1 NOW when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: [This is written in contrast to Acts 16 where in Phillipi there was no synagogue - which as ]

2 And Paul, [According to Joseph Smith in the school of instruction in Kirkland he said of Paul - he was about 5 feet tall, had dark eyes and dark skin, and black hair. When he spoke he tended to whine except when he was elevated during which time he spoke as thhough he had the roar of a lion - he was as great as any orator of his time] as his manner was, [Paul had a method for teaching - the first place in the city that Paul goes to preach is usually the synagogue. See acts 14:1] went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them [And How does he do that? 1) Teaches using the scriptures, 2) shows the promises of salvation that come from his suffering on the cross 3) That he fulfilled prophecy in rising from the dead 4) That Jesus is the promished messiah] 1) out of the scriptures,

3 Opening and 2) alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, [ Why is this an important teaching to those who were Jews? Jews believe that If they go thru the steps to repent Recognition, Remorse, Desist from that sin, Restitution and then Confession which has two parts ritual and personal confession to God - Once these steps are completed they are washed of their sins - it is as though it had never happened. THis relationship or repentance takes place between them personall and God. Hence there is no need in their eyes for a Saviour from sin. ] and 3) risen again from the dead; and that this 4) Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

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.

5 ¶ But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, [ possibly a more correct translation would be "those who transact business in courts of justice". These were probably a low kind of lawyers, what we would call attorneys without principle, ones that give advice for a trifle ] 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.

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;

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

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

10 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 These were more noble [ They were honest and upright people hence they 1) were ready to receive the word 2) Why because they search the scriptures daily ] than those in Thessalonica, in that they 1) received the word with all readiness of mind, and 2) searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

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

13 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.

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

15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: [ What do we know form history about Athens? It is the seat of government, cultural and intellectual center of the world at that time. The market places and almost every where were lined with great and want to be great philosphers. ] and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

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

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.

18 Then certain philosophers [ How does philosophy compare to religion? True religion has trueth revealed from god - Philisophy tries to decide eternal realities by reason alone. ] of the Epicureans, [ A well known school teaching atheistic principles like pleasure is the chief end of human existance ] and of the Stoicks, [ a school ,that taught that the universe was ruled by deity that controlled the universe with iron law- law which was passionless to human will ] encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler [ this un-taught and un-learned man, this mormon elder ] say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: [ as Paul is teaching them of Christ it would centainly appear to them that Jesus was a strange God - one which did not fit their philosophical description of a God - there Gods were known by reason, not by revelation ] because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, [ "Areopagus",the Easton's Bible Dictionary entry: the Latin form of the Greek word rendered "Mars' hill." But it denotes also the council or court of justice which met in the open air on the hill. It was a rocky height to the west of the Acropolis at Athens, on the south-east summit of which the council was held which was constituted by solon, and consisted of nine archons or chief magistrates who were then in office, and the ex-archons of blameless life. ] saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (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.) [they spend their whole days just reasoning with each other - playing philosophical ping pong so to speak.]

22 ¶ Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. [When one has and uses superstition what is is really doing? He is using rabbits foots, charms, omens whatever as a form of worship- false worship then. So in otherword you are too much into false beliefs.]

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, [ good teachers are alway looking for object lessons - Paul does not miss a beat with this obvious object lesson. ] TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. [ I personally know this man - God - Jesus Christ- he is not an unknown God to me (Paul) ]

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; [ See Acts 7:48 With whose hands? The hands of men, and when men choose to worship the works of their own hands they are not worshipping God. ]

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;

26 And hath made of one blood [ all men are brothers - he is the father of all men ] all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, [ god sends his children to earth at their appointed time - it is done on a systematic, organized and regular schedule. It is not haphazard or accidential either in the assignment or land or race. ] and the bounds of their habitation; [ When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance...he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. Not only Israel, but all groups were thus foreknown" Mormon Doct p 616 ]

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply [ by accident; or even if by accident] they might feel [God is known by feeling, or revelation not reason. So since the gentiles did not understand revelation - they are left to grope after him, as a person does his way who is blind or blindfolded. ] after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; [ Paul is drawing on their own philosophical background in an effort to teach them. But the message he is teaching is that we live under the light that he provides, his power and influence see D&C 88:12 ] as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. [ Paul is quoting one of their great poets Aratus who lived about 300 years prior to Paul, in whose poem, entitled Phaenomena, the words quoted by Paul are to be found literally - So maybe he is not So un-learned as they had supposed. Thus,we were born in the eternities from him as our father, and an eternal mother - long before the foundations of this world were made. ]

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead [ the original word Bhargas, which is often translated as Godhead, the root of the word consists of three consonants, and is derived from bha: to shine; ram: to delight; and gam: to move. ] is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. [ v. 29 Paul is commenting on the Stoic philosopher Seneca (ca. 4 B.C - 65 A.D.) So Paul is giving this as his reasoning : "If we are the offspring of God, he cannot be like those images of gold, silver, and stone, which are formed by the art and device of man; for the parent must resemble his offspring. ]

30 And the times of this ^aignorance [ those who worship false gods of any kind because they just don't know better. ] God winked at; [ signifies simply to look over; and seems to be here used in the sense of passing by, not particularly noticing it. In other words they are not comdemed until they know the truth. ] but now commandeth all men every where to repent: [ and when they know the trueth they are commanded to repent or be held accountable. See v3 ]

31 Because he hath appointed a day, [ He has fixed the time ] in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ ] whom he [ God ] hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance [ provided a witness after the manner that the prophets of old testified that he would and this witness proves to the world that everything that he said would happen will happen - including the judgement of all men ] unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. [the witness was in the ressurrection of Christ, that on the morning of the third day he would rise from the dead. This in essence proves his divine sonship.]

32 ¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: [Why would this create such a problem for some - talking about the ressurrection? Much of the audience here is Greek - and greeks believe that as one progresses he casts of much of the physical nature so to get the physical body back is really a step backward for them and goes against everything that they believe.] and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. [ sort of like yeah right - well talk again. A little more polite than the first group who mocked him becuase the idea was so foreign. ]

33 so Paul departed from among them.

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.