17 Responding to God's Word

This chapter describes Paul’s ministry in three cities and how some of the people in those cities responded to the Word of God. These pictures are snapshots, not murals, for Dr. Luke did not give us many details. However, as we study these three different responses, we can certainly see our modern world and better understand what to expect as we seek to witness for Christ today.

THESSALONICA–RESISTING THE WORD (17:1-9)

Following the famous Egnatian Way, Paul and Silas went one hundred miles from Philippi to Thessalonica. (Timothy is not mentioned again until Acts 17:14, so he may have remained in Philippi.) As far as we can tell, they did not pause to minister in either Amphipolis or Apollonia. Perhaps there were no synagogues in those cities, and Paul certainly expected the new believers in Philippi to carry the message to their neighbors. It was Paul’s policy to minister in the larger cities and make them centers for evangelizing a whole district (see Acts 19:10, 26; 1 Thess. 1:8).

Paul knew that Thessalonica (our modern Salonika) was a strategic city for the work of the Lord. Not only was it the capital of Macedonia, but it was also a center for business, rivaled only by Corinth. It was located on several important trade routes, and it boasted an excellent harbor. The city was predominantly Greek, even though it was controlled by Rome. Thessalonica was a “free city,” which meant that it had an elected citizens’ assembly, it could mint its own coins, and it had no Roman garrison within its walls.

Paul labored at his tentmaking trade (Acts 18:3; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:7-10), but on the Sabbath ministered in the Jewish synagogue where he knew he would find both devout Jews and Gentiles, “God-seekers” and proselytes. This witness went on for only three Sabbaths; then he had to minister outside the synagogue. We do not know exactly how long Paul remained in Thessalonica, but it was long enough to receive financial help twice from the church in Philippi (Phil. 4:15-16). Read 1 Thessalonians 1 to learn how God blessed Paul’s ministry and how the message spread from Thessalonica to other places. It was not a long ministry, but it was an effective one.

Four key words in Acts 17:2-3 describe Paul’s approach to the synagogue congregation. First, he reasoned, which means he dialogued with them through questions and answers. He explained (“opening”) the Scriptures to them and proved (“alleging”) that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. The word translated alleging means “to lay down alongside, to prove by presenting the evidence.” The apostle set before them one Old Testament proof after another that Jesus of Nazareth is Messiah God. Paul was careful to announce (“preach”) the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1ff.). In the sermons in Acts, you will find an emphasis on the resurrection, for the believers were called to be witnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32). “Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion,” says Dr. John Stott. “The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.”

As the result of three weeks’ ministry, Paul saw a large number of people believe, especially Greek proselytes and influential women. Among the men were Aristarchus and Secundus, who later traveled with Paul (Acts 20:4). Luke’s phrase “not a few” (Acts 17:4, 12) is one way of saying, “It was a big crowd!”

But these results did not bring joy to everybody. The unbelieving Jews envied Paul’s success and were grieved to see the Gentiles and the influential women leaving the synagogue. Paul hoped that the salvation of the Gentiles would “provoke” the Jews into studying the Scriptures and discovering their promised Messiah (Rom. 11:13-14), but in this case, it only provoked them into persecuting the infant church.

The Jews wanted to drag the missionaries before their city assembly (“the people,” Acts 17:5; see 19:30), so they manufactured a riot to get the attention of the magistrates. Unable to find the missionaries, the mob seized Jason, host to Paul and his friends, and took him and some of the believers instead. The Jews’ accusations were similar to the ones used at the trial of Jesus: disturbing the peace and promoting treason (Luke 23:2). Their crime was that of “saying that there is another king, one Jesus.”

The Greek word translated another means “another of a different kind,” that is, a king unlike Caesar. When you read Paul’s two Thessalonian letters, you see the strong emphasis he gave in Thessalonica on the kingship of Christ and the promise of His return. Of course, our Lord’s kingdom is neither political nor “of this world” (John 18:36-37), but we cannot expect unsaved pagans to understand this.

The kingship of Jesus Christ is unlike that of the rulers of this world. He conquers with ambassadors, not armies, and His weapons are truth and love. He brings men peace by upsetting the peace and turning things upside down! He conquers through His cross, where He died for a world of lost sinners. He even died for His enemies (Rom. 5:6-10)!

