Acts Lesson 32 A New Journey Part 5 Scripture Acts 17:16-34 Introduction: Paul was deeply affected by what he saw. Athens was a city with thousands of statues and idols. i They perceived themselves to be above other societies in culture and intellect. Paul was undeterred, they MUST hear of Jesus. I. The Provocation Note: Paul was incited by the gross idolatry everywhere he looked. A. There was conviction 1. His spirit 2. His soul B. There was compassion 1. Their need for truth 2. Their need for salvation II. The Proclamation Note: He reasoned. A. Jews 1. Synagogue B. Gentiles 1. Worshippers C. Marketplace ii 1. Society Note: People came to the market not only to buy, but to socialize. III. The Prejudice Note: They had an arrogant attitude. iii A. Perception 1. He was a babbler. iv 2. He was an outsider. B. Practice 1. The privileged were entertained with the philosophies of others. 2. Paul must give an account for them. v IV. The Preaching vi Note: They in their smugness had given Paul exactly the opportunity he was looking for. God can use curiosity. A. Their Impudence 1. They were superior to others. 2. They were open and broad minded.
B. Their Illusion 1. The appearance of being exhaustive in their religious pursuits. 2. The addle pursuit of something new. C. The Infinite God 1. Creator 2. Almighty 3. Sustainer 4. Sovereign vii 5. Approachable 6. Alive and involved 7. His offspring viii D. Their Ignorance Note: No longer excusable. 1. Repentance needed 2. Judgment coming ix V. Their Prevarication Note: They were indifferent. A. Unmoved 1. Blind to their need of redemption. 2. Bound by their culture. B. Unbelieving 1. The cross was foolishness. 2. The resurrection was a ridiculous impossibility. C. Unsaved 1. They ridiculed the messenger. 2. They rejected their only hope. Note: Paul moved on. VI. Those who Professed Note: There were some. A. Dionysius B. Damaris C. Others Conclusion: 1. Always watch for opportunities to share the Gospel. 2. Do not be intimidated by those who think they are more intelligent than you. 3. Focus on the converts not those who rejects.
i The city full of idols (kateidōlon ousan tēn polin). Note the participle ousan not preserved in the English (either the city being full of idols or that the city was full of idols, sort of indirect discourse). Paul, like any stranger was looking at the sights as he walked around. This adjective kateidōlon (perfective use of kata and eidōlon is found nowhere else, but it is formed after the analogy of katampelos, katadendron), full of idols. Xenophon (de Republ. Ath.) calls the city holē bomos, holē thuma theois kai anathēma (all altar, all sacrifice and offering to the gods). These statues were beautiful, but Paul was not deceived by the mere art for art's sake. The idolatry and sensualism of it all glared at him (Romans 1:18-32). Renan ridicules Paul's ignorance in taking these statues for idols, but Paul knew paganism better than Renan. The superstition of this centre of Greek culture was depressing to Paul. Pausanias says that Athens had more images than all the rest of Greece put together. Pliny states that in the time of Nero Athens had over 30,000 public statues besides countless private ones in the homes. Petronius sneers that it was easier to find a god than a man in Athens. Every gateway or porch had its protecting god. They lined the street from the Piraeus and caught the eye at every place of prominence on wall or in the agora. Word Pictures in the New Testament Wholly given to idolatry (κατείδωλον) "We learn from Pliny that at the time of Nero, Athens contained over three thousand public statues, besides a countless number of lesser images within the walls of private houses. Of this number the great majority were statues of gods, demi-gods, or heroes. In one street there stood before every house a square pillar carrying upon it a bust of the god Hermes. Another street, named the Street of the Tripods, was lined with tripods, dedicated by winners in the Greek national games, and carrying each one an inscription to a deity. Every gateway and porch carried its protecting god. Every street, every square, nay, every purlieu, had its sanctuaries, and a Roman poet bitterly remarked that it was easier in Athens to find gods than men" (G. S. Davies, "St. Paul in Greece"). - Word Pictures in the New Testament
As Paul walked through Athens he saw everywhere in that great university city, that world capital of learning, the most foolish thing that men could make: graven images. They were everywhere, dead gods. It was true what Pausanius had said that it was easier to meet a god on the main street of Athens than it was to meet a man. There were idols and images dedicated to every conceivable aspect of life to the stars and constellations, to the powers of the underworld, to the vices and virtues of mankind. The John Phillips Commentary Series Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary ii The Agora was the center of Athenian life and activity, the place where the principal ways met. All around, crowded into the area of the Agora, between the Areopagus and Acropolis on the north, the Pnyx on the west, and the Museum on the south, were countless temples, statues, and public buildings. Here, at the hub and heart of the city, Paul reasoned with men about the true God and His only begotten and well-beloved Son. Evidently he made quite a stir. People began to talk about this strange Jew who spoke of a true and living God, of God being manifest in flesh and a God-Man crucified by the Romans and raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit. Soon he