Acts 36. Acts 17:16-34

 Some of your own poets (17:28). “In him we live and move and have our being” is from the Cretan poet Epimenides. “We are his offspring” is found in works both by Aratus and Cleanthes. All these poets were popular with Stoics, who understood the God in their poems to be the Logos—divine Reason, the world-soul.
 

 

 1. How does Luke describe Athens and its people (see 17:16,21)?

' the city was full of idols'

'"...Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new'

 

2. What did the cultured men think of Paul, and why (see 17:18,32)?

What does this babbler wish to say?” “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”. 
"babbler" = seed-picker. No depth. Promoting one belief over another.

"Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, 'We will hear you again about this'.” 

The resurrection was a historically verifiable claim, as opposed to abstract philosophies and unverifiable myths.

 
3. Put yourself in Paul’s place, addressing wellborn, well-dressed intellectuals in an age where class distinctions were stone walls between people. Why was Paul able to face those men confidently? (Optional: See 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.)

He was assured about the truth and power of what he was preaching. He knew that God had called people to Himself and that his preaching would bear fruit.

 

 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

 

4. When invited to speak to the prestigious Areopagus (see 17:24-31), what did Paul say about

• the nature, character, and attributes of God? 

God made the world and everything in it, being 

    The supreme Creator 

Lord of heaven and earth, 

    The sole Sovereign 

does not live in temples made by man

    not restricted in locality or controllable by people (cf. Stephen's speech in Acts 7)

nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, 

    God does not need people - not their sacrifices or their worship

he gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 

     Instead, He is not only Creator, but Sustainer and Provider to all

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth 

    All people come from Adam, sharing the same origin despite their geographical differences. The same truths apply to all

determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place 

     He remains sovereign over history and the affairs of men

that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him 

    He has put a hunger for Himself in human hearts. Yet they cannot find Him cf. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.(Ecc 3:11). There is no certainty, and in fact there is no success (cf. Rom 1:18ff)

 He is actually not far from each one of us, 

    He is omnipresent, hears prayers, knows hearts

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. 

    God is not something we can think up or create. He is beyond idols

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 

    The advent of Christ is a decisive point in redemptive history. God's purposes are now clear. 

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.” 

    God will hold man to account, in righteousness

    Christ will be Judge according to God's appointment

    Christ was attested to by the Resurrection

 

Only a few verses speak of the univesral Fatherhood of God

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” (Eph 3:14–15)

“He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Mt 5:45)

 

• the nature of man? 

‘In him we live and move and have our being

    We are completely dependent on God 

For we are indeed his offspring. 

    In a sense, God is Father to the whole human race 

Very religious (v.22)

    willing to worship anything

all people everywhere to repent, 

    Sinful 

• idols? 

 gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man

• Jesus? 

 a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 

    God will hold man to account, in righteousness

    Christ will be Judge according to God's appointment

    Christ was attested to by the Resurrection

 

 5. How was this speech in Athens different from what Paul said to Jews (see 9:20,22; 13:16-41; 17:2-3)? 

 Paul spoke in OT categories to Jews "Son of God", Christ, proving Jesus from Scriptures. Now he spoke with Gentiles. He quoted Greek poets and emphasized things all men had in common.

 

For Thought and Discussion: What do you think was Paul’s purpose in his opening words (see 17:22-23)? Why did he quote Greek poets that philosophers liked (see 17:28)? 

He established bridges of identity and truth

  

Why did he discuss the nature of God, rather than the identity of Jesus? 

He did not want Jesus to be seen as another competing deity. Rather, he spoke about God's nature at a more fundamental level.

 

For Thought and Discussion: How was Paul’s speech in Athens like and unlike the one in Lystra (see 14:14-17)?

"We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 

 

Like

The comman nature of men

The need for repentance

God as Creator 

God as Sutainer

God now calling all men to account because of Christ

 

Unlike

Good news

God witnessing to His work in the world by His provision

 

Can you think of reasons for the similarities and differences? 

 Some things need to be said to everyone, but the audience was different. One was with sophisticated philisophers, one was on the spur of the moment in an urgent situation.

 

 

6. Why do you think Paul addressed the Athenians differently than Jews? (What principle of evangelism was he practicing, and why is it important?) 

Building common bridges for comfort, establishing rapport (cf. Jesus and the Samaritan woman in Jn 4) 

 

For Thought and Discussion: Why do you suppose it is often so hard for sophisticated people to accept the gospel? How can Christians help them? 

They trust in and are proud of their intelligence and place in the world.

Paul showed them that all men have things in comon - a need for God and a dependence on Him regardless of their sophistication. All have sinned and all need to repent in the light of the gospel.

We must not reject logical defence of the truth, and we must appreciate those who can engage smart people at their level. But we do not rely on these alone.