Mar 01, 2015
Acts 17:15-34


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http://zachadams.org/acts/acts17_15-34.mp3

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Outline:


Acts 17:15, “So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.”



Motion of the Text: Paul leaves Berea and travels 200 miles south by sea to the city of Athens. Remember he began this missionary journey with Silas before picking up Timothy in Lystra and Luke in Troas; however, now that he’s left Luke to pastor the church in Philippi and Silas and Timothy to do the same in Berea he finds himself alone in Athens.


While it was necessary for his companions to remain behind in Berea it doesn’t take long for Paul to grow uncomfortable flying solo which is why as soon as he arrives in Athens he “commanded for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed.” 



Acts 17:16-17, “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.” 



Let me begin by pointing out what “provoked” or literally what “stimulated or spurred” Paul to engage in ministry while he waited for his friends to arrive in Athens. Luke tells us “his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.”


Literally, this city that boasted the greatest intellectual minds and thinkers the world had ever known was “swamped or carried over” by idolatry. Some historians estimate there were over 30,000 different temples dedicated to various gods scattered across Athens. 


“Provoked” by what he saw we’re told Paul did two things: He daily “reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and Gentile worshipers” and with “those who happened to be in the marketplace.” Verse 18 gives us greater insight into the core idea Paul was presenting.



Acts 17:18, “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. 



In both the synagogue and in the public marketplace Paul “preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.” While we’re not given any indication as to the reaction of the audience within this Athenian synagogue, Luke does mention the reactions of two different groups of philosophers who had engaged the Apostle Paul in discourse.


First, you have a group of philosophers known as the Epicureans. Epicurus was an “Atomic Materialist” who believed “necessary pleasure” was the greatest good. He also taught that it was specifically through the “absence of pain” that man could attain ultimate peace and tranquility. Note: Epicurean philosophy quickly devolved into to hedonism with the fundamental maxim being, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”


Secondly, you have a group of philosophers known as the Stoics. Founded by Zeno, Stoicism opposed the Epicurean mindset. Believing human reason, not pleasure, was the highest good, the Stoics placed a supreme value on dignity and virtue. As pantheists Stoics emphasized self-control, contentment, and living in harmony with nature.  


Interestingly, both philosophies were fatalistic in their ultimate outlook on life and human death. Epicurus said, “Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.” Stoic philosopher Epictetus simply reasoned concerning death, “His ship sank. What happened? His ship sank.”


This fatalistic outlook seems to explain their skeptical reaction to Paul’s message concerning resurrection. The fundamental idea of life after death challenged the Epicurean model that avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure was man’s all. For the Stoic a future resurrection to life not only made it intellectually impossible to avoid the idea of death, but the inevitable concept of a god superseded their self-defined notions of virtue.


Look at their reactions to Paul’s message: They mockingly refer to him as a “babbler” (or literally “seed picker”) concluding he was “a proclaimer of foreign gods.” The accusation could literally be translated, “Where has this bird been eating.” The belief that the body would be resurrection from the dead was a concept they had simply never heard before.



Acts 17:19-21, “And they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 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.”



In response to Paul’s daily presentation of “Jesus and the resurrection” he’s brought “to the Areopagus” where he’s given a public forum to explain “what these things mean.”


Note: The Areopagus (also known as Mars Hill) was a rock located in the NW corner of the Acropolis. The word “Areopagus” is literally translated as “Ares Rock” for in Greek mythology it was the place where Ares was tried by the gods for the death of Poseidon’s son. In classical times, the Areopagus functioned as the High Court of Appeals.


It should also be pointed out the deeper motivation behind their desire to hear from Paul. Luke tells us the audience that had gathered was interested in hearing from Paul because they “spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.” It would seem these philosophers desired entertainment not enlightenment. They had no idea what they were in for when they provided Paul a platform to speak!



Acts 17:22-23, “Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus 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…” 



In examining Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill it’s important to keep in mind how different this audience was from the normal crowd he was used to reaching… Unlike the Jews or even Gentile proselytes, this crowd shared an entirely different worldview.


Instead of being monotheistic, the Athenians were polytheistic and pantheists. Instead of the common acceptance of Hebrew Scripture as God’s revelation to man, this audience lacked any form of Judaic understanding. As we’ve already mentioned Paul didn’t even share a similar understanding with the Athenians concerning death and the afterlife.


It may be that this reality serves to explain why Paul begins this sermon much differently than any others we have recorded in Acts. In order to broaden their understanding as to the significance of “Jesus and His resurrection” Paul had to first lay a theological foundation.


Paul beings his presentation by first building a bridge to his audience by complementing them for being “very religious.” Aside from this, Paul shows respect to their culture by pointing out that he had spent time “considering the objects of their worship.” 


Paul doesn’t begin with the call of repentance. He doesn’t reprimand them on their idolatry and the rampant immorality included in their temple worship. He doesn’t insult their philosophical understanding, but begins by showing respect and demonstrating kindness. 