The mob was agitated because they could not find Paul and Silas, so they settled for second best and obtained a peace bond against them. Jason had to put up the money and guarantee that Paul and Silas would leave the city and not return. It is possible that Jason was a relative of Paul, which would make the transaction even more meaningful (Rom. 16:21). Paul saw this prohibition as a device of Satan to hinder the work (1 Thess. 2:18), but it certainly did not hinder the Thessalonian church from “sounding out the word” and winning the lost (1 Thess. 1:6-9).

BEREA–RECEIVING THE WORD (17:10-15)

Under cover of night, Paul and Silas left the city and headed for Berea, about forty-five miles away. It does not appear that Timothy was with them, as he was probably working in Philippi. Later, he would join Paul in Athens (Acts 17:15) and then be sent to Thessalonica to encourage the church in its time of persecution (1 Thess. 3:1ff.). Since Timothy was a Gentile, and had not been present when the trouble erupted, he could minister in the city freely. The peace bond could keep Paul out, but it would not apply to Paul’s young assistant.

Paul went into the synagogue and there discovered a group of people keenly interested in the study of the Old Testament Scriptures. In fact, they met daily to search the Scriptures to determine whether or not what Paul was saying was true. Paul had been overjoyed at the way the people in Thessalonica had received the Word (1 Thess. 2:13), so these “noble Bereans” must have really encouraged his heart. All of us should imitate these Bereans by faithfully studying God’s Word daily, discussing it, and testing the messages that we hear.

God used His Word so that many people trusted Christ. One of the men who was converted was Sopater, who later assisted Paul (Acts 20:4). He may be the same man (Sosipater) who later sent greetings to the Christians in Rome (Rom. 16:21).

Once again, Satan brought the enemy to the field as the unbelieving Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up the people (note 1 Thess. 2:13-20). How did these men hear that Paul and Silas were ministering in Berea? Perhaps the growing witness of the Berean believers reached as far as Thessalonica, or it may be that some troublemaker took the message to his friends in Thessalonica. Satan also has his “missionaries” and they are busy (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

The believers in Berea outwitted the enemy by taking Paul to the sea and putting him on a ship bound for Athens. Once more, Paul had to leave a place of rich ministry and break away from dear people he had come to love. Silas and Timothy later joined Paul in Athens, and then Timothy was sent to Thessalonica to help the saints there (1 Thess. 3:1-6). Silas was also sent on a special mission somewhere in Macedonia (Philippi?), and later both men met Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1-5).

ATHENS–RIDICULING THE WORD (17:16-34)

Paul arrived in the great city of Athens, not as a sightseer, but as a soul winner. The late Noel O. Lyons, for many years director of the Greater Europe Mission, used to say, “Europe is looked over by millions of visitors and is overlooked by millions of Christians.” Europe needs the gospel today just as it did in Paul’s day, and we dare not miss our opportunities. Like Paul, we must have open eyes and broken hearts.

The city.

Athens was in a period of decline at this time, though still recognized as a center of culture and education. The glory of its politics and commerce had long since faded. It had a famous university and numerous beautiful buildings, but it was not the influential city it once had been. The city was given over to a “cultured paganism” that was nourished by idolatry, novelty, and philosophy (Acts 17:16, 21).

“The Greek religion was a mere deification of human attributes and the powers of nature,” wrote Conybeare and Howson in their classic Life and Epistles of St. Paul. “It was a religion which ministered to art and amusement, and was entirely destitute of moral power” (280-281). The Greek myths spoke of gods and goddesses that, in their own rivalries and ambitions, acted more like humans than gods, and there were plenty of deities to choose from! One wit jested that in Athens it was easier to find a god than a man. Paul saw that the city was “wholly given to idolatry,” and it broke his heart.

We today admire Greek sculpture and architecture as beautiful works of art, but in Paul’s day, much of this was directly associated with their religion. Paul knew that idolatry was demonic (1 Cor. 10:14-23) and that the many gods of the Greeks were only characters in stories who were unable to change men’s lives (1 Cor. 8:1-6). With all of their culture and wisdom, the Greeks did not know the true God (1 Cor. 1:18-25).

As for novelty, it was the chief pursuit of both the citizens and the visitors (Acts 17:21). Their leisure time was spent telling or hearing “some new thing.” Eric Hoffer wrote that “the fear of becoming a ‘has been’ keeps some people from becoming anything.” The person who chases the new and ignores the old soon discovers that he has no deep roots to nourish his life. He also discovers that nothing is really new; it’s just that our memories are poor (Eccl. 1:8-11).