became the talk of the town, and gossip about him reached the ears of the authorities. The John Phillips Commentary Series Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary iii Of the Epicureans. This sect of philosophers was so named from Epicurus, who lived about 300 years before the Christian era. They denied that the world was created by God, and that the gods exercised any care or providence over human affairs, and also the immortality of the soul. Against these positions of the sect, Paul directed his main argument, in proving that the world was created and governed by God. One of the distinguishing doctrines of Epicurus was, that pleasure was the summum bonum, or chief good, and that virtue was to be practised only as it contributed to pleasure. By pleasure, however, Epicurus did not mean sensual and grovelling appetites, and degraded vices, but rational pleasure, properly regulated and governed. See Good's Book of Nature. But whatever his views were, it is certain that his followers had embraced the doctrine that voluptuousness and the pleasures of sense were to be practised without restraint. Both in principle and practice, therefore, they devoted themselves to a life of gaiety and sensuality, and sought happiness only in indolence, effeminacy, and voluptuousness. Confident in the belief that the world was not under the administration of a God of justice; they gave themselves up to the indulgence of every passion; the infidels of their time, and the exact example of the gay and fashionable multitudes of all times, that live without God, and that seek pleasure as their chief good. And of the Stoics. These were a sect of philosophers, so named from the Greek στοα, stoa, porch, or portico, because Zeno, the founder of the sect, held his school and taught in a porch, in the city of Athens. Zeno was born in the island of Cyprus, but the greater part of his life was spent at Athena in teaching philosophy. After having taught publicly forty-eight years, he died at the age of ninety-six, two hundred and-sixty-four years before Christ. The doctrines of the sect were, that the Universe was created by God; that all things were fixed by fate; that even God was under the dominion of fatal necessity; that the fates were to be submitted to; that the passions and affections were to be suppressed and restrained; that happiness consisted in the insensibility of the soul to pain; and that a man should gain an absolute mastery over all the passions and affections of his nature. They were stern in their views of virtue, and, like the Pharisees prided themselves on their own righteousness. They supposed that matter was eternal, and that God was either the animating principal or soul of the world, or that all things were a part of God. They fluctuated much in their views of a future state; some of then holding that the soul would exist only until the destruction of the universe, and others that it would finally be absorbed into the Divine Essence, and become a part of God. It will be readily seen, therefore, with what pertinency and address Paul discoursed to them. The leading doctrines of both sects were met by him. Barnes' Notes on the New Testament
Two philosophic schools dominated the city's thought. The Epicureans asserted that happiness and pleasure were the two principal aims of a tranquil life. They believed that everything happened by chance; the gods were remote and uninvolved, so there was no need for concern or anxiety. Life was to be lived free of passion, pain, and fear of any kind. Three cardinal words focus their lifestyle: eat, drink, and be merry. The Stoics, who took their name from the Stoa Poikile (the Painted Porch), where their founder Zeno taught, could not have been more opposite. For them, all of life was determined by the gods. It had to be lived according to the laws of nature completely free of emotional involvement. The Stoics' goal was to accept nature and live in it without intensity. They were pantheistic, seeing all as an expression of their gods. The Preacher's Commentary Volume 28: Acts. Paul had to confront two opposing philosophies as he witnessed in Athens, those of the Epicureans and the Stoics. We today associate the word Epicurean with the pursuit of pleasure and the love of "fine living," especially fine food. But the Epicurean philosophy involved much more than that. In one sense, the founder Epicurus was an "existentialist" in that he sought truth by means of personal experience and not through reasoning. The Epicureans were materialists and atheists, and their goal in life was pleasure. To some, "pleasure" meant that which was grossly physical; but to others, it meant a life of refined serenity, free from pain and anxiety. The true Epicurean avoided extremes and sought to enjoy life by keeping things in balance, but pleasure was still his number one goal. The Stoics rejected the idolatry of pagan worship and taught that there was one "World God." They were pantheists, and their emphasis was on personal discipline and self-control. Pleasure was not good and pain was not evil. The most important thing in life was to follow one's reason and be self-sufficient, unmoved by inner feelings or outward circumstances. Of course, such a philosophy only fanned the flames of pride and taught men that they did not need the help of God. It is interesting that the first two leaders of the Stoic school committed suicide. Bible Exposition Commentary Be Daring (Acts 13-28). iv Although they differed radically in their philosophic beliefs, both Stoics and Epicureans were united in their contempt for Paul's