:8.

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

the Lord, if haply

God, if haply, etc.

not far from every one of us

Psa 139:7-10; Jer 23:23-24; Act 14:17.

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

For we are also his offspring.

Found in the writings of Aratus and Cleanthes.

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

offspring of God

Num 16:22; Luk 3:38.

Greek genos = "race." The reference is to the creation-work of God in which He made man (i.e. mankind, the race in Adam) in his own likeness, Gen 1:26-27, thus rebuking the thought that "the Godhead is like unto gold," etc. The word "Father" is not used, not does the passage affirm anything concerning fatherhood or sonship, which are relationships based on faith, and the new birth. Cf. Jhn 1:12-13; Gal 3:26; 4:1-7; Jhn 5:1.

gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art

Psa 115:4-7; Isa 40:18-19; Dan 3:1.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

winked at

overlooked. Cf. Rom 3:25.

repent

Repentance. (Mat 3:2)

Repentance is the translation of a Greek word (metanoia—metanoeo) meaning "to have another mind," "to change the mind," and is used in the N.T. to indicate a change of mind in respect of sin, of God, and of self. This change of mind may, especially in the case of Christians who have fallen into sin, be preceded by sorrow (2Co 7:8-11), but sorrow for sin, though it may "work" repentance, is not repentance. The son in Mat 21:28-29 illustrates true repentance. Saving faith (Scofield Hebrews 11:39, note) includes and implies that change of mind which is called repentance.

Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

appointed a day

Day of Judgment. Heb 9:27. (Mat 10:15; Rev 20:11).

judge

Judgments (the seven). Rom 8:1. R.V. (2Sa 7:14; Rev 22:12).

world

oikoumene = inhabited earth (Luk 2:1).

assurance

Assurance. Rom 8:29-34. (Isa 32:17; Jde 1:1.)

raised him from the dead

Act 17:18; Rom 1:4; Rev 1:18.

Act 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

some mocked

1Co 1:18; 1Co 15:12.

hear thee again of this matter

Act 5:38-39; 24:25.