Paul Preaches in Athens Acts 17:16-34
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply
troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.
17 He went to
the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke
daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18 He
also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he
told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler
trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems
to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city.[d] “Come and tell us about this new teaching,”
they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want
to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained
that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all
their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council,[e] addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I
notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along
I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To
an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m
telling you about.
24 “He is the God who made the
world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t
live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve
his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything,
and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man[f] he created all the nations throughout the
whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he
determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the
nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find
him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of
your[g] own poets have said, ‘We are his
offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an
idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in
earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins
and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice
by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising
him from the dead.”
32 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.” 33 That ended Paul’s
discussion with them, 34 but some
joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the
council,[h] a woman named Damaris, and others with
them.
17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
I was surprised to learn that discussion between Christians and philosophers was a more ancient tradition than I imagined. To the Greek way of thinking, the professor explained, it was inconceivable that a God could die; gods were immortal and, therefore, could not die. I was amazed at the image of Paul speaking of Jesus’ resurrection and enduring the mockery of the philosophers.
The Lord has risen and lives today.
Prayer
Prayer
Risen Lord, may we not view your resurrection as ancient history but rather the reality of our faith lived out day to day. Amen.
Prayer focus Those who do not know the risen Lord
