My pastor is a bi-vocational pastor. Our church is a smallish mission-oriented church that for many years had a NAMB-supported missionary for pastor. When we asked the last missionary to leave because he was damaging key mission components, NAMB chose not to fund another missionary and we became responsible for our next pastor’s salary. We do pay him, but not all that much, so in addition to his military retirement, Ramon works as a long-term substitute teacher in the winter and at whatever he can find in the summer. He claims he’s often done more proclamation of the gospel while working at the local mega-mart than he has through “church” circles.

I know a lot of preachers who admire the apostle Paul’s theology, but would avoid his ministry practice of “tent-making”. Paul provided us with wonderful theology concerning churches supporting those who minister among them, but he did not practice this right in his own ministry – at least as far as the New Testament records. Paul set aside self-support for support of others and he drew in a ministry team to make this possible.

“After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them. And because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working; for by trade they were tentmakers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” Acts 18:1-4

Paul was invited to remain longer in Athens, but decided to move on to Corinth, about 40 miles west of Athens. It appears that Paul was looking for Aquila and Priscilla. He obviously sought out fellow Jews whenever he came to a new city and it is likely by this time that he was seeking those who had already come to the faith in Jesus as Messiah. It seems Priscilla and Aquila had already become Christians, possibly as part of the ministry of some Pentecostal convert who had returned to Rome, where they had been living.  History records that seating in the synagogues was possibly arranged so people of like professions sat together, so this might also have been how Paul met this couple. Finding so much in common, Paul moved in with them and worked with them making tents. The relationship between Paul and this godly couple, Aquila and Priscilla, was a long-lasting one; they accompanied Paul to Ephesus upon his departure from Corinth. They played a vital role in Paul’s life, in the proclamation of the gospel, and in the life of the church which would meet in their home (Romans 16:3-5).

Again, we’re looking at sovereignty, as the meeting of Paul and this couple clearly shaped the lives of all three and many others. This explains Luke’s focus on the history of this couple. Aquila was originally from Pontus, but had somehow migrated to Rome. They were forced to leave Rome because Caesar Claudius ordered all Jews to leave Rome (18:2) because Jews were causing trouble and unrest. The circumstances brought them to Corinth where they would meet Paul.

“But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. And when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads! I am clean. From now on I shall go to the Gentiles.” And he departed from there and went to the house of a certain man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. And Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” Acts 18:5-11

Paul’s ministry changed here from what some would call a “part-time” ministry to that which was a more “full-time” ministry. Luke does not tell us why Paul changed his ministry focus. Some readers will claim it was because he received a gift of money from the Philippians and this allowed him to set aside his bivocational status, but the letter to the Philippians was written while Paul was in prison, some years after his sojourn in Corinth, so this is probably not a sufficient explanation. While some would think that Paul’s change in occupation, from tentmaker to preacher, was the result of money, I believe that there were other significant factors involved in his decision to devote himself to proclaiming the Word of God.

Paul’s priority was the advance of the gospel. There is no better place to meet a lot of people quickly than in a busy marketplace and no better reason for being there than working. Thus, working may have served an evangelical purpose when Paul arrived in Corinth. Once his ministry team arrived from Macedonia, ceasing his tentmaking to devote himself to preaching the Word best promoted the gospel. Paul’s change was possible because of the provision of others. However he had come by the money – a donation from Macedonia or the paid labors of his ministry team – he was able to preach without imposing upon those whom he was ministering among. Paul also clearly felt divine guidance in his decision. Sometimes we make decisions and blame God for our desires, but God does also give us conviction which we should never ignore. Paul sensed the conviction to move on in Athens and now he felt a conviction to change his focus in Corinth.

When Paul was working as a tentmaker and preaching in the synagogue on Sabbath, the local Jews listened politely, but when the message became more clear, perhaps buoyed by Paul’s added intensity, their reaction to his ministry intensified. Paul was now preaching every day which became too much for some Jews. Rejected at the synagogue, Paul turned his ministry to the Gentiles. He did not stop preaching to the Jews. He simply spent more time in Gentile ministry now. He thus moved his site of ministry from the synagogue to the house of Titus Justus, who lived right next door. He disassociated himself from the place of Jewish teaching and worship, severing himself from unbelieving Judaism. On the other hand, Paul moved right next door. Practically speaking, it made it easy for genuine God-seekers to find him and learn more of Jesus. It was a location which might attract some, as yet, uninformed Jews.  Jews might have rejected Jesus and His gospel, but Paul sent a clear message that Christianity was still very close to Judaism.