teaching. Some of them were saying derisively, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Spermologos (idle babbler) literally means "seed picker." The word evoked images of a bird pecking indiscriminately at seeds in a barnyard. It referred to a dilettante, someone who picked up scraps of ideas here and there and passed them off as profundity with no depth of understanding at all. (John B. Polhill, The New American Commentary: Acts [Nashville: Broadman, 1992], 367) The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary Acts 13-28. v 4. The Domain for the Sermon (Acts 17:19) "They took him, and brought him unto Areopagus" (Acts 17:19). The "Areopagus" was the highest court in Athens. It met at a special location on a hill to the northwest of the marketplace. The hill was called "Mars' hill" (Acts 17:22). Analytical Bible Expositor Acts. The word "Areopagus" (Areois pagos) refers to the hill of Mars, where the temple of Mars stood and where the court of the Areopagus convened, a venerable council that exercised jurisdiction over people like Paul. Here Paul was in almost as great a peril as Socrates before him. This aristocratic council was of great antiquity. It retained, under the Romans, great power and respect and had authority over all matters of religion and morals. Paul was brought before this body to give an account of himself, and of the strange teachings he had been propagating in the city. He rose magnificently to the occasion. The John Phillips Commentary Series Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary
vi The Deity in the Sermon (Acts 17:23-31) Paul's sermon was about the "Unknown God... him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23). We note some of the highlights of this sermon about the true God. The power of God. "God... made the world" (Acts 17:24). Few things show the power of God better than the creation of the universe. But like the Athenians, our day rejects this truth and embraces ludicrous philosophies about creation. The position of God. "He is Lord of heaven and earth" (Acts 17:24). It is logical that if God created the world, He is over the world. This position of God meant that He was greater than any of the gods of the Athenians. The person of God. "Dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything" (Acts 17:24,25). This spoke of the nature of God. He was not an idol made by man's hands or fed by man's hands as was the case with idols. Paganism had lowered the nature of God to the level of depraved man and even wild beasts and such inanimate things as trees and idols of gold and silver. The primacy of God. "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things... in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:25,28). God is absolutely essential for us to live. Not only is God necessary for us to live physically but more importantly, He is essential for our spiritual life. Few recognize the primacy of God in their lives or society, however. The practicality of God. "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things... in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:25,28). God is practical. Many folk think He is impractical. However, God is practical in every area of life. The plan of God. "Hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26). This plan of God expresses some fundamental truths about man. First, the creation of man. "Made of one blood." This debunks evolution and also the idea of the Greeks about their race being superior. Hitler also advanced a superior race idea. The Jews looked at themselves as a superior race when it wasn't race at all but spiritual privilege that God gave to them that set them apart from others. It isn't race that counts for eternity, but it is what we have done with Jesus. Second, the habitation of man. "Dwell on all the face of the earth." God intended that man should live on the earth. We are not made to live elsewhere as space travel emphasizes. Third, the subordination of man. "Determined the times before appointed." God is Sovereign, not man. He is in charge though some men think they are. Fourth, the limitations of man. "Bounds of their habitation." This guides the distribution of various people around the globe. "Bounds" bothers the flesh, for it does not want to be limited. It wants license to do anything it pleases. But you better abide by the "bounds" of God's commands in every area of your life if you want God's blessings. The pursuit of God. "That they should seek the Lord" (Acts 17:27). God created us primarily to honor Him (Revelation 4:11; I Corinthians 10:31). The world has much to learn about why they are here. The presence of God. "He be not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27). God is not some far-off deity that cannot be approached by mankind. He is near enough that a quick prayer from the heart will be heard by Him. His abiding presence is a choice blessing which wise men cherish (Exodus 33:14,15). The paternity of God. "As certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device" (Acts 17:28,29). The statement on the Fatherhood of God is very instructive. First, the defining of the statement. This is not the apostate doctrine that all mankind are the children of God and will all go to haven. Rather, this speaks of the fatherhood of God in creation not salvation. Second, the denouncing in the statement. This truth rebukes the Athenians for their poor concept of the nature of God, for if man is an offspring of God (even as their own poets say), God cannot be an idol of gold and silver, for humans of flesh and blood are His offspring.