The city was also devoted to philosophy. When you think of Greece, you automatically think of Socrates and Aristotle and a host of other thinkers whose works are still read and studied today. Newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams once defined philosophy as “unintelligible answers to insoluble problems,” but the Greeks would not have agreed with him. They would have followed Aristotle, who called philosophy “the science which considers truth.”

Paul had to confront two opposing philosophies as he witnessed in Athens, those of the Epicureans and the Stoics. We today associate the word Epicurean with the pursuit of pleasure and the love of “fine living,” especially fine food. But the Epicurean philosophy involved much more than that. In one sense, the founder Epicurus was an “existentialist” in that he sought truth by means of personal experience and not through reasoning. The Epicureans were materialists and atheists, and their goal in life was pleasure. To some, “pleasure” meant that which was grossly physical, but to others, it meant a life of refined serenity, free from pain and anxiety. The true Epicurean avoided extremes and sought to enjoy life by keeping things in balance, but pleasure was still his number one goal.

The Stoics rejected the idolatry of pagan worship and taught that there was one “World God.” They were pantheists, and their emphasis was on personal discipline and self-control. Pleasure was not good and pain was not evil. The most important thing in life was to follow one’s reason and be self-sufficient, unmoved by inner feelings or outward circumstances. Of course, such a philosophy only fanned the flames of pride and taught men that they did not need the help of God. It is interesting that the first two leaders of the Stoic school committed suicide.

The Epicureans said “Enjoy life!” and the Stoics said “Endure life!” but it remained for Paul to explain how they could enter into life through faith in God’s risen Son.

The witness.

“Left at Athens alone” (1 Thess. 3:1), Paul viewed the idolatrous city and his spirit was “stirred” (same word as “contention” in Acts 15:39–“paroxysm”). Therefore, he used what opportunities were available to share the good news of the gospel. As was his custom, he “dialogued” in the synagogue with the Jews, but he also witnessed in the marketplace (agora) to the Greeks. Anyone who was willing to talk was welcomed by Paul to his daily “classes.”

It did not take long for the philosophers to hear about this “new thing” that was going on in the agora, and they came and listened to Paul and probably debated with him. As they listened, they gave two different responses. One group ridiculed Paul and his teachings and called him a “babbler.” The word literally means “birds picking up seed,” and it refers to someone who collects various ideas and teaches as his own the secondhand thoughts he borrows from others. It was not a very flattering description of the church’s greatest missionary and theologian.

The second group was confused but interested. They thought Paul believed as they themselves did in many gods, because he was preaching “Jesus and Anastasis” (the Greek word for “resurrection”). The word translated preached in Acts 17:18 means “to preach the gospel.” Those who say that Paul modified his evangelistic tactics in Athens, hoping to appeal to the intellectuals, have missed the point. He preached the gospel as boldly in Athens as he did in Berea and would do in Corinth.

The defense.

The Council of the Aeropagus was responsible to watch over both religion and education in the city, so it was natural for them to investigate the “new doctrine” Paul was teaching. They courteously invited Paul to present his doctrine at what appears to have been an informal meeting of the council on Mars’ Hill. Paul was not on trial; the council members only wanted him to explain what he had been telling the people in the agora. After all, life in Athens consisted in hearing and telling new things, and Paul had something new!

Paul’s message is a masterpiece of communication. He started where the people were by referring to their altar dedicated to an unknown god. Having aroused their interest, he then explained who that God is and what He is like. He concluded the message with a personal application that left each council member facing a moral decision, and some of them decided for Jesus Christ.

Paul opened his address with a compliment: “I see that in every way you are very religious” (Acts 17:22 NIV). They were so religious, in fact, that they even had an altar to “the unknown god,” lest some beneficent deity be neglected. If they did not know this god, how could they worship him? Or how could he help them? It was this God whom Paul declared. In this message, which is similar to his sermon at Lystra (Acts 14:15-17), Paul shared four basic truths about God.

The greatness of God: He is Creator (v. 24). Every thinking person asks, “Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?” Science attempts to answer the first question, and philosophy wrestles with the second, but only the Christian faith has a satisfactory answer to all three. The Epicureans, who were atheists, said that all was matter and matter always was. The Stoics said that everything was God, “the Spirit of the Universe.” God did not create anything; He only organized matter and impressed on it some “law and order.”