And it’s with this framework established that Paul continues his presentation by doing something fascinating… Because he shared no common belief structure with the Athenians, Paul points to an alter he discovered dedicated to the “Unknown God.” 


You see in their attempts of showing tribute to the pantheon of gods, the Greeks (concerned they may inadvertently overlook a deity thereby bringing up themselves some form of divine retribution) had established a tribute “to the Unknown God.” 


While the altar was sort of a catch all its very existence was rather revealing. It’s been observed that these Greeks “felt, and sadly owned, that with their thirty thousand deities, and their city full of temples, they had not yet discovered the truth. There remained something which they could not reach, and without which they could not be happy.”


Since by definition this was a theoretical god they knew nothing of Paul creatively decides to play off this idea in order to aid in their understanding of Jesus and the significance of the resurrection. In essence, Paul is going to introduce Athens to a god yet unknown!



Acts 17:24-26, “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. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 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…” 



Paul introduces the “Unknown God” to his audience as being not only the Creator of “the world and everything in it,” but the “Lord of heaven and earth.” His point is that the God he was speaking of was fundamentally distinct from the things He created and therefore did not need man for His existence… He “does not dwell in temples made with hands.” 


Paul rightly understood that when you said “god” something registered in the Greek mind… The problem was that their understanding of “god” was so warped that before he would ever be able to present Jesus and thereby explain the significance of the cross and resurrection it was essential he first define who God actually was!


As Creator the “Unknown God” was eternal - The “Uncaused Cause.” He transcended time and space and was singularly responsible for everything that is. Unlike the mythological gods the “Unknown God” was separate from man… Omniscient, immutable, and omnipresent.


Paul then explains that as the Creator who “has made form one blood every nation to dwell on all the face of the earth” specifically giving to man “all life and breath,” humanity was unique from the rest of creation and dependent upon God for “all things.” Beyond being Creator Paul introduces the “Unknown God” as being man’s sovereign sustainer “determining the preappointed times and boundaries of his dwellings.” 


Paul’s point to the Athenians was that every human being, created by God and dependent upon God for his very existence, was now fundamentally obligations to God and would therefore be ultimately held accountable by God for the very life that he lived! Which is why…



Acts 17:27-29, “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; 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.’ 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.” 



If this “Unknown God” is both the Creator and Sustainer of all things… And if man was therefore logically responsible to this God for the way he lived his life… Paul concludes by explaining how it was only reasonable that man “should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him.” 


This coupling that they “should seek the Lord” for “He is not far from each one of us” is fascinating for it’s as though Paul was conceding how very close the Greek mind was to the truth. The Athenians were a religious people, they were undoubtedly god-centric, but most interestingly they understood the uniqueness of man as it pertained to God.


To illustrate this reality Paul quotes from two famous Greek poets. Epimenides said, “For in Him we live and move and have our being” and Aratus said, “For we are also His offspring.” 


The problem Paul is seeking to highlight was that instead of pursuing the God in whose image they had been created, they had created gods into their own image. Sadly, because the object of their worship was off so to was their worship.


While sincere, the reality was that the Greeks had a false confidence this “Unknown God” would look upon them favorably because of the altar they had constructed and the worship practices they had instituted. To refute this notion Paul points out that since man was “the offspring of God” equipped with the “Divine Nature,” this “Unknown God” didn’t care about the things they made with “gold or silver or stone, things shaped by art and man’s devising.” 


Instead this “Unknown God” only found honor in the way they lived the life He had given! Basically, Paul is telling his Athenian audience God found their altar and their worship worthless! Which was a perfect lead-in to the greater application of this point…



Acts 17:30-31, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 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 is conceding the Athenians had been acting in “ignorance;” however, now that they have been exposed to the truth, they would be held to a greater account. This is why Paul immediately exhorts them to “repent.” In the Greek “metanoeô” signified “a changing of the mind that produced a changing of direction.” Notice: It is God who “commands all men everywhere to repent.” No journey with God can exist without the first-fruit of repentance.


Paul rightly understood that before any of these Athenians would be able to accept Jesus as the basis for salvation it was essential they first recognize the error in their thinking. They were seeking to honor a God in a way God didn’t find honorable!


Which left them in a precarious situation… 



Now in order to explain the solution (how they could please God), Paul first defines the metric by which the “Unknown God” would judge… “He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.” Note: “The Man” Paul is referencing was undoubtedly Jesus and because of his former discourse his audience understood what he was saying. 


Because God would “judge the world in righteousness” in order for humanity to fully understand the true nature of His righteousness requirement God ordained Jesus. In essence, Jesus and the perfect life He lived would be held up as the singular metric by which the rest of the world would be evaluated and judged concerning. 


Sadly and understandably, this leaves all of human with a rather bleak outlook! Not only are my works inadequate to please God (altar and worship), but since my life can never measure up to Jesus the judgment of God is inevitable. “All have fallen short of the glory of God!”


At this point the analytical mind looks for a loophole… How do we know Jesus was indeed “the Man whom God has ordained?” To answer this hypothetical question Paul continues by saying “the Unknown God had given assurance of this to all by raising Jesus from the dead!” The resurrection of Jesus was the singular event designed to not only illustrate God’s favor, but to validate Jesus as the right of passage! “I am the way, the truth, and the life!”


