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Acts Lesson Thirty-six

Acts Lesson Thirty-six: Acts 17:16-34 – Paul in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, “What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?” 

Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection. 

19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of? 20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. 

22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.  

Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it —He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man  He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. 

30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” 

32 When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him. But others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 Then Paul left their presence. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. (HCSB)

Paul was not idle in Athens while waiting for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him. It’s a trait we see throughout Paul’s Christian life. He was always busy in some manner, either increasing his knowledge after his conversion or sharing the Gospel with those he interacted with during his time in Antioch or during his missionary journeys. I’ll split this lesson into two parts.

  • Preaching at the synagogue and marketplace – verses 16-18.
  • The Areopagus address – verses 19-34.

However, before we get into this passage, let’s look at some facts regarding Athens in Paul’s day.

  • It was recognized as a center of culture and education.
    • There was a famous university there.
    • There were many magnificent cultural buildings.
  • However, it was in a period of decline.
    • It didn’t possess the influence it once had.
    • The glory of its politics and commerce had faded.
  • There were about 5,000 voting citizens but many more nonnative inhabitants.
  • It practiced cultured paganism was fed by idolatry.
    • Greek religion was the deification of human attributes and the powers of nature.
    • It was a religion that ministered to art and amusement and was devoid of moral power.
    • The Greek gods and goddesses had ambitions and were rivals of each, acting much like humans.
  • The city was devoted to philosophy.
    • Socrates.
    • Aristotle.
    • There were two primary schools of philosophical thought.
      • Epicureans – materialistic, atheist, with a life goal of seeking pleasure. Enjoy life.
      • Stoics – rejected idolatry and pagan worship. They believed in a one “World God.” They were pantheists. Pleasure was not good, and pain was not evil. The most important thing was to follow one’s reason and be self-sufficient, often leading to pride. Endure life.
  • It was the overbearing emphasis on idol worship that greatly disturbed Paul.

Preaching at the Synagogue and the Marketplace

Once again, Paul begins with his usual practice; he went first to the synagogue to preach on the Sabbath. However, during the week, he would go to the marketplace and share his message with the Gentiles. Luke doesn’t tell us whether Paul experienced any success or not. However, the point of this section isn’t on Paul’s witness in the synagogue or the marketplace. The point is that he encountered Stoic and Epicurean philosophers there, which led to his being brought to the Areopagus. Let’s look at some points in this section.

  • It’s clear that the philosophers were not impressed by Paul.
    • The term “pseudo-intellectual” was not a compliment.
    • The original Greek used here implies that Paul had heard bits and pieces of information and was repeating it without having an understanding of what he was talking about.
    • They were accusing Paul of being a false intellectual, an imposter.
  • At least some did realize that Paul was talking about a “deity,” although they didn’t understand the message.
  • True to their philosophical foundation, they desired to learn more about a subject that they currently didn’t know or understand.
  • Luke points out that the population of Athens spent a considerable amount of time talking or listening to each other in an attempt to increase their knowledge.
  • The idea of a bodily resurrection would have been a significant stumbling block as both schools of philosophy didn’t believe in it.
    • The Greek word for resurrection is “anastasis.” 
    • They thought Paul was talking about a new goddess named Anastasia and a new god named Jesus.
    • In their minds, Paul was a polytheist just like them.

The Areopagus Address

The philosopher’s “invitation” to address the crowd at the Areopagus is a matter of debate.

  • Was Paul tried before a formal Athenian court called Areopagus?
  • Did Paul deliver a public address from a hill known as Areopagus?
  • The original Greek leaves it ambiguous. 
    • The Areopagus was both a court and a hill.
    • The Council of Areopagus was responsible for both religion and education in Athens.
    • Since Paul was teaching a new doctrine on religion, it was natural for them to question him.
    • The court traditionally met on that hill.
    • The name means “hill of Ares,” the hill of the god of war.
    • The Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars; hence some translations call it Mars Hill.
    • Throughout Acts, Luke presented numerous occasions where Paul appeared before the official legal bodies in numerous cities. Is this another “formal” appearance?
    • Even if it was a formal address, it makes more sense that this wasn’t a trial as Paul was not charged with any crime.
  • Regardless of the formality, Paul was presented with an opportunity to address the crowd.