But Paul boldly affirmed, “In the beginning, God!” God made the world and everything in it, and He is Lord of all that He has made. He is not a distant God, divorced from His creation, nor is He an imprisoned God, locked in creation. He is too great to be housed in man-made temples (1 Kings 8:27; Isa. 66:1-2; Acts 7:48-50), but He is not too great to be concerned about man’s needs (Acts 17:25). We wonder how the Council members reacted to Paul’s statement about temples, for right there on the Acropolis were several shrines dedicated to Athena.

The goodness of God: He is Provider (v. 25).

Men may pride themselves in serving God, but it is God who serves man. If God is God, then He is self-sufficient and needs nothing that man can supply. Not only do the temples not contain God, but the services in the temples add nothing to God! In two brief statements, Paul completely wiped out the entire religious system of Greece!

It is God who gives to us what we need: “life, and breath, and all things.” God is the source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). He gave us life and He sustains that life by His goodness (Matt. 5:45). It is the goodness of God that should lead men to repentance (Rom. 2:4). But instead of worshipping the Creator and glorifying Him, men worship His creation and glorify themselves (Rom. 1:18-25).

The government of God: He is Ruler (vv. 26-29).

The gods of the Greeks were distant beings who had no concern for the problems and needs of men. But the God of creation is also the God of history and geography! He created mankind “from one man” (Acts 17:26 NIV) so that all nations are made of the same stuff and have the same blood. The Greeks felt that they were a special race, different from other nations, but Paul affirmed otherwise. Even their precious land that they revered came as a gift from God. It is not the power of man, but the government of God, that determines the rise and fall of nations (Dan. 4:35).

God is not a distant deity; “He [is] not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27). Therefore, men ought to seek God and come to know Him in truth. Here Paul quoted from the poet Epimenides: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Then he added a quotation from two poets, Aratus and Cleanthes: “For we are also his offspring.” Paul was not saying that all people on earth are the spiritual children of God, for sinners become God’s children only by faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:11-13). Rather, he was affirming the “Fatherhood of God” in a natural sense, for man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). In this sense, Adam was a “son of God” (Luke 3:38).

This led to Paul’s logical conclusion: God made us in His image, so it is foolish for us to make gods in our own image! Greek religion was nothing but the manufacture and worship of gods that were patterned after men and that acted like men. Paul not only showed the folly of temples and the temple rituals, but also the folly of all idolatry.

The grace of God: He is Savior (vv. 30-34).

As he brought his message to a close, Paul summarized the clear evidences of God’s grace. For centuries, God was patient with man’s sin and ignorance (see Acts 14:16; Rom. 3:25). This does not mean that men were not guilty (Rom. 1:19-20), but only that God held back divine wrath. In due time, God sent a Savior, and now He commands all men to repent of their foolish ways. This Savior was killed and then raised from the dead, and one day, He will return to judge the world. The proof that He will judge is that He was raised from the dead.

It was the doctrine of the resurrection that most of the members of the council could not accept. To a Greek, the body was only a prison, and the sooner a person left his body, the happier he would be. Why raise a dead body and live in it again? And why would God bother with a personal judgment of each man? This kind of teaching was definitely incompatible with Greek philosophy. They believed in immortality, but not in resurrection.

There were three different responses to the message. Some laughed and mocked and did not take Paul’s message seriously. Others were interested but wanted to hear more. A small group accepted what Paul preached, believed on Jesus Christ, and were saved. We wonder if the others who postponed their decision eventually trusted Christ. We hope they did.

When you contrast the seeming meager results in Athens with the great harvests in Thessalonica and Berea, you are tempted to conclude that Paul’s ministry there was a dismal failure. If you do, you might find yourself drawing a hasty and erroneous conclusion. Paul was not told to leave, so we assume he lingered in Athens and continued to minister to both believers and unbelievers. Proud, sophisticated, wise Athenians would not take easily to Paul’s humbling message of the gospel, especially when he summarized all of Greek history in the phrase “the times of this ignorance.” The soil here was not deep and it contained many weeds, but there was a small harvest.

And after all, one soul is worth the whole world!

We still need witnesses who will invade the “halls of academe” and present Christ to people who are wise in this world but ignorant of the true wisdom of the world to come. “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Cor. 1:26), but some are called, and God may use you to call them.

Take the gospel to your “Athens.” Be daring! Acts 17:16-30