There were a number of Jews who did believe and were saved. Titius Justus, the man from whose house Paul continued to minister, was a God-fearer who came to faith. Crispus, the (former) leader of the synagogue, believed, along with his whole household. Paul’s ministry among the Jews at Corinth was not without its fruit, but there was even more Gentile fruit to come.

I, for one, would never have thought Paul would be afraid at this point, if it were not for his words on the matter (1 Corinthians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 1:8-11). If one does not read Paul’s epistles, it’s easy to skip over some of what Luke covers. Paul’s fear for his life and safety were based upon numerous attempts on his life. Turning to the Gentiles did not reduce Paul’s fear of Jewish opposition. In the past, his Gentile friends had been unable to protect him much from the Roman authorities, and in some cities, the Gentiles has opposed him as well. Paul was a human being as well as a hero of the faith. He suffered a great deal for the gospel – stoning, banishment, imprisonment. We should not be surprised that he needed to hear a personal word from God occasionally to keep from packing it in and heading home to Antioch. So, in the dark of the night, Jesus spoke to him.

I think another reason why we are reluctant to admit to ourselves that Paul was afraid is that Paul, in his fear, was far bolder in proclaiming Jesus to a lost and unbelieving world than we typically are. It makes us nervous to see such boldness in a man who had ever reason to be afraid and was indeed afraid. How often do we decide not to witness to someone because we’re afraid they’ll tell us to get lost? Paul was afraid they’d stone him. What is our frame of comparison?

“But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” And he drove them away from the judgment seat. And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. And Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.” Acts 18:12-17

Up to this point in time, Rome had been no friend to Christianity. Rome had succumbed to Jewish pressure, putting Jesus to death for crimes which Pilate and Herod knew Jesus had not committed. Roman officials had willingly, gladly, punished Paul at Philippi. Now a great change was afoot, thanks to the decision rendered by Gallio. Rome was to cease giving in to Jewish pressure, and refuse to be used by the Jews to hinder the proclamation of the gospel. The very power that had once persecuted Christianity would now become a means of protecting it. Luke, in this paragraph, tells us how this came to be.

Gallio was disinterested in the whole Jewish/Christian debate. From his detached view, he exercised a degree of objectivity that allowed him to come to a brilliant insight about the matter. This had nothing to do with Rome. It was a Jewish/Christian matter. No Roman laws had been broken. Perhaps Gallio had noticed that Christians seemed less inclined to engage in violence than their Jewish counterparts. So, let the Jews handle it so he could get back to whatever other government business a Roman proconsul had to do.

The Jews at Corinth did nothing new. They attempted to convince the Roman government that Paul was a revolutionary and needed to be silenced. Other Jewish congregations had used this ploy often, but this time, it didn’t work. Gallio didn’t appear to like Jews, seemed to think they were trouble-makers and found some satisfaction in refusing to give into their demands. He didn’t even allow Paul to mount a defense. It is as if God is saying, “Hey, Paul, I’ve got this one!”

I had to have this pointed out to me, but Paul’s first significant success evangelizing among the Gentiles came here in Corinth, when he was at his most fearful of the consequences of his ministry if he remained in Corinth. The praise and glory must go to God, not to Paul. Paul did not persuade Gallio to rule as he did – Gallio didn’t allow him to speak. God had already intervened through the wisdom of a heathen. The evangelization of the Gentiles was not the result of Paul’s abilities, for he came to them in weakness, fear, and much trembling. God does not need our human strength in order to achieve His purposes; God works through human weakness so that He receives the honor and the praise. God used Paul most effectively at a time when Paul felt the least confident to accomplish anything of eternal consequence. Not only is God’s sovereignty (control) so great that he can use Christians in their weakness; His sovereignty is such that He may also use unbelievers in their rebellion. Aquila and Priscilla were “guided” to Corinth, where they would meet Paul and begin a long-term relationship in ministry, not by the words of a prophet, but by the decree of a heathen ruler, Claudius (18:2). Christianity was for some time more or less protected by Rome rather than persecuted by it, because of the decision of a ruler who did not like Jews, believe in Christ, or care about Paul. God’s means of protecting Paul from the harm that would have been done to him by cruel, unbelieving Jews was through use of cruel, unbelieving Roman soldiers.

