Ac 17:1
17:1 Now {1} when they had passed through Amphipolis and
     Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue
     of the Jews:

 (1) The casting out of Silas and Paul was the saving of many
     others.

Ac 17:3
17:3 {2} 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.

 (2) Christ is therefore the mediator, because he was crucified
     and rose again: and he is certainly not to be rejected
     because the cross is shameful.

Ac 17:5
17:5 {3} But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took
     unto them certain {a} 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.

 (3) Although the zeal of the unfaithful seems ever so virtuous,
     yet at length it is found to have neither truth nor
     fairness.  Yet the wicked cannot do what they wish, for
     even among themselves God stirs up some, whose help he uses
     for the deliverance of his own.
     (a) Certain companions which do nothing but walk the
         streets, wicked men, to be hired for every man's money
         to do any mischief, such as we commonly call the
         rabble and very cesspools and dunghill knaves of all
         towns and cities.

Ac 17:6
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 {b} world upside down are come hither also;

     (b) Into whatever country and place they come, they cause
         sedition and tumult.

Ac 17:9
17:9 And when they had taken {c} security of Jason, and of the
     other, they let them go.

     (c) When Jason had put them in good assurance that they
         would appear.

Ac 17:10
17:10 {4} And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas
      by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the
      synagogue of the Jews.

 (4) That is indeed the wisdom of the Spirit which always sets
     the glory of God before itself as a mark with which it
     directs itself, and never wavers from it.

Ac 17:11
17:11 {5} These were more {d} 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.

 (5) The Lord sets out in one short period of time, and in one
     people, different examples of his unsearchable wisdom to
     cause them to fear him.
     (d) He compares the Jews with the Jews.

Ac 17:13
17:13 {6} But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that
      the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came
      thither also, and stirred up the people.

 (6) Satan has his who are zealous for him, and those who one
     would least suspect.

Ac 17:14
17:14 {7} And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go
      as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there
      still.

 (7) There is neither counsel, nor fury, nor madness against the
     Lord.

Ac 17:15
17:15 {8} And they that conducted Paul {e} brought him unto
      Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and
      Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they
      departed.

 (8) The sheep of Christ also watch their pastor's health and
     safety, but yet in the Lord.
     (e) It is not for nothing that the Jews of Berea were so
         commended, for they brought Paul safe from Macedonia to
         Athens, and there is in between these two
         places all of Thessalia, and Boeotia, and Attica.

Ac 17:16
17:16 {9} Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit
      was {f} stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given
      to {g} idolatry.

 (9) In comparing the wisdom of God with man's wisdom, men scoff
     and mock at that which they do not understand: and God uses
     the curiosity of fools to gather together his elect.
     (f) He could not forbear.
     (g) Slavishly given to idolatry: Pausanias writes that
         there were more idols in Athens than in all Greece;
         yea they had altars dedicated to Shame, and Fame, and
         Lust, whom they made goddesses.

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

      (h) Whoever Paul met with that would allow him to talk
          with him, he reasoned with him, so thoroughly did he
          burn with the zeal of God's glory.

Ac 17:18
17:18 {10} Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of
      the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will
      this {i} babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a
      setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto
      them Jesus, and the resurrection.

 (10) Two special sects of the philosophers set themselves
      against Christ: the Epicures, who mock and scoff at
      religion: and the Stoics, who decide religious matters
      according to their own thinking.
      (i) Literally, "seed gatherer": a borrowed kind of speech
          taken from birds which spoil corn, and is applied to
          those who without any skill blurt out the knowledge
          which they have gotten by hearing this man and that
          man.

Ac 17:19
17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto {k} Areopagus,
      saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou
      speakest, [is]?

      (k) This was a place called, as one would say, Mars hill,
          where the judges sat who were called Areopagita upon
          important matters, who in ancient time arraigned
          Socrates, and afterward condemned him of impiety.

Ac 17:21
17:21 {11} (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there
      spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or
      to hear some new thing.)

 (11) The wisdom of man is vanity.

Ac 17:22
17:22 {12} Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said,
      [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are
      too {l} superstitious.

 (12) The idolaters themselves provide most strong and forcible
      arguments against their own superstition.
      (l) To stand in too foolish and slavish a fear of your
          gods.

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

      (m) Whatever men worship for religion's sake, that we call
          religion.
      (n) Pausanias in his Atticis makes mention of the altar
          which the Athenians had dedicated to unknown gods: and
          Laertius in his Epimenides makes mention of an altar
          that had no name entitled upon it.

Ac 17:24
17:24 {13} 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;

 (13) It is a most foolish and vain thing to compare the Creator
      with the creature, to limit him within a place who can
      be comprehended in no place, and to think to allure him
      with gifts, from whom all men have received all things
      whatever they have: and these are the fountains of all
      idolatry.

Ac 17:26
17:26 {14} And hath made of {o} 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;

 (14) God is wonderful in all his works, but especially in the
      work of man: not that we should stand amazed at his works,
      but that we should lift our eyes to the workman.
      (o) Of one stock and one beginning.

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

      (p) For as blind men we could not seek out God except by
          groping, before the true light came and enlightened
          the world.

Ac 17:29
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, {q} graven by art and man's device.

      (q) Which things (gold, silver, and stones) are custom
          engraved as much as a man's mind can devise, for men
          will not worship those things as they are, unless by
          some art it has formed into an image of some sort.

Ac 17:30
17:30 {15} And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but
      now commandeth all men every where to repent:

 (15) The oldness of the error does not excuse those that err,
      but it commends and sets forth the patience of God, who
      nonetheless will be a just judge to those who condemn him.

Ac 17:31
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 {r} assurance unto
      all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.

      (r) By declaring Christ to be the judge of the world
          through the resurrection from the dead.

Ac 17:32
17:32 {16} And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead,
      some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of
      this [matter].

 (16) Men, to show forth their vanity, are affected and moved
      differently by the very same Gospel, which nonetheless
      does not cease to be effectual in the elect.