Paul in Athens: Acts 17:14-34

encountering the thinkers

Epicureans: believed that seeking happiness or pleasure was the primary goal of life

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Epicureans

Epicurean themes can be found in the Bible—for example, moderation (

Stoicks: placed thinking above feeling and tried to live in harmony with nature and reason, suppressing their desire for pleasure

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Stoics, Stoicism

Stoic ideas proved attractive to Christians because of apparent similarities between the Stoic logos and the Logos of

presenting the truth

the Epicureans and Stoicks take him to Mars Hill (The Areopagus) to further question him

He is not on trial here, but being questioned because they are intent on hearing what he had to say because it was new

The nature of these people was to constantly seek after knowledge, and the newer, the better (v. 21)

standing there on Mars Hill, Paul begins to preach to them, not about the Jewish Messiah, as he had done so many times in the synagogues, but about the One True God who rules over all creation.

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD

Paul begins by appealing to their religiosity. He says, “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious” (v. 22) This is not presented as an insult, but an observation. The meaning of this could better read as “I perceive that in every way you are very religious.” (ESV) He goes on to say, “you are so devoted to covering all your bases that you have an altar dedicated TO THE UKNOWN GOD. You don’t even know who He is, but you don’t want to leave Him out. I am here to introduce you to Him!”

Athens was filled with statues dedicated TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Six hundred years before Paul, a terrible plague came on the city and a man name Epimenides had an idea. He let loose a flock of sheep through the town, and wherever they lay down, they sacrificed that sheep to the god that had the nearest shrine or temple. If a sheep lay down near no shrine or temple, they sacrificed the sheep TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. - David Guzik

Paul then presents a concept that is unheard of: that there is a God who is not interested in temples or idols or anything made with the hands of man, but has made a way for us to have an actual, meaningful relationship with Him. (v. 24-25)

This is a good example of meeting people where they are. These Greeks could not care less about the Jewish Messiah. They sought wisdom and truth, and they received it from the most unlikely sources: a man from Tarsus who was a Jew and trained under Gamaliel. Paul was trained not only in the Greek philosophies, but in the Jewish Torah. He was perfectly equipped to present the evidence wherever he found an audience.

But you may not think that you possess that kind of training or knowledge. And you may not win in a battle of wits or debate, but you are equipped with the Truth that is found in this Scripture!

Paul explains to them that it was The God who created all things, and He neither dwells in temples made man, nor is He embodied by images made by man.

He also created all mankind from one man, therefore we are all one flesh and implicated in our sin. All nations have borders and timespans that are determined by God, so that they would seek Him

In times past, God overlooked the ignorance of the nations. What does this mean? That they were guiltless?

In his commentary on this verse, John Calvin said thus:

“Paul’s meaning is that God did not use such severity toward the Gentiles before Christ’s coming, because they were drowned in darkness; but now the light of the gospel shining, they are less excusable than they were before. When God winked at the ignorance of men, he did not approve it; but he did not punish it so sharply. Now, since the truth is clearly revealed, he requires repentance of all men.”

This seems to agree with what Jesus said in Luke 12:47-48 (have everyone turn here)

Furthermore, Paul addresses this in his letter to the Roman Christians some years later. In speaking of the ignorance of the Gentiles:

Romans 1:19–20 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

Romans 2:14–16 “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

So God did not excuse or dismiss the ignorance of the Gentiles. Those who practiced human sacrifices, or moral evils, or any of the other base and egregious sinful practices were sinners no less than those who might do those things today. However, just as Cornelius, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Lydia worshipped God without knowing about the Incarnate Son of God, so there must have been countless others BEFORE Jesus came who were seeking God, but never knew His name or the promise of His Son. They may have gotten His name wrong, or even built altars and crafted idols to worship Him in their own way, God did not punish them for rejecting the Christ they never knew existed.

However, with the Light coming into the world, the world is without excuse.

those who heard the Truth

There are many very intelligent people who are intent on learning new knowledge, and seem to have a real longing for the truth:

Joe Rogan

Jordan Peterson

The problem with these people is they want to learn in order to expand their brains, when they need to believe to renew their hearts! They are as the Bible says, hearers only and not doers.

The Athenians had mixed reviews about the information from Paul.

Scoffers

some mocked at the suggestion of a resurrection of the dead

perhaps these were the Epicureans, who didn’t put much stock into belief in gods in general, believing instead that embracing pleasure and avoiding pain was the purpose of life

Unconvinced

others said “we’ll talk about this more later”

while not provoked to mockery, they certainly were not convinced by the truth

like King Agrippa, they said, “almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Believers

some people did believe, and a couple are named

Dionysius the Areopagite

Damaris

others

there does not seem to be as large of a church established at that time in Athens as had been seen in other cities, but nonetheless, the Gospel did not go out in vain

When Paul preached to people who were searching for God (in the synagogues), many were converted at the declaration of Truth. However, when he preached to people who were just interested in knowledge, very few believed. This should tell us that the Gospel is still important to be taught inside our churches, perhaps more so than on the streets. This may not be universally true, but it certainly is in some cases, and I think it is here in America more often than not.