Acts 17 32

Acts 17:32 kjv

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

Acts 17:32 nkjv

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter."

Acts 17:32 niv

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."

Acts 17:32 esv

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."

Acts 17:32 nlt

When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, "We want to hear more about this later."

Acts 17 verses

Acts 17 32 Meaning

Acts 17:32 records the immediate reactions of Paul's Athenian audience, comprised mainly of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, when he introduced the concept of the bodily resurrection from the dead. It details a distinct division: some openly mocked his words, dismissing the idea as absurd or unbelievable, while others chose to defer their engagement, indicating a polite, yet non-committal, willingness to hear more on the subject at a later time. This moment was the pivotal point of Paul's sermon on Mars Hill, highlighting the profound philosophical clash between Greek thought and the Gospel's truth.

Acts 17 32 Context

Acts 17:32 follows Paul's profound discourse in Athens. Having observed their extreme religiosity and the "altar to the unknown god," Paul seized the opportunity to declare the true God—the Creator of the universe, the sovereign Lord who does not dwell in man-made temples, and the one who has appointed a day to judge the world righteously through a man whom He has raised from the dead. This specific point of Jesus' resurrection (Acts 17:31) was the apex of his sermon, intended to prove God's absolute power and authority, and His promise of future judgment.

Historically and culturally, the Athenian audience at the Areopagus consisted largely of intellectual elites, primarily Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Epicureans, who valued pleasure (understood as the absence of pain and distress), believed the soul dissolved at death and saw no divine involvement in human affairs, thus rejecting bodily resurrection as contrary to their atomic theory. Stoics, who focused on living in harmony with nature and divine reason, saw the soul as part of the divine fire that eventually reabsorbed into the cosmos, likewise finding individual bodily resurrection a nonsensical concept. Paul's emphasis on resurrection was a direct challenge to their established worldviews, leading to the sharply divided reactions recorded in this verse.

Acts 17 32 Word analysis

• Now when they heard (ἀκούσαντες - akousantes, aorist participle of ἀκούω - akouō, "to hear"): This signifies that upon the very reception of this particular doctrine, their reactions manifested immediately. It denotes the moment of cognitive apprehension that triggered their responses.
• of the resurrection (ἀνάστασιν - anastasin, from ἀνάστασις - anastasis): Literally meaning "a standing up again." This Greek term is pivotal, signifying a re-animation of the body, distinct from Greek philosophical concepts of immortality of the soul or disembodied spirits. For Paul, it referred specifically to the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ and the future bodily resurrection of the dead.
• of the dead (νεκρῶν - nekrōn, genitive plural of νεκρός - nekros): Refers to deceased persons, making clear that it is bodily resurrection Paul speaks of, not just spiritual immortality.
• some mocked (οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύαζον - hoi men echleuazon): "Some indeed mocked." The verb ἐχλεύαζον (echleuazon) is in the imperfect tense, suggesting ongoing or habitual mockery, indicating an ingrained intellectual dismissal or scorn. To "mock" (χλευάζω - chleuazō) is to jeer, ridicule, or scoff, reflecting outright disdain for the idea, likely finding it utterly absurd and beneath philosophical consideration.
• while others said (οἱ δὲ εἶπον - hoi de eipon): "But others said." This marks the alternative reaction.
• We will hear you again (Ἀκουσόμεθά σου πάλιν - Akousometha sou palin): Akousometha is a future middle indicative of akouō, conveying a polite, yet non-committal, intention to listen again. The phrase implies a deferral rather than outright acceptance or rejection, perhaps out of politeness or genuine, but nascent, curiosity.
• on this matter (περὶ τούτου - peri toutou): "Concerning this," or "about this particular subject." It isolates the resurrection as the point of interest or contention.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "resurrection of the dead": This phrase was the specific point of offense or intrigue. For the Greeks, a resurrected body was grotesque or nonsensical, especially given their emphasis on the soul's liberation from the corporeal. This was a direct collision between Jewish-Christian eschatology and Greek metaphysics.
• "some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter'": These two contrasting responses represent the typical division seen when the Gospel is proclaimed. One group dismisses it outright as foolishness (cf. 1 Cor 1:23), driven by intellectual pride or existing paradigms, while the other maintains an openness, even if it is hesitant or not yet conviction-driven. This indicates that while the Gospel message causes division, it also leaves an opening for future engagement with some.

Acts 17 32 Bonus section

The immediate division observed in Acts 17:32 reflects the very nature of the Gospel as a testing stone, a message that polarizes. It underscores that intellectual prowess or philosophical sophistication, without humility, can be a major barrier to accepting God's truth, as it did for many Epicureans and Stoics whose worldview prioritized human reason over divine revelation. While Paul's sermon didn't result in a widespread conversion on Mars Hill, it was not entirely in vain. The following verse (Acts 17:34) mentions that "some believed," including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. This demonstrates that even amidst widespread rejection or deferral, God's Word still accomplishes its purpose, finding those receptive hearts even in the most unlikely intellectual fortresses. The differing responses also highlight the fact that spiritual understanding is not merely a matter of intellect, but also of the heart and spiritual openness.

Acts 17 32 Commentary

Acts 17:32 encapsulates the quintessential reception of the Gospel when presented in a foreign intellectual landscape. Paul’s strategy on Mars Hill was brilliant, engaging his sophisticated audience on their own terms, appealing to their philosophical curiosity before culminating in the resurrection. However, it was precisely at this crucial doctrine—the physical resurrection from the dead, grounded in Jesus' own resurrection—that his discourse sharply diverged from prevailing Greek philosophical thought. For the Athenians, who generally regarded the body as a prison or a lesser part of existence, and who held to either a dissolution of the soul at death (Epicureans) or its absorption back into a divine essence (Stoics), the idea of a bodily resurrection was not just foreign, but anathema and absurd.

This verse reveals two fundamental types of human response to radical truth: open scorn and cautious procrastination. The "mockers" were likely those who found the idea irreconcilable with their established philosophical frameworks, perceiving it as an unintellectual and primitive concept. Their mocking signifies intellectual arrogance and a closed mind. The "others" who sought to "hear again" demonstrate a varied disposition: some perhaps genuinely intrigued but not yet convinced, others possibly deferring out of politeness rather than conviction, unwilling to immediately accept or reject such a novel concept. What is clear is that the message of resurrection, central to the Gospel and proof of Christ's authority and future judgment, served as a clear dividing line, distinguishing between those who would close themselves off from truth and those who might, in time, open themselves to it. This scene powerfully illustrates that the truth of Christ remains a stumbling block to some and wisdom to others.