Paul was an Apostle, inspired and directed by The Holy Spirit. The things he said and did at Athens were just right under those circumstances. At the meeting on Mars Hill (Areopagus) he was speaking to people who did not know anything about Jehovah. He did not use the same approach he would use with Jews who did know God.
Acts 17:16-18 NKJV "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. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there."
The city was a junkyard of idols! He discussed this with the Jews and other like-minded people who meet in the synagogue for worship. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. In order to influence people, it is important to be on speaking terms with them, and to "speak their language."
Acts 17:22-23 NKJV "Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus (Mars Hill) and said, 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 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.'"
Andy Butcher writes in "When It's Hard To Believe":
"Christians tend to think of non-Christians as hard-core pagans having no level of receptivity to the gospel - maybe even antagonistic toward the church, if not belligerent. Many active Christians tend to think in black & white terms."
"People are very open to Jesus, there's a record number of books about Him. Everybody wants a piece of Jesus, but they drive a wedge between Him and the Church and between Him and traditional Christianity. They don't want that other stuff."
"But with widespread ignorance about even the most basic Bible stories and teachings, we have an opportunity to introduce it (the Bible) as a new book. The Good Book is often judged unfairly by its threatening black cover. Some publishers are making the Scriptures more culturally relevant."
Note that Paul was in the habit of preaching in a frame of reference that respected some of the scruples of the people he approached (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Paul could: live like a Jew among the Jews (respecting their customs); live as a Gentile in order to win the Gentiles; live among the weak in faith (who had very strong personal opinions, doubts and fears, Romans 14:1-2; 15:1). Paul could respect their prejudices also. But in every case Paul's goal was to "by all means save some."
Paul's sermon:
1. Let me tell you about GOD who is Lord of heaven and earth. Acts 17:24-25
a. God made the earth and everything in it.
b. God does not live in man-made temples.
c. God does not need anything that we can supply.
d. God gives life and breath and everything.
2. Let me tell you about yourself and all of us humans. Acts 17:26-27
a. God created us all from one man (Adam).
b. God spread us all over the earth.
c. God wants us to look and search for Him.
d. Yet God is not far from any of us as you might think.
"In Him we live and move and have our being."
"For we are also His children."
3. Because we are God's children, His offspring: Acts 17:29-30
a. We should not think God is like an idol made of gold,
silver or stone, made and shaped by the hands of men.
b. God once overlooked the times of our ignorance.
c. God now commands everyone to repent and turn to Him.
4. God will judge the world in righteousness! Acts 17:31
a. God has appointed a Day.
b. God will judge the world through a Man (Christ Jesus).
c. God gave proof of the Judgment by raising this Man
from the dead. Note Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.
5. Some obeyed with just this one sermon. Acts 17:34.
a. Some mocked Paul and laughed at the idea of a resurrection from the dead. (They thought of man as just a soul trapped in a disposable body.)
b. Some believed in the Risen Christ Paul spoke of. Since the crucifixion ties in with the Day of Atonement and the whole Jewish idea of "sacrifice," not all would understand. But Rising from Death is a clear statement. Note Acts 4:3. "being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead."
c. We would expect that those who did believe would say, like the Ethiopian Eunuch: "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"
No comments:
Post a Comment