“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing Him, I proclaim to you…for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are His offspring.’ “ –Acts 17:22-23, 28 (NKJV. Read Acts 17:15-34).
Look at any good biblical map showing the missionary journeys of Paul, and you can trace Paul’s itinerary on his three missionary pilgrimages and his final journey to Rome. On this second missionary journey, he set sail from Berea and went to that famous capital of the Greek Empire, Athens. An ancient city, named for the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athene, had been in existence since at least 3,000 B. C. In the sixth century, BC, the city became the world’s first experiment in democratic government. By early in the fifth century BC, the Persians had conquered the city.
Under Pericles, a noted ruler, the city had become an architectural wonder. The Areopagus was a hill in Athens about 370 feet high, towering above the city. There learned men met and propounded their philosophies. It was fitting that Paul himself should go to the Areopagus. Indeed, he “held his own” as his clear voice rang out to those gathered to hear what this “stranger” among them would say.
“I perceive that in all things you are very religious,” declared Paul. “I found an altar with the inscription, ‘To the Unknown God.’ “ And from that text, Paul gave a powerful object lesson on who God is and what He wants to do among people. In my imagination, I can hear Paul as his voice rings out convincingly and clearly. With his own education and wisdom, he related what he said to what the Greeks, unbeknowinly, were seeking. Paul’s aim was to impart knowledge of the God who made them, and whose Truth they were ever seeking, even though they had encountered many detours through their own philosophers in getting to know God personally. Paul sought to help them see that there is only one true God, and He is a God of love and mercy. His audience, mainly, would have consisted not of people who had come up under the Jewish system of monotheism, the worship of one God. Rather, the Greeks had many Gods, one for wisdom, one for war, one for planting, one for harvest…the list goes on and on. We learn from Greek mythology that they had names for each of them. Paul wanted his hearers to know the Creator God, the One true God, who planned for His creation to seek and know Him. And with what power did Paul declare that our whole existence is determined by God, for the Creator is actively involved with His creation!
Was Paul’s confrontation at the Areopagus with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers that much different from the many philosophies we have rampant in our present age? The New Age and other movements allow there are “other ways” to God rather than by the One true way, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The legacies of many world religions are still strong in our present age, and each vies for a place, for converts, for believers. Listen to what Paul said concerning such false philosophies: “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:29-30, NIV). Oh, God! Grant that we may be strong and faithful in the Truth, and seek, as Paul did before the philosophers, to present the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of its power.
Under Pericles, a noted ruler, the city had become an architectural wonder. The Areopagus was a hill in Athens about 370 feet high, towering above the city. There learned men met and propounded their philosophies. It was fitting that Paul himself should go to the Areopagus. Indeed, he “held his own” as his clear voice rang out to those gathered to hear what this “stranger” among them would say.
“I perceive that in all things you are very religious,” declared Paul. “I found an altar with the inscription, ‘To the Unknown God.’ “ And from that text, Paul gave a powerful object lesson on who God is and what He wants to do among people. In my imagination, I can hear Paul as his voice rings out convincingly and clearly. With his own education and wisdom, he related what he said to what the Greeks, unbeknowinly, were seeking. Paul’s aim was to impart knowledge of the God who made them, and whose Truth they were ever seeking, even though they had encountered many detours through their own philosophers in getting to know God personally. Paul sought to help them see that there is only one true God, and He is a God of love and mercy. His audience, mainly, would have consisted not of people who had come up under the Jewish system of monotheism, the worship of one God. Rather, the Greeks had many Gods, one for wisdom, one for war, one for planting, one for harvest…the list goes on and on. We learn from Greek mythology that they had names for each of them. Paul wanted his hearers to know the Creator God, the One true God, who planned for His creation to seek and know Him. And with what power did Paul declare that our whole existence is determined by God, for the Creator is actively involved with His creation!
Was Paul’s confrontation at the Areopagus with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers that much different from the many philosophies we have rampant in our present age? The New Age and other movements allow there are “other ways” to God rather than by the One true way, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The legacies of many world religions are still strong in our present age, and each vies for a place, for converts, for believers. Listen to what Paul said concerning such false philosophies: “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:29-30, NIV). Oh, God! Grant that we may be strong and faithful in the Truth, and seek, as Paul did before the philosophers, to present the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of its power.
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, May 1, 2010
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