God is not only sovereign, in complete control of the universe, so that His will is always accomplished, but the ways He uses to accomplish His will and fulfill His promises are beyond our imagination (Romans 11:33-36). We must be careful not to expect, demand, or even pray that God accomplishes His work in a way that fits our expectations. Much of what I pray for is what I want, not what God has promised to do. Often I pray instructing God as to how He should accomplish what I have set out for Him to do. Recognition of the sovereignty of God should curb our demands, and make then requests subject to His revision or rejection. Recognition of the sovereignty of God should serve to limit the ways in which I ask or expect Him to bring about that which He has purposed and promised.

There’s not a whole lot of tentmaking going on in today’s world. We’re not talking about tents really, so much as about self-funded ministries. There are many who wish to be supported in full-time ministry, but few who wish to support themselves as Paul did. The ministry of men and women like Aquila and Priscilla is looked down upon by some as though it were a second-class ministry. I would like to suggest that tentmaking is a very noble calling, and one that has great potential for ministry. When I speak of tentmaking, I am speaking of service which ministers at one’s own expense, laboring in the work force, carrying out some “secular” occupation, as a means of support and as a context for credibility in the promotion and practice of the gospel.

Around the world, missionaries are being looked upon, in many instances, as a liability to the country and culture to which they are sent. They are viewed as parasites, not as productive members of the culture. This is even when fully supported by a missionary board and not requiring support from the native population Full-time, supported missionaries will always be needed in some places, and in certain ministries, but they are becoming fewer and fewer, especially in countries where Christianity is a crime. It’s past time to begin thinking seriously about how to reduce the number of people who need to be supported and increase the number of saints who are supporting ministry. Paul’s example should not be set aside as something entirely novel or unique. His lifestyle should be seriously considered.

Many countries that would never allow a supported Christian missionary into their country need highly skilled workers. When your occupational skills are highly valued and in demand, friendly missionary activity is often tolerated. I have a couple of friends who are “tentmaker” oilfield workers in Muslim states where missionaries are not allowed. They are finding they can share their faith with their Muslims coworkers and neighbors simply because the country needs their skills enough to ignore their beliefs. And, they are netting results for Christ.

May God use us to proclaim His Word, to His glory and praise, and to accomplish His purposes. May we see God’s hand at work in this world, not only through obedient saints, but through the actions of those who are heathen and opposed to the gospel.

I’m pausing here for a moment because Paul is about to go to Corinth, which is such an important city in the New Testament that it is almost a character in the history of the church.

There were four prominent centers in the New Testament account of the early church – Jerusalem, Antioch of Syria, Ephesus of Asia Minor and Corinth of Greece. Paul’s first extended ministry in one city was at Corinth, where he remained for at least 18 months during his first visit (which we are coming to in the second missionary journey). Corinth was where Paul (probably) wrote 1 and 2Thessalonians and Galatians his first stay there (which we are about to study), and his letter to the Romans during the 3^rd missionary journey. Besides Paul, several prominent Christian leaders passed through and worked in Corinth – Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila, Silas, Apollos and Titus. It was a very important city to early Christianity.

Situated on the southwest end of the isthmus that joins the southern and northern parts of Greece, the city was sited on an elevated plain at the foot of a rugged, nearly 2000-foot mountain. A maritime city located between two important seaports, it was an important city long before becoming a Roman colony in 44 BC.  It was the subject of many ancient historians and modern archeology has told us a great deal about this city that dates back to the Late Stone Age. Because of the natural benefits of its location, Corinth was easy to defend and controlled the east-west trade across the isthmus as well as trade from north to south.  It grew so rapidly that it colonized part of Sicily and from about 350 to 250 BC it was the largest and most prosperous city on mainland Greece. The city was destroyed in 146 BC during clashes with Rome, resulting in the death or the enslavement of most of the population. The city stood desolate for about a century until Julius Caesar rebuilt it in 44 BC.  An overland ship-road (like a precursor of the Panama Canal) connected the ports of Lechaion and Cenchreae across the isthmus. Small ships were moved across on a system of rollers while larger ships off-loaded their cargo for transport. Ships were thus able to avoid 200 miles of treacherous sea travel (a modern ship canal was constructed in 1881). 

When Paul lived there, around AD 51-52, it was a pretty new city, but already an important metropolitan center. Protected by a large mountain (Acroscorinth) for the most part, it was also surrounded by a wall. Corinth was known for its generous roadways and even the equivalent of sidewalks. Paul would have approached from the north, where the road from Lechaion passed through the beautiful gate called Propylaea, which marked the entrance into the agora (market). Paul would have worked as a tentmaker here and this is probably where he was brought before Gallio  (Acts 18:12-17).

