God Appointed Times

Today we will continue following Paul’s second missionary journey.

Last week we saw how the Lord led Paul on this journey. Paul was faithful to trust the Lord and go on the journey to share the gospel. As he trusted God, God was faithful to prevent him from going to Ephesus in Asia, and prevented him from going to Bithynia. Church History shows us that Peter likely went to Bithynia, so God, sovereignly used Paul elsewhere. As we will see in Acts, God did direct Paul to Ephesus at a later time. Why? Why not allow him to go when he tried to earlier, and yet allow him to go later? I believe the answer to that is in the passage we will be examining today.

Today we will go through Acts 17. In this chapter, Paul will spend time in three different cities: Thessalonica,

Berea, and Athens.

This map shows the journey

Thessalonica

Acts 17:1–4 NIV

When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

Persuaded

Paul reasoned with them for 3 weeks on the Sabbath

Then Paul taught those who were persuaded, and focused on evangelizing the Gentiles.

We know he was there for a while because Philippians sent him aid at least two times.

Philippians 4:16 NIV

for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.

And, Paul worked at his trade, tent-making.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 NIV

Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

Persuaded

Some of the Jews and prominent Gentiles who were meeting with them as God-fearers were saved, as were many Greeks.

Then, as Paul shared the gospel with primarily the Greeks over the next weeks, many more were saved.

1 Thessalonians 1:9 NIV

for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

Persuaded

What does it mean that they were persuaded?

They listened. They considered what Paul shared with them. They believed the scriptures and accepted them.

Paul wrote about their response in 1 Thess 2.13

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

They received the word of God for what it really is, God’s authoritative word! They received it as the very words of God which are powerful and effective. Just as God spoke and the heavens and the earth came into existence at His word, so the word He has spoken will work in us who will receive it by faith. That is what happened in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 1:4–8 NIV

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

They were persuaded, this is the very words of God. They received it, and they turned from idols to serve the One true God!

They received God’s word by faith. As believers, they obeyed God’s word, and it changed their lives! How?

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Persuaded, Believed, Changed

But then, opposition came...

Acts 17:5–9 NIV

But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Berea

Acts 17:10–12 NIV

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Eagerly Examining the Scriptures

We do not have a letter to the Bereans to read more about them and their response, but this is enough, isn’t it? They were eager. They were excited and wanted to know more. They studied the scriptures checking for themselves what God had to say. They wanted to know God, they wanted to know the truth, and many were saved!

Then came the opposition...

Acts 17:13–15 NIV

But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Athens

Acts 17:16–21 NIV

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Epicureans

Atheists. Pleasure, Hedonism

Stoics

There is an all-determinative force… Zeus?

Personal passions and emotional responses were disruptive.

Be in harmony with the course of the universe.

Mastery of emotions and indifference to changing circumstances were highest virtue.

Materialism, pantheism, fatalism, and pride

Acts 17:22–34 NIV

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “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 human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 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.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

quoted Aratas - Stoic philosopher

Sneering

Questioning

Believing

Many responses

Persuaded

Eager Examination

Believing

Refusing

Sneering

Questioning

to the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the One true God who

How did Paul keep going as he faced opposition, and his journey continued as he had to flee for his life?

Paul himself was convinced...

Acts 17:26–27 NIV

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

God Appointed Times

and places!

Acts 17:30–31 NIV

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Overlooked? Did not pour out his wrath but dealt with them in patience

Romans 3:25 NIV

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

forbearance - holding back

Now is the Day of Salvation, Judgment is Coming

What about me?

How Do I Receive the Word of God?

Do I believe:

God Appointed Times

Now is the Day of Salvation, Judgment is Coming