Atos 17

Atos 17

Lenski comments that "If they had time for nothing else they always had plenty of it for anything "newer," just out and thus newer than what they had heard thus far. They were enamored of "the latest" as we should call it, both they and the resident foreigners who had come there and were living there for a while. They loved both to state and to hear something new. Both Thucidides and Demosthenes rebuke the Athenians for this passion for the new. It tended to make them exceedingly superficial. They might welcome the gospel, the greatest news in the world, but only for an hour; when something newer came along, they would cast the gospel aside as being old. The world still has many religious Athenians. Religion must be progressive, have new doctrines, "advanced ideas," not everlastingly repeat the old "categories or patterns of thought." They are like the vain woman who would never dream of appearing in last year's dress or hat. (The Interpretation of The Acts of the Apostles) Acts 17:22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. Mars'-hill or, the court of the Areopagites. I perceive Acts 17:16; 19:35; 25:19; Jeremiah 10:2,3; 50:38 William Ramsay - The Speech Before the Council of Areopagus Acts 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Acts 17:16-34 God's Man Confronts Satan's City - John MacArthur Acts 17:16-34 The God of Resurrection - John MacArthur Acts 17:22-24 Getting to Know the Unknown God, Part 1 - John MacArthur FIRST THING BE COURTEOUS In presenting the Gospel, Paul shows us the first thing is be courteous. Notice he begins where his listeners are, not denouncing or attacking their gross idolatry, but actually paying them a compliment that they wer very religious. Brian Bill explains that "First words matter. If he loses his audience—either by boring them or insulting them—he’ll never get them back again. To Paul, the Athenians were like blind men groping in the dark towards a God they did not know and could not find. But no kind person makes sport of the blind. Write it down in large letters: You cannot insult a person into the Kingdom of God. Were not the Athenians idolaters? Yes they were. But he didn’t begin by saying, “I’ve come to expose your sins, you dirty, wretched, hell-bound, idol-worshipping, heathenistic pagans. Thank God I’m here because I’m going to lead you to Jesus.” They wouldn’t have given him the time of day if he had said that. Are you courteous when you spend time with people who are not Christians yet? Or, are you secretly angry with them because of some of the things they do? If so, we need to remember that people without Christ are going to sin. In other words, we shouldn’t be surprised when non-Christians act like non-Christians. Are you kind and gracious or are you abrasive? Non-believers can pick up on our attitudes so we need to be careful. I think the early church had a good handle on this. They were so thankful for the grace of God in their own lives, that they extended this same grace to others. I’m intrigued by what we read in Acts 2:47 when it says that the believers were praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. That tells me that Christians were fun to be around. They were winsome. Upbeat. Full of grace. Non-Christians wanted to hang out with church people. Question. Do non-Christians feel that same way about you? If not, work at being more courteous." (Sermon) ESV Study Bible introduces this section - Paul’s Areopagus address is the prime example in Acts of preaching to Gentiles. Although rooted in OT ideas, it appealed to the Greek philosophers by interacting with their thought, even quoting their own writers in a well-informed, respectful way. Its main subject was the error of idolatry. Paul began with and returned to the theme of idolatry (Acts 17:23, 29), in a well-informed manner, clearing the way for a full statement of the gospel, but he was interrupted before he could achieve this. So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus - Paul was here by invitation. This was a dramatic moment like Gary Cooper in that famous gunfight scene in "High Noon!" Paul was not intimidated by the intelligence or oratorical skills of his audience. He was a man filled with the Spirit Who enabled him to be bold and confident (cf Mk 13:11, Lk 12:11-12+). And remember that humanly speaking Paul is all alone, for Silas and Timothy have not yet arrived in Athens. All eyes were on Paul, fixed and attentive, as only men looking to hear new things could be! Lenski writes that "Paul had learned to take sinners as they are. The gospel had power (dunamis) to transform any of them. The old and ever new gospel was intended for all of them. Two Sanhedrists had been converted (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea), so here one at least of the Areopagites ("Dionysius the Areopagite" - Acts 17:34) was converted....Paul's address is a masterpiece in every way: in its introduction, in its line of thought, in its aptness for the audience, in its climax. It is bold but it does not offend in a bungling manner; it refutes but it does this so as to convince and to win; it states the truth squarely and fully but so as to lift it far above the follies of error.; it is reasonable but it is directed at the heart; it seeks to win men but only by glorifying God and the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not quite concluded but it did not fail of divinely given fruit. Just ask yourself, "If you had stood in Paul's place that day, what would you have said?"