Acts 17:16–34 — At Athens — (outline by F. F. Bruce, NICNT) « Leader information shown in this fashion »
{A.} The Birth of the Church (1:1–5:42)
{B.} Persecution and Expansion (6:1–9:31)
{C.} The Acts of Peter & Beginnings of Gentile Christianity (9:32-12:25)
{D.} Church Extension from Antioch & Apostolic Decree at Jerusalem
(12:25–15:35)
{E.} Paul Leaves Antioch & Moves to the Aegean World (15:36–19:20)
{1} Recently Planted Churches Revisited (15:36–16:5)
{2} Philippi (16:6–40)
{3} Thessalonica to Athens (17:1-34)
A. Arrival in Thessalonica (17:1-4)
B. Trouble at Thessalonica (17:5–9)
C. Berea (17:10–15)
D. Athens (17:16–21, NKJV): 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshippers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. « (Epicureans: “eat, drink and be merry boys”; Stoics: “real men don’t cry” – cf. Henley’s invictus: “I thank whatever gods may be / For my unconquerable soul.”) »
1. What is the “therefore” in verse 17 there for? « – it points to the idol worship in particular that initiated Paul’s actions and speech »
2. What made this in Athens different from other Gentile cities? « – the degree and extent of idolatry; they seemed to adopt every deity that came along as was widely recognized »
3. We can see why Paul would argue in the marketplace about this; but why in the synagogues (Psalm 96:3)? « – evidently the Jews had had little influence against idolatry in their community »
4. What gods did they think Paul was preaching? « – Jesus and Anastasis (resurrection); the Greeks and Romans established gods for almost every commonplace occurrence of life »
5. How did they spend their time? « – looking for novelties – also a known characteristic of the Areopagus »
E. Paul’s Addresses the Areopagus, a Court (17:22-31, NKJV): 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” « – Paul here faces a court, not a synagogue; not a court of justice, but of opinions; so this is a defence, apologetic (demonstrating the reasonability of faith) rather than didactic (because it is evangelistic) in nature »
1. What is Paul’s starting point? « – their religiosity (or superstition) which is recorded in secular writers; to the Athenians, a matter of course; to Paul, as a Jew, it was abhorrent » « »
2. What is Paul’s avowed purpose? « – to introduce them to the one, the true God, which their altar admits to be unknown to them »
3. Reread Acts 14:15–17; like that speech, Paul addresses this to a pagan audience. How doees this speech contrast with those he made in the Jewish synagogues (as, e.g., Acts 13:16-41)? « – (1) there are no direct quotes of the Scriptures here (2) there is no reference to the fulfilment of the Messianic promise »
4. How does Paul compensate for this? « – his speech is theological, not rationalistic; based on revelation and not on philosophical or other human logic; not mere memorization but understanding »
5. What use is made of the following:
a. Genesis chapter 1 « – there is One Supreme God who is creator
»
b. Genesis chapter 2 « – all men are descended from one (blood) »
c. Psalm 139:7–12 « – God’s immanence (he is not far) »
d. Psalm 50:9–12 « – God’s transcendence (not in need of any) »
e. Deuteronomy 32:8, Daniel 4:25, 34–35 « – God’s sovereignty setting man’s bounds »
f. Other Old Testament truths « – ask class to discover these »
6. What “authority” does Paul employ? « – two pagan poets »
a. Supposedly Epimenides the Cretan (c. 600 BC) -
« They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one –
The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!
But thou art not dead; thou lives and abidest for ever,
For in thee we live and move and have our being … Cretans said they had Zeus’ tomb; Zeus was the supreme being in Greek pantheon – Paul does not hereby make Zeus equivalent to the One True Living God but only extracts one truth about the Divine Nature »
b. Aratus, a Cilician (c. 310 BC) « – a section which ends, “In every way we all have to do with Zeus, for we are truly his offspring.” »
7. What is the point of each quotation?
a. Epimenides « – the immanence or omnipresence of God »
b. Aratus « – man reflect God’s image (Luke refers to Adam as the Son of God in his genealogy of Christ Jesus) »
8. What was God’s purpose in all He has done? « – that man might seek and find him, repenting of sin to be saved from hell »
9. Was Paul’s message appropriate to the situation? « – discuss »
F. The Athenian’s Reaction (17:32–34, NKJV): 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
1. Read 1 Corinthians 1:23; what are some reasons that the cross forms such an obstacle to coming to Christ?
a. « His death; that God the Son could become man and die »
b. « His bearing of sin; how can one being take another’s sin »
c. « His bodily resurrection; it goes against all our experience »
d. « Man’s proud mind; what is not understood is denied »
2. Read the next several verses following 1 Corinthians 1:23; what truth does Paul’s Areopagus experience illustrate? « – verse 26, “not many of you … were wise men by human standards” (NIV) »
3. Would you consider Paul’s message successful? Why or why not? « – discuss – there is today a bronze tablet at the ascent to the Areopagus bearing the text of Paul’s message; the thoroughfare nearby is named in his honour and another in the vicinity after Dionysius »