The patience of God. "The times of this ignorance God winked at [overlooked]" (Acts 17:30). This speaks of God's grace, not God lessening the seriousness of sin. Men often view God's grace as God's approval or that He will do nothing about sin. This is "turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (Jude 1:4) which is strongly condemned in Scripture. The precept of God. "But now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). Divine blessings often come via a commandment as here. The command is instructive about repentance. First, the urgency of repentance. Grace will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3). "Now" is the time to repent (II Corinthians 6:2). Second, the universalism of repentance. "All men every where... repent." It makes no difference who you are rich or poor, important or insignificant, barbarian or Greek, teacher or tramp all need to repent. The punishment from God. Divine judgment is coming. Paul gives some details about the judgment of mankind. First, the prediction of the judgment. "He hath appointed a day, in which he will judge" (Acts 17:31) This reminds of Hebrews 9:27 "It is appointed unto men once to die but after this judgment." Men will not escape judgment. It is on God's calendar. Second, the people for the judgment. "The world" (Acts 17:31). In this life, some men are able to escape judgment through their influence and affluence. In the judgment Paul speaks about, all will be involved. No one can escape. Third, the principle in the judgment. "He will judge the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:31). The courts in our land today seldom reflect righteousness. However, Divine judgment will be done on the principle of righteousness. Justice will be done. No injustice will occur. Fourth, the Person doing the judging. "By that man whom he hath ordained... he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). The identity of the judge is plain; it is none other than Jesus Christ. "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ" (Romans 2:16). "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son... [God] hath given him [Christ] authority to execute judgment" (John 5:22,27). No judge on earth compares to Jesus Christ. Thus this court will be the best court of all. - Analytical Bible Expositor Acts. vii 5. (17:26) God, Sovereignty: God guides the history of all men and nations. This is a phenomenal revelation. 1. All men come from one source, from God Himself. All men have the same blood and nature. No man or nation is above another. All are equal; all stand before God. No one is a favorite of God. God shows no partiality to one person over another: to Jew or Gentile, to religionist or heathen. 2. All men and nations are "appointed a time" to live and are given "bounds" within which to live. God oversees the birth and life of every person and nation. He is actively involved in the world and in the lives of people. Man just needs to acknowledge and reach out to Him and to Him alone; then man will come to know the glorious care and guidance of God's hand. Thought 1. Note how God is in control of human history, both of nations and of individuals. He rules over all, guiding and directing and keeping everyone within certain bounds. What is so desperately needed is for men to put their trust in God so that they may come to know His personal care in their lives. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever" (Matthew 6:13). "The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever" (Psalm 29:10). "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth" (Psalm 83:18). "The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved" (Psalm 93:1).
"Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places" (Psalm 135:6). "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his" (Daniel 2:20). "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35). - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible Acts. viii The Greeks certainly could not plead ignorance. Even their poets acknowledged the revelation of God in nature, though they wrongly saw it as a revelation of their false gods. The Cretan poet Epimenides noted that in Him we live and move and exist, while Aratus, from Paul's home region of Cilicia, added, For we also are His offspring. Those quotes illustrate the universal revelation of God as creator, ruler, and sustainer. While Paul could easily have documented those truths from the Old Testament, he chose instead illustrations familiar to his pagan audience, who were unfamiliar with Scripture. The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary Acts 13-28. ix There is coming a day in which God will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed Jesus Christ. In John 5:22-27 Jesus said: For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary Acts 13-28.