Although the restored city of Paul’s day was a Roman city, the inhabitants were Greeks and they continued to worship Greek gods. North of the agora stood the ruined temple of Apollo, which is still in evidence today. There was also shrines to Apollo, Hermes, Heracles, Athena, and Poseidon, as well as a famous temple to Asclepius, the god of healing, which was surrounded by a hospital complex.

The most significant pagan cult in Corinth was dedicated to Aphrodite. The historian Strabo described worship at the temple of Aphrodite on the Acropolis to be debauched and wanton, which certainly agrees with the lifestyle reflected in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. There were also Jews living in Corinth and they had a large synagogue there.

Like all port towns at major crossroads, Corinth was a cosmopolitan city composed of people with varying cultural backgrounds. It benefitted from the Isthmian games held nearby every two years, complete with the pleasures and money that the visitors brought to the city. Sailors spent their coin in the city as their cargo was being transported overland and we all know what sailors at like. The 1^st Century Roman culture was known for its sexual immorality, but even among heathens, Corinth was known for its licentious lifestyle.

So, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is about to spend 18 months living, working and preaching in the ancient equivalent of Las Vegas. No city in the ancient world needed more to hear what Paul had to preach.

Sometime in the 6^th century BC the city of Athens was being devastated by a mysterious plague. No explanation for the plague could be found and no cure was in sight. The conventional wisdom of the time was to assume that one of the city’s many gods had been offended. The leaders of the city sought to determine which of the gods it was and then determine how to appease that god. As Athens had literally hundreds of gods (some scholars have referred to it as the “god capital of the world”), this was no easy task. When all efforts failed to discern which god had been offended (while the plague was still ongoing), an outside “consultant” named Epimenides was brought in from the island of Cyprus. Epimenides concluded that it was none of the known gods of Athens which had been offended, but some, as-yet unknown god. He proposed a course of action to provide a possible remedy for the plague. He had a flock of choice sheep of various colors, kept from food until they were hungry. On the given day, he had these sheep turned loose in a succulent pasture on Mars Hill. For any sheep not to have eaten his fill would have been unexplainable. He had the sheep turned loose and watched carefully, to see if any sheep would lie down and not eat, even though hungry and in prime grazing. Several sheep, to the amazement of those watching, did lie down. Altars were erected at each spot where a sheep lay down, dedicated to an “unknown god.” On those altars, the sheep which lay in that spot was sacrificed. Almost immediately, history records, the plague began to subside.

Over a period of time, the altars were forgotten and began to deteriorate. One altar, apparently, was restored and preserved, in commemoration of the removal of the plague by calling upon the “unknown god.” Who would have thought that centuries later, a foreigner named Paul would refer to this altar as the starting point for his sermon on Mars Hill and that this foreigner would later quote Epimenides in his sermon?

Paul had just left Berea, where the local Jews had eagerly listened to Paul’s teaching of the Scriptures, then proceeded to check it out for themselves, so that many of these Jews (in contrast to the few in Thessalonica) came to faith, along with a number of Gentile proselytes, including, once again, some prominent Greek men and women.

“Now those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing {Gentiles,} and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” Acts 17:15-17

It doesn’t appear that Paul had plans to evangelize Athens, at least not until he was joined by his colleagues. Paul gave instructions to his Berean escorts for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him as soon as possible. Maybe he got bored while loitering in the city. Paul doesn’t seem like the tourist type. Of all the things Paul saw, one seemed to make the greatest impression on him. It was not that this city was beautiful or one of the great cultural and intellectual centers of the world. It was not that great men, like Plato and Aristotle once walked these streets and taught there. It was that this great city was filled with heathen idols. Like Lot in ancient times, Paul’s “righteous soul was vexed” (2 Peter 2:7) by what he saw about him in this heathen city.

As a Jew, Paul was naturally offended and incensed by idols, which were an abomination to God and every devout Jew.  The gospel, as Paul would later write in Romans 1-3 declared both Gentiles and Jews to be under divine condemnation, hopeless and helpless, and in need of salvation. God sent His Son Jesus to die in the sinner’s place, both Jews and Gentiles. He offered them His righteousness, by faith in Him alone. Paul saw the idolatry of the Athenians as damnable. Deeply struck by the lostness of this city and the judgment of God which each person would someday face, he knew these people needed a Savior and He knew that the Savior had come for sinners such as these. Thus Paul could do nothing but preach Christ to them.

