Religious vs. Related

There’s a lot here, and we don’t want to miss it. First, really quick, some back ground. Paul is in Athens. He has just come from Berea where he was with Silas and Timothy. They were there sharing about Jesus as the Messiah, demonstrating how the Scriptures pointed to Him. The Jews there were described: Acts 17:11

Acts 17:11 ESV

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Now Paul is in Athens and as is his habit, he was reasoning in the synagogues, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. He ws preaching Jesus and the resurrection. Acts 17:19

Acts 17:19 ESV

And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

We’re then told: Acts 17:21

Acts 17:21 ESV

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

The Areopagus is the “hill of Ares” (Ares being the Greek god of war). The Court of the Areopagus was a long established body with extensive authority over the civil and religious life in Athens. They were in essence the cultural gate keepers of Athens.

This is the scene to which Paul is invited to enter. So let’s examine it and apply it to our lives.

Paul begins, Acts 17:22

Acts 17:22 ESV

“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.”

There are a lot of people in our culture that are religious. This phrase can either be taken positively, as in “pious”; It can also be taken negatively, as in “superstitious.” It’s unclear how Paul meant this - the Athenians having altars and objects of worship to “the unknown god,” demonstrates their desire not to miss any god and thereby potentially incur their wrath.

In today’s world people serve gods of all kinds, many of their own making. As G.K. Chesterton quoted the poet, “God mad man in his image and man was quick to return the favor.” In many ways we have become our own gods.

Paul though takes an simple to follow flow of thought in his message to these polytheists. He makes 5 points:

The character of God

He begins with the Creator God: Acts 17:23-24

Acts 17:23–24 ESV

What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

and he describes God’s character: Acts 17:25

Acts 17:25 ESV

nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

God’s character is not needy, but self-sufficient. God is not a taker but a giver: He gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” and rules as Lord of heaven and earth.

Another part of Paul’s message is

The sinfulness of man

The message was throughout Jesus message, and now Paul is bringing it to the Areopagus. In many ways it’s fulfilling Jesus words in Acts 1:8 “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. Paul is in a place where multiple cultures are coming together and he is witnessing to these people of foreign culture what they’re missing out on, and that their sinfulness will not be overlooked forever.

Acts 17:30 ESV

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

We see it throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (what we call the Old Testament) - though they might think they are following the Creator God, it is in our nature to turn to our own ways. Paul call us to repent.

Command to Repent

We too need to recall the message that we’re called to repent - to change from ways that are not following God. It’s not just other gods, it’s the gods we make in our own lives, it’s our self sufficiency, it’s all of it. Paul proclaims the need for all of us to seek God and find Him. Even back in Jeremiah we read, Jeremiah 29:13

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Are we seeking God

Sufficiency of Christ

Paul told them of the assurance of the resurrection. We already know the call to repent: Acts 17:30

Acts 17:30 ESV

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

He goes on to explain why - Acts 17:31

Acts 17:31 ESV

because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Jesus is the man appointed, the one who was first raised from the dead, and gives us assurance to us all.

The Urgency of Eternity

The judgment is coming. God is eternal as the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth. God raised Jesus and assures us all by Jesus’ raising from the dead.

Religious vs. Related