As Paul begins his address, knowing full well the importance of addressing this audience, he uses an engaging and respectful tone and carefully crafted message.

  • Paul acknowledges that they are “extremely religious.” Even though their religiosity is about idols, Paul doesn’t use inflammatory words.
  • It was standard practice in Greek rhetoric to win the audience’s favor and secure their attention.
  • Although Paul uses Greek philosophical rhetoric, his message is firmly rooted in Old Testament thinking. 
  • Paul focuses on the “unknown god” as a window of opportunity to show them that the triune God is the unknown god. Additionally, the fact the Greeks worshipped an unknown god was admitting ignorance of the god’s nature. This statement highlights two points.
    • Paul referred to “what” they worshiped and not “who” they worshiped. Their worship was focused on a “thing” and not a personal god.
    • There is an emphasis on ignorance. For Greek philosophers, this would be a stinging accusation. The greatest virtue was to discover the truth, and to live in ignorance was the greatest folly in their society.

Paul presents four fundamental truths about God; He is creator, He is provider, He is ruler, and He is Savior.

  • God is creator – verse 24.
    • It is normal for each of us to ponder three questions. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Science attempts to answer the first, philosophy wrestles with the second, but only Christianity answers all three.
    • Epicureans, being atheists, believed that this life was all there was.
    • Stoics said that everything was God. He didn’t create anything; He only organized it.
    • Paul affirms that God always was and that He created everything.
    • He is not a distant God.
    • He isn’t locked in His creation.
    • He is too great to be contained in shrines made by humans.
      • This would have been recognized as a jab against the temples in Athens.
      • Not only were there numerous shrines in the city of Athens, but there were also several shrines to Athena on the Acropolis.
    • The main difference between the Greek philosophers’ viewpoint on “god” and Paul was the argument between pantheism and monotheism.
  • God is provider – verse 25.
    • The Greeks and Romans, much like some of us today, pride ourselves on service to God. 
    • However, God is self-sufficient and doesn’t need our help.
    • The pagan temples not only didn’t contain God, but their service in temples also didn’t add anything to God.
    • God gives us life, breath, and all things that we need. 
    • God is the source of everything good.
    • Instead of worshipping the creator and giving Him glory, men worship the creation and give glory to themselves.
    • In one simple statement, Paul effectively undermined the entire Greek religious system.
  • God is ruler – verses 26-29.
    • The Greek gods were aloof and possessed no concern for the problems and needs of humans.
    • Our God is the God of creation and history and geography.
      • He created mankind from one man.
      • All nations came from this one man and the same bloodline.
        • The Greeks felt they were a superior race, different from all other nations.
        • Paul tells them they are no different from any other nation.
      • Their land was a gift from God.
    • God determines the rise and fall of nations.
    • Because God is ruler over all, we should seek Him and come to know Him.
    • Paul then uses quotes from two Greek poets.
      • Paul did this for two reasons.
        • Scripture would not have resonated with the Greek audience he was addressing.
        • Quotes from fellow pagan philosophers would be more effective in reaching them.
      • “For in Him we live and move and exist” is from Epimenides.
      • “For we are also His offspring” is from Aratus.
      • By using these quotes from Greek poets, Paul was pointing out the “Fatherhood of God” in a natural sense; man was created in the image of God.
    • This led to Paul’s logical conclusion.
      • God made us in His image.
      • It would then be foolish for us to make gods in our image.
      • Greek religion was nothing more than the making and worship of gods who were patterned after men and acted like men.
      • Paul pointed out the folly of temples, temple rituals, and idolatry in general.
      • This critique of idolatry would have appealed to the Stoics, who saw idolatry as the folly of religion.
        • However, Paul’s teaching of one creator God would tell the Stoics that they too were idolators.
        • In the Stoic’s attempt to reach the divine through their own effort, they had corrupted the relationship between creator and created.
        • If they realized this corruption, they would also realize their need for repentance.
  • God is Savior – verses 30-34.
    • Paul closes his message by pointing out God’s grace.
    • For centuries, God was patient with disobedience and sinful behavior, even though some were ignorant of these facts.
    • At the same time, ignorance does not remove guilt. Just because were are ignorant of a law, i.e., speeding, doesn’t mean we won’t face punishment for breaking the law.
    • Yet, God, in spite of our disobedience, held back on His judgment.
    • After Paul’s address, the “unknown god” was no longer unknown. If they continued in their worship of idols, they would no longer be guilty of the sin of ignorance but of deliberate sin.
    • The only course of action is repentance. 
    • God is giving all of us time to repent of our sins and turn to Him.
    • God sent a Savior, Jesus, as a means to remove our sins by placing faith in Him.
      • The Savior was killed and raised from the dead.
      • One day Jesus will return and judge the world.
      • The proof is that Jesus was raised from the dead.
    • At the conclusion of Paul’s message, there were three different responses.
      • Some ridiculed Paul.
        • Greeks believed that the body was a prison, and the sooner a person left their body, the happier they would be.
        • Why would a body be raised from the dead to live again? That would continue the prison theme.
        • Why would God bother with judging each person?
        • These viewpoints were not compatible with Greek philosophy.
        • It is likely that the scoffers were the majority as Paul left the Areopagus after his address.
      • Some were interested and wanted to hear more from Paul.
      • A small group believed Paul’s message and placed their faith in Jesus. These included Dionysius and Damaris.