Paul’s normal routine—of going to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and preaching the Word—continued at Athens, although absolutely nothing is said of the results of this ministry. Luke has left the synagogue behind for the moment, for he is more interested in telling us about Paul’s ministry to the heathen Gentiles (not the Gentile proselytes in the synagogues) but the philosophers and others, who were at the market place. To such people as would listen, Paul spoke during the week.

“And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. were conversing with him. And some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; we want to know therefore what these things mean.” (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)” Acts 17:18-21

Paul seldom passed up an invitation to preach the gospel to lost men and women. Preaching in the synagogue was apparently a matter of custom, but the invitation to preach to pagan philosophers was more rare. Given opportunity in Athens, Paul spoke with those who would listen in the market place; he got the attention of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, although not for reasons which would swell one’s head with pride.

They knew that Paul was preaching Jesus and the resurrection (verse 18), and this had no automatic interest, as it did with the Jews, who were at least looking for Messiah. What appealed to these philosophers about Paul’s preaching was not that Paul was so brilliantly educated (as they reckoned such things), but that his teaching was something new. Athenian philosophers were always looking for something new (verse 21) and Paul’s message about Jesus and His resurrection was one they hadn’t heard before -- a new kind of message for this philosophically-minded crowd. All other religions, being “man made” have a kind of sameness, a commonality, because of their human origins. The message of Christ and His cross is a message that men would never have conceived, nor sought to accept or to propagate. In Biblical terms, human religions can all be placed under the heading, “human wisdom,” while the gospel would be categorized by men as “foolish.” The “divine wisdom” of the gospel is not even able to be grasped by the unbelieving human mind. The motive of these Athenians for giving Paul a hearing, an opportunity to expound his views, were not very noble, but their invitation was sufficient for Paul, who gladly utilized all opportunities for the sake of the gospel.

The philosophers proved skeptical of novel and foreign subjects, especially if they contradicted their taste in religion. They cared not that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ who could expound the Old Testament with accuracy and authority. To these arrogant philosophers Paul was a “hick,” a nobody, a collector of religious scraps from the gutters of the world. They were just filling their idle time, heckling. To them, Paul was a fool, advocating a foolish and worthless religion, but for the sake of curiosity and speculation, they would listen to him.

“And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.  “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined {their} appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps 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 exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ “Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.

 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. “ Acts 17:21-31

Paul did not falter before this disdainful crowd. He immediately turned to a point of reference well-known to his audience, which gave him a foothold with his message. Somewhere in the city was an alter, dedicated to “an unknown god.” Starting with a point of reference known to his audience, Paul told the group that the God of Whom he spoke is the unknown “god” to whose existence the altar gave testimony. With all of the “gods” Athenians worshipped, the presence of that altar acknowledged that their “gods” were insufficient. They left room for one more, because they saw the need for another.

This illustrates a vital difference between Christianity and idolatry. Polytheism (having of many gods) and idolatry (the worship of the images of these gods) never has enough gods. Furthermore, this form of religion is more than willing to add the one true God to its list of “gods.” It is very tolerant of additional “gods.” Christianity, however, is that faith with one, true, all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing God. No other God is needed or tolerated. Christianity has a capable God and men who trust in Him find Him fully sufficient.

Clearly, Paul inferred, their religion, though it possessed many gods, was not sufficient, since they were looking for yet another god. One who has a sufficient faith and a sufficient God need not leave room for another. The existence of this altar, dedicated to the “unknown god,” is a telling witness to the inadequacy of their religion. Paul promises to tell them what they do no know—who that God is.

Paul allowed that their system of searching for the one true God was defective and futile. The God who was, to them “unknown” is a God who has made Himself known. God is not trying to hide from men; men are hiding from God, and often by means of their religion. The “unknown god,” whom they had acknowledged exists is the God who caused all things to come into existence—the Creator of all things, including men. And His very creation is that which bears testimony of His existence. If God is unknown to the Athenians, it is not because God has not revealed Himself to men, but because men have closed their eyes to His existence and character.

The Athenians, who prided themselves on their culture, their history, their intelligence and education, were really ignorant as evidenced by their worship. God is not hiding; men have turned from Him. These men who thought themselves