Daily Thoughts from Acts: A Provoked Spirit (Acts 17:16-34)

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ 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, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

   “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

 as even some of your own poets have said,

   “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 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.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.  (Acts 17:16-34 ESV)

Paul could not stand to see people in such darkness so he sought to persuade them of the folly of idolatry.  His presentation piqued enough interest from some of the philosophers who loved to hear new things that they invited him to address the Areopagus, a group of leaders in the city.  He begins by acknowledging their religiosity, which they would have seen most likely as a compliment.  But their altar to an unknown God shows that they were ultimately ignorant about God, so Paul claims to have knowledge of this God they don’t really know.

Paul describes the one true God who created all and does not need houses built by humans.  He is the giver of life as even their own poets declare, and has guided the distribution of mankind throughout the earth in order to move us to seek Him.  Adam is our common father and God has revealed Himself through His prophets so He is not really far from us, but the time of our ignorance being overlooked is coming to an end.  God is going to judge the world through Jesus, whose resurrection proves his authority.

Though Paul would have presented the gospel at this point he is interrupted by the mocking of the crowd.  Some are curious for more and a few even believe and join themselves to him for more instruction.  There is no persecution in this community but the fallen mind sees the gospel as foolishness and dismisses it.

Much has been said from this passage about the proper way to defend the gospel.  What is agreed upon is that defense and persuasiveness is important and that the message of the gospel is empowered by the Spirit of God.  Who do you care enough about, whose idolatry grieves your spirit enough, to make a defense of the gospel to them?