Applications

  • We need to tailor and contextualize the Gospel message according to the audience we are trying to reach. In the example of this passage, Paul was addressing a group of “intellectuals” and not people with any background in Christian or Old Testament understanding. Paul made use of phrases and themes that would reach them while not compromising the truths of the Gospel.
  • We need to have our ears and eyes open for opportunities around us to reach others. How often do we miss the “unknown god” moments in our lives? It’s possible those opportunities will never be available again. We need to be sensitive when they present themselves, even if the majority ridicule our message.
  • We should never expect everyone to accept the truth of the Gospel as we engage in evangelism. It’s even possible that the overwhelming majority reject the message. However, that should never prevent us from speaking the message. Listen to Jesus’ words in Luke 15:10 “I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
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Acts Lesson Thirty-five

Acts Lesson Thirty-five: Paul in Thessalonica and Berea – Acts 17:1-15

Then they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As usual, Paul went to the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.” 4 Then some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a great number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women. 

5 But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some scoundrels from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has received them as guests! They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus!” 8 The Jews stirred up the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. 9 So taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them. 

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that God’s message had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed. (HCSB)

As Paul continues his second missionary journey, I’ll divide this lesson into three parts.

  • Paul’s arrival in Thessalonica – verses 1-4.
  • Jealousy of the Thessalonican Jews – verses 5-9.
  • Paul’s visit to the Bereans – verses 10-15.

Paul’s Arrival in Thessalonica

As Paul and the team left Philippi, they traveled on the Egnatian Way. Their journey from Philippi was approximately 100 miles as they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia. If they traveled by horse, the cities were approximately one day’s journey apart. If they traveled by foot, the journey would take much longer. We also have to remember that Paul and Silas were recovering from the beating they received in Philippi. Either mode of travel would have been painful but walking would have been a significant burden. From the context of the passage, the team either wasn’t involved in evangelism in the cities they passed through, or Paul expected the believers in Philippi to evangelize the area around their city. Although not explicitly stated, it is highly likely that Timothy remained behind in Philippi as he is not mentioned again until Acts 17:14 in the city of Berea. Let’s look at some information about Thessalonica.

  • Thessalonica was a strategically important city, the capital of Macedonia.
  • It was the largest city in Greece, with a population of about 200,000.
  • It was also an important center for business, with only Corinth as a rival.
  • It was located on several important trade routes and had an excellent harbor.
  • The population was predominately Greek, although controlled by Rome.
  • It was a free city, meaning that it elected a citizen’s assembly, minted their own coins, and there was no Roman garrison within the city walls.

Once they arrived there, we know that Paul was involved in his tent-making trade as referenced in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10. However, instead of focusing on that, let’s look at Paul’s methodology as he evangelized the city.

