Acts 17:22

King James Version (KJV)

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.

Translations

Acts 17:22 - Amplified Bible

So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious {or} very reverent to demons.

Acts 17:22 - American Standard Version

And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious.

Acts 17:22 - Bible in Basic English

And Paul got to his feet on Mars' Hill and said, O men of Athens, I see that you are overmuch given to fear of the gods.

Acts 17:22 - Darby Bible

And Paul standing in the midst of Areopagus said, Athenians, in every way I see you given up to demon worship;

Acts 17:22 - English Standard Version

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

Acts 17:22 - King James Version

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.

Acts 17:22 - La Biblia de las Americas

Entonces Pablo poniéndose en pie en medio del Areòpago, dijo: Varones atenienses, percibo que sois muy religiosos en todo sentido.

Acts 17:22 - The Message

So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with.

Acts 17:22 - New American Standard Bible

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

Acts 17:22 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

Entonces Pablo poniéndose en pie en medio del Areòpago, dijo: "Varones Atenienses, percibo que ustedes son muy religiosos en todo sentido.

Acts 17:22 - World English Bible

Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

Acts 17:22 - Young's Living Translation

And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;

Acts 17:22 - Additional Comments

Note the approach Paul takes - he addresses them properly, knowing that he can lose an audience in the first few minutes. Again, he knew the audience, and knew how to step into their world to bring them into his.
This is one reason why you can't just bring a person to church to hear the gospel, because what is presented there may not be where (spiritually) you need to start with a person to get them to listen.
It seems like preaching to these folks would be much more difficult than preaching to the Jews, because you could tell the Jews this Jesus is your Messiah. But with these folks, there is no frame of reference to start from, except (verse 23) the unknown god that they have been serving. There is a lot more to communicate here.
"Very religious" might be translated now to "very spiritual", as seen by these instances of what has been described as "spiritual". "Spiritual" can mean affecting the spirit.
- On a CD there was "very spiritual but electrifying flute playing".
- "One of the things that I run into a lot, is the confusion between Spirituality and Religion. These are definitely two very different things. One can be very spiritual and not religious. One can also be very religious, but not very spiritual. One can be neither, or both... I prefer to think in terms of Spirituality. To me, this means my own relationship with Spirit/God/Goddess/All That Is. The way I live my life comes from that relationship. This does not necessitate a religion in the traditional organized sense. People were very spiritual long before there were religious... To me, Light & Love are the foundation. The energy of which everything is comprised. The way back to the One."
- "Witches, Wiccans and Pagans... The Glory of the Pagan Festival... Workshops, Drumming til dawn, Vendors, camping, lots of magic and the simple life. The third annual Gaea Goddess Gathering "Share the Wisdom and Pass the Lore" (festival) ... The Goddess blessed us with over 200 Women and Children in attendance from all walks of life. The Goddess also blessed us, with a very spiritual and soul building weekend. The first spiritual event was driving through the Front Gate of Gaea and being met by Mother Nature herself and knowing that I had a full four days of being with her and enjoying her beauty in every thing around me. The annual opening wind chime ritual in Venus Mound was the first Spiritual Involvement that we all enjoyed together as a group. The inspiring ritual was followed by a very informative workshop presented by Barbara Criswell owner of Aquarius on the "Mystical Magick in Stones."
- "Elizabeth is a wonderful example of someone who through her practice of Kriya Yoga today leads a very busy life and yet remains calm and peaceful. The Kriya Yoga technique will teach you how to maintain peace within, at all times, while dealing with the turmoil of the world around you! She shares with her students the benefits of Kriya Yoga, which can be practiced by all people of all religions. Kriya is the simple and practical scientific technique that will accelerate your spiritual development beyond imagination."

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