(The Interpretation of The Acts of the Apostles) Robertson on Paul stood - First aorist passive of histēmi used of Peter in Acts 2:14. Majestic figure whether on Mars Hill or in the Stoa Basilica before the Areopagus Court. There would be a crowd of spectators and philosophers in either case and Paul seized the opportunity to preach Christ to this strange audience as he did in Caesarea before Herod Agrippa and the crowd of prominent people gathered by Festus for the entertainment. Paul does not speak as a man on trial, but as one trying to get a hearing for the gospel of Christ. (Acts 17 - Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament) Criswell - Paul did not accuse his Athenian hearers of something wrong, such as superstition but rather he complimented them, a wise approach for a public speaker in the opening remarks to his audience. The religious character of his hearers provided common ground as a basis for communicating the specific revelation of the gospel. The logic of this statement appears forcefully as Paul adds v. 23 in the next breath. Ray Pritchard comments that "By any standard, this is a masterpiece. Remember where it takes place. Paul is standing before the Areopagus—the Supreme Court of Athens. As the only Christian in the city, he has been asked to explain what he believes. It is one of the most dramatic scenes in the New Testament—Paul preaching the gospel in the intellectual capital of the world." (You’re very religious but you don’t know God—Acts 17:22-23) Men of Athens - This is the form of address used by Demosthenes and other orators. Think for a moment about Athens. What do these men represent? They were the intellectual capital of the known world and represented the best that humanity could do in trying to come up with a god to worship. And yet clearly they fell short as testified by the fact that they had to cover their bases with an "unknown god." As Ray Pritchard says "this teaches us the necessity of divine revelation. Athens represents the “City of Man” at its best—and it’s still not good enough. You can’t reason your way to God because human reason has been darkened by the Fall (Ephesians 4:17-19). We can still think but we can’t think God’s thoughts unless the Holy Spirits illuminates our minds so that we can see God’s truth. The way to heaven must be revealed from above." (To An Unknown God) I observe (theoreo) that you are very religious in all respects - The idea of very religious can have a positive or negative nuance, on the one hand meaning "devout," and on the other hand meaning "superstitious." Paul is acknowledging that the Athenians are "supernaturalists" as are all men (whether they acknowledge it or not) because God has "set eternity in their heart." (Eccl 3:11) Every man and woman has a “God-shaped vacuum” inside their heart because God put it there, and if people will not fill that vacuum with God, they will always fill it with something else! Augustine prayed, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” As Ray Pritchard said "Mankind is inherently religious. Anthropologists tell us that every society on earth—no matter how primitive—has some conception of a higher power....Even the most corrupt religion demonstrates man’s innate capacity to know God. " For those with whom we seek to share the Gospel who say "I don't believe there is a God," it is more difficult to talk to them about supernatural truths. As someone has suggested when you get that response ask the individual if he has been everywhere in the universe? Of course he will be forced to say he has not (if he says he has then recommend a good psychiatrist!). And since he has not been everywhere in the universe, it is impossible for him to state absolutely there is no God. He can only say "I don't think there is a God." He is not an atheist but an agnostic. Agnostic means a person who views the existence of ultimate truth as unknowable, particularly when it comes to the existence of God. Charles Darwin is an example of a famous agnostic. Agnostics do not deny the existence of God—instead, they claim that one cannot know for certain whether God exists. The term agnostic was coined by the 19th-century British scientist Thomas H. Huxley, who believed that only material phenomena were objects of exact knowledge. Ro 1:19-20 counters this deceptive belief (but it is doubtful an agnostic would accept it!) "hat which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Even the great Jewish mind Albert Einstein said that anybody who did not believe in a cosmic power was a fool. And sadly he added that "we can never know Him.” O, how wrong he was! And now he knows! The writer of Hebrews said that "he who comes to God must believe that HE IS!" (Heb 11:6). So what does the Bible say about so-called atheists? Ps 14:1 says literally "The fool has said in his heart, “No God!" and then David explains why - "They are corrupt (ruined)." Finally, many are atheist (if not actually, they live practically like there is no God) because if there is no God, there is no judgment (at least that is their deceptive logic)! Vincent on superstitious (very religious) - This rendering and that of the Revised, somewhat superstitious, are both unfortunate. The word is compounded of deido = to fear, and daimon = a deity. It signifies either a religious or a superstitious sentiment, according to the context. Paul would have been unlikely to begin his address with a charge which would have awakened the anger of his audience. What he means to say is, "You are more divinity-fearing than the rest of the Greeks." This propensity to reverence the higher powers is a good thing in itself, only, as he shows them, it is misdirected, not rightly conscious of its object and aim. Paul proposes to guide the sentiment rightly by revealing him whom they ignorantly worship. The American revisers insist on very religious. The kindred word deisidaimonia occurs Acts 25:19, and in the sense of religion, though rendered in A. V. superstition. Festus would not call the Jewish religion a superstition before Agrippa, who was himself a Jew. There is the testimony of the Ephesian town-clerk, that Paul, during his three years' residence at Ephesus, did not rudely and coarsely attack the worship of the Ephesian Diana. “Nor yet blasphemers of your goddess” (Acts 19:37). (Acts 17 - Vincent's Word Studies)