  • Paul followed his established of going to the local synagogue. He knew he would find two target groups if he went there.
    • Devout Jews.
    • Gentiles – God-seekers and proselytes.
  • The text explicitly states that Paul evangelized in the synagogue for three successive Sabbaths, but from cross-references, it is clear that Paul was there much longer, long enough to receive financial aid several times from the church in Philippi and for their ministry to impact the region.
    • Philippians 4:15-16.
    • 1 Thessalonians 1.
  • From Acts 17:2-3, we see four points in how Paul evangelized in the synagogue.
    • He reasoned with them – he engaged them in dialogue in a question and answer format.
    • He explained – through the use of Scripture, Paul supported what he told them.
    • He showed – Paul proved through his use of Scripture that the Messiah would be killed and resurrected.
    • He proclaimed – Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah that Scripture prophesied.
  • His evangelism efforts proved successful.
    • We shouldn’t focus on the phrase “some of them,” but on the phrase “great number.” The same Greek word is used in Acts 17:12. It’s Luke’s way of saying, “it was a big crowd.”
      • Jews were converted.
      • Greek proselytes were converted.
        • These included Aristarchus and Secundus.
        • Acts 20:4.
      • Influential women were converted. This is important as Macedonian women exerted considerable social and civic influence.
  • We see Silas being mentioned once again. Most likely, this is a reminder that the Jerusalem church endorsed the evangelism of Gentiles without placing the burden of Jewish rituals and restrictions on them.
  • As a consequence of their success, we will now see opposition to their efforts.

Jealousy of the Thessalonican Jews

We now see the pattern from previous locations repeated in Thessalonica. Paul evangelizes a town or city, either in or outside the synagogue, depending on whether one existed in the city or not. A sizable number of those attending the synagogue converted to Christianity. The Jews who don’t convert become jealous and attack the missionary team in some manner. Let’s look at the details of this section.

  • The Jews were jealous of the success of Paul. They lost members of the synagogue in three areas.
    • Jews who converted.
    • Gentile men.
    • Influential Gentile women.
  • Paul had hoped that salvation of the Gentiles would spur the Jews into a deeper study of Scripture and find the truth of Jesus as the Messiah. Instead, it led the Jews to persecute the new believers and their church.
  • The jealous Jews then brought together a mob consisting of “scoundrels” from the marketplace. The scoundrels were likely a form of a gang who hung out in the marketplace extorting from the merchants and those passing through the city.
  • This mob then started a riot in the city.
  • They proceeded to Jason’s house. 
    • We know nothing about Jason except for what’s contained in this section.
    • He was most likely a believer or at least someone who was curious about the faith.
    • He was probably a Jew as Jason was a common name taken by Diaspora Jews.
    • He may have been a fellow tentmaker with Paul since we know that Paul stayed with fellow tentmakers in Acts 18:3, Aquila and Priscilla.
    • We can infer from the context that Paul and Silas were lodging with him.
    • The mob thought they could find Paul and Silas there, but Paul and Silas, likely becoming aware that the mob had moved to another location.
  • Unable to find the target of their anger, Paul and Silas, they proceeded to forcibly take Jason and some other believers before the city officials.
  • The mob leveled three charges against the believers.
    • The first charge was against Paul and Silas – they were troublemakers who had turned the world upside down. 
    • The second was against Jason – he was playing host to the troublemakers.
    • The third was against Paul, Silas, and Jason – they were all acting against Caesar’s decrees.
      • This was the most dangerous charge.
      • In essence, they were being charged with rebelling against the decrees of Caesar.
      • They were declaring there was another “king,” and it wasn’t Caesar.
      • Since Roman law required allegiance to Caesar, this was a charge the magistrates had to address.
  • In their defense, the city officials did demonstrate discretion and restraint in how they handled the situation.
    • It’s clear they didn’t believe the charge of rebellion; otherwise, their response would have been harsher.
    • However, they were aware of the disturbance that was occurring within the city, and they were responsible for keeping order.
    • They approached the solution in a similar manner as the officials in Philippi.
      • They decided to ban the “troublemakers” from the city.
      • In addition, they required Jason to pay a bond that would be forfeit if there was any further disturbance in the city.
      • This required Paul and Silas to leave Thessalonica.
      • Paul may have been referring to this in 2 Thessalonians 2:18 when he referred to “Satan hindered us” from returning to Thessalonica.
    • Paul and Silas were released, and the believers in Thessalonica sent them safely out of the city.

