Acts 17:34 - Damaris | Women of the Bible

Certain Men Clave Unto Him and Believed

“Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” — Acts 17:34 KJV

Acts 17:34 closes Paul's remarkable encounter in Athens at the Areopagus. Paul had entered a city filled with idols and encountered philosophers who wanted to hear his teaching. He proclaimed the Creator, called the people to repentance, announced coming judgment, and declared that God had raised Jesus from the dead.

The responses were divided. Some mocked. Others postponed a decision, saying, “We will hear thee again of this matter.” But Acts 17:34 introduces a third response:

Some believed.

“Howbeit Certain Men”

The word “Howbeit” marks a contrast with what happened immediately before.

Acts 17:32 says:

“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 KJV

Three responses to the gospel appear in this passage:

Some mocked.
Some postponed.
Some believed.

The same message was preached, but it did not produce the same response in every hearer.

This is an important lesson for anyone who teaches or shares God's Word. We cannot measure the truth of the message merely by the number of people who immediately receive it.

Paul preached faithfully.

Some rejected him.

But some believed.

“Clave Unto Him”

Luke says:

“certain men clave unto him…”

The Greek verb translated “clave” (kollaō) carries the sense of joining, attaching, or closely associating oneself with another.

These hearers did more than find Paul's speech intellectually interesting.

They attached themselves to him and embraced the message he proclaimed.

There is a difference between being interested in the gospel and responding to the gospel in faith.

Athens was filled with people interested in ideas.

Acts 17:21 tells us:

“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.” — Acts 17:21 KJV

Paul did not come merely to give them another philosophy to discuss.

He called them to repent and believe.

“And Believed”

This is the heart of the verse:

“and believed…”

The gospel demanded a response.

Paul had declared:

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” — Acts 17:30 KJV

He then proclaimed resurrection and coming judgment.

Some laughed.

Some delayed.

But these people believed.

The Greek verb behind “believed,” pisteuō, carries the idea of believing, trusting, or having faith.

They moved beyond curiosity concerning Paul's message to faith in what was being proclaimed.

“Dionysius the Areopagite”

Luke specifically names:

“Dionysius the Areopagite…”

An Areopagite was a member of the Areopagus, the Athenian council associated with the setting in which Paul had just spoken.

This makes Dionysius particularly interesting.

He was connected with the very intellectual and civic environment in which Paul was proclaiming Christ.

Yet education, social position, and association with Athenian institutions did not prevent him from believing the gospel.

The gospel reached a man within Athens' influential circles.

But Luke does not stop with Dionysius.

“And a Woman Named Damaris”

Scripture then says:

“and a woman named Damaris…”

Luke deliberately records her name.

We should be careful not to invent details Scripture does not provide. Acts does not tell us Damaris's occupation, marital status, ministry role, or social position.

What Scripture does tell us is important enough:

Her name was Damaris, she heard the message, and she became one of those who believed.

In a passage describing the gospel's entrance into the philosophical environment of Athens, Scripture remembers this woman by name.

Damaris Heard the Same Gospel

Damaris was present in a setting where Paul addressed profound theological questions.

Paul spoke concerning:

God as Creator.
Humanity's dependence upon God.
Idolatry.
Repentance.
Judgment.
The resurrection.

Damaris heard this proclamation and believed.

Her presence is another reminder that women were among those hearing and responding to apostolic teaching as the gospel spread throughout the Roman world.

“And Others with Them”

Luke adds:

“and others with them.”

Dionysius and Damaris were not alone.

There were additional believers whose names Scripture does not record.

This teaches us something important about God's kingdom.

Some servants of God are remembered by name.

Others remain unnamed in the biblical record.

But unnamed does not mean unknown to God.

God knew every person represented by the words:

“others with them.”

Do Not Despise a Small Response

Acts 17 does not record the kind of large response seen at Pentecost, where about three thousand souls were added.

At Athens, Luke simply tells us that certain people believed.

Yet Scripture records them.

This teaches us not to despise what appears to be a small response to faithful ministry.

One person believing matters.

One woman responding to the gospel matters.

One influential man turning toward Christ matters.

One unnamed person believing matters.

The power of ministry should not be measured only by crowds.

The Resurrection Became the Dividing Point

Notice what triggered the strongest reaction:

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked…” — Acts 17:32 KJV

The resurrection forced Paul's hearers to respond.

Paul was not simply presenting a philosophical concept of God.

He was proclaiming that God had acted decisively in history and had given assurance concerning coming judgment by raising Jesus from the dead.

The resurrection remains central to the gospel.

Paul later wrote:

“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” — 1 Corinthians 15:14 KJV

Christian faith rests upon a risen Christ.

Do Not Be a Mocker

Some heard and mocked.

Mockery is one possible response to truth.

A person can hear something serious from God and turn it into something to ridicule.

But the mockery of others did not prevent Dionysius, Damaris, and the others from believing.

This is important.

Do not allow someone else's unbelief to determine your response to God.

The crowd may laugh.

Friends may reject.

Intellectual culture may question.

But every person must respond personally to the truth.

Do Not Continually Postpone

Another group said:

“We will hear thee again of this matter.”

They did not openly mock Paul.

But neither does Luke tell us here that they believed.

Their response was essentially:

Later.

There is a spiritual danger in continually postponing our response to truth.

Tomorrow can become next week.

Next week can become next year.

And eventually, a person can become accustomed to hearing truth without responding to it.

Dionysius and Damaris did something different.

They believed.

Personal Application

Acts 17:34 asks us to consider how we respond when God's Word confronts us.

Do we mock what makes us uncomfortable?

Do we postpone obedience by saying, “I will deal with that later”?

Or do we believe and respond?

There is also encouragement here for those who minister God's Word.

You may teach faithfully and not see a large response.

Do not assume that nothing happened.

Paul walked away from the Areopagus with some mocking him and others postponing their response.

Yet Scripture says:

“Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed.”

There was fruit.

There was Dionysius.

There was Damaris.

And there were “others with them.”

Never measure the value of faithful ministry only by numbers.

Speak the truth.

Preach Christ.

Teach the Word.

Leave the results with God.

Some may mock.

Some may postpone.

But some will believe.