It’s been said, “The empty tomb, as an enduring symbol of the resurrection, is the ultimate representation of Jesus’ claim to being God.” Resurrection is “the proof of Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. It’s the foreshadowing of the resurrection of his followers. It’s the basis of Christian hope. It’s the miracle of all miracles.”



Acts 17:32-34, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”



I hope you realize Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill is one of the most famous because it’s so applicable to our present culture. While it’s true our idolatry may not be as overt and obvious as it was in Athens, idol worship still dominates our society in much the same way. The only difference is that it takes on a more subtle, covert approach. 


Because everyone servers someone or something, every human being chooses gods, builds altars, and worships without ever realizing it’s even happening. 


Since we all have an innate understanding that life is screwed up we go to great lengths in our attempts to pinpoint a core problem… Let’s call it a “self-defined hell” - That one thing in life we attribute as being the source of our incompleteness - the root of our misery (being poor, loneliness, insecurities over body image, insignificance, or lack of purpose). 


Then once “hell” is defined it’s only natural that people appoint for themselves a “functional savior” they believe will save them from this core problem. Keep in mind any savior we view as the liberator of hell will receive our most sincere honor and worship!


Understand… The reason these “functional saviors” prove powerless centers on the reality we fundamental misdiagnosed hell - the source of our misery. Sadly, “functional saviors” fail because they only seek to address symptoms manifested by a greater disease. 


Which then explains why our hearts end up looking like Athens with altars scattered all across the landscape for when I’m only addressing symptoms one savior will never do! 


That said… What if all of my issues really do boil down to one core problem? Logically, speaking, isn’t it entirely possible one “functional savior” really could free me not only from this core disease but also from all of the symptoms that disease manifests?


You see if I view hell (the source of all my problems) as being this eternal separation from my Creator because of my sin (the root disease - my failure to be righteousness)… Then the Savior who is able to effectively remedy that singular problem will by default be able to address all the others. The question then becomes what Savior is really able?


While the Athenians correctly feared divine judgment (why the altar to the Unknown God existed in the first place), they had mistakenly placed their confidence (what would appease the Unknown God) in the wrong thing (their works was their savior… A point Paul swiftly dismantled by pointing out that Jesus’ righteousness was the metric for God’s judgement).


Though Paul wasn’t allowed to finish his sermon, he was able to leave his audience with a challenge… Since the only way to please God was by living a righteous life as demonstrated by Jesus, there was no way anyone would be able to escape His judgment. 


Because we’re all unfit for perfection and none of us can earn God’s favor… Our only hope is to look beyond ourselves for a Savior able to effectively deal with our sin!


I’m sure if Paul had been allowed he would have pivoted from this challenge to the wonderful work of Jesus on the cross. For while it was impossible for man to earn the favor of God because no man could ever measure up to Jesus, the Good News was that God’s favor could be received through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. 


This morning may you look beyond the symptoms and recognize the disease. May you recognize the folly of your “functional saviors” because you’ve come to the all important realization you’ve mistakenly misidentified your core problem - your “self-defined hell.” 


Hell is a life lived in separation from the Creator both now and for eternity. And hell exists for one reason… Your sin! Sin not only brings upon man a future judgment, but it’s singularly responsible for your incompleteness. And yet, there is hope for in Jesus you will discover the only “functional Savior” able to free you from both - the disease and the symptoms! Where these counterfeit gods (idols) are constantly proving unable, Jesus will prove able!


The work of Jesus on the cross that satisfies the righteous requirements of your sin offers you two incredible and amazing realities: (1) You can be forgiven and reconciled with God forever, and (2) The favor of the Father towards His Son can be given to you as well! Not only is your debt forgiven (righteousness), but your account is credited (inheritance)!


In conclusion, don’t forget how this all began… We’re told “Paul’s spirit was provoked with him…” Understand a “provoking” doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s simple cause and effect. Something occurs “out there” that moves something “in here” which in turn produces a counter action “out there.” Though Paul had every intention to lay low until Silas and Timothy could join him, when he saw that the city of Athens “was given over to idols” he had to act.


William Arnot (19th-century Scottish preacher) wrote, “What emotion did the sight of Athenian idolatry excite in the missionary’s breast! His spirit was stirred in him. A fire was kindled that would have consumed the man if it had been pent up. Allowed to get vent, it blazed forth, and precipitated him with all his force alone against the world.”


May I ask you… Are you provoked by what you see happening in lives of those around you - friends worshipping at altars of ill-equipped saviors? Are you provoked when you see sincere people experiencing the frustration of trying their best to earn the favor God is willing to give? William Arnot wrote, “It is at Christ’s love to us that our hearts take fire for other men.”


Three Reactions of the multitude to Paul’s Sermon: (1) “Some mocked…” (2) Others pushed… “We will hear you again on this matter.” (3) And a few believed and “joined Paul.”

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