Paul’s Visit to the Bereans

Once darkness has fallen, the believers in Thessalonica sent Paul and Silas out of the city to Berea. The distance between the two cities was approximately forty-five to fifty miles. The journey on foot would take about three days. Let’s look at some information regarding the city of Berea.

  • The city was on the eastern slopes of Mt. Vermion in the Olympian mountain range.
  • The region was somewhat remote.
  • Although located in a remote area, the city was the most significant one in the region.
  • At one point, it was the capital of one of the four sections of Macedonia from 167-148 b.c.
  • It had a relatively sizable population.
  • There were enough Jews in the city to have a synagogue.

Once Paul and Silas were settled, the normal pattern of evangelism began. Their first visit was to the local synagogue. Let’s consider the characteristics of those who attended the synagogue in Berea.

  • The Jews in Berea were different than those in Thessalonica.
    • Luke used the Greek word that translated to “open-minded.”
    • The Bereans were open to the message that Paul preached to them.
  • Then, they investigated what Scripture said and compared it to the message Paul preached.
    • Their investigation was not a cursory one.
    • They eagerly examined what Scripture had to say about the Messiah.
    • They didn’t meet occasionally; they met daily until they came to a conclusion regarding Paul’s message.
  • The result was that many from the Berean synagogue became believers.
    • Many Jews became believers.
    • Many Greeks, including prominent women, became believers.

However, amidst the success of Paul’s efforts, the enemy appears once again in opposition. The news of Paul’s efforts made its way back to Thessalonica, and those that opposed him journeyed to Berea to stir up attacks on Paul. Let’s consider the details surrounding the attack. 

  • The Thessalonica “gang” stirred up both the Jews who rejected Paul’s message as well as the general Gentile population of Berea.
  • The attack was directed at Paul since he was the primary preacher, as shown in verse thirteen.
  • Although the text doesn’t provide the details, it’s safe to infer from preceding sections that Paul’s life was in danger, and it was time to move on once again.
  • At this point, the team splits up.
    • Paul traveled to Athens.
    • There is some debate as to how Paul got to Athens.
      • There is one group who believe he traveled to the coast (sea) and then followed the coastal road to Athens.
      • Another group believes that he traveled by boat to Athens.
      • In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Paul arrived in Athens.
    • Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
      • The group of believers who traveled with Paul to Athens were sent back with a message for Silas and Timothy to go to Athens and join Paul there.
      • We also know that at some point, Paul sent both Silas and Timothy out from Athens.
        • Timothy was sent to Thessalonica as found in 1 Thessalonians 3:1.
        • Silas was sent to an unknown location.
        • Silas and Timothy rejoined Paul in Corinth, as found in Acts 18:5.

Applications

  • We see once again that God is a sending God. Evangelism isn’t a passive activity; come and hear the message, it is active in nature, take the message to those that need to hear it. In the same way, we need to be active in our endeavors to share the Gospel. This is especially true in the world we live in today. Relative truth and skepticism are rampant. The lost won’t likely come to church. We need to be the feet and mouth of Jesus to take the truth of the Gospel to the world.
  • Our message must be based upon Scripture. If we try and base it on our ideas or thoughts, it will fail. We see this in Paul’s evangelism to the Bereans. Although they were open to hearing the message, they also were diligent in searching Scripture to see if Paul’s message was true. After confirming the truth of Paul’s message, they became believers. For us to be able to do that, we need to read and understand Scripture. We need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.
  • When doors close, we need to understand that and move on to the next harvest field. We see this repeatedly demonstrated by Paul. He would go to a city, evangelize it, teach the people, and then move on once he was no longer welcome by the pagans in the city. The mission field works in much the same manner. Outsiders can be successful in bringing the Gospel to an unreached location. However, once locals are converted, they will have better success in continuing the work. We need to “pass the baton” and realize that the converts are not because of us; they’re because of God. We are only a conduit through which the Holy Spirit works.
  • We need to assist our brothers and sisters when the need arises. We repeatedly see where the local believers helped Paul and the team when the situation became difficult. In the same way, we should help out those who are doing God’s work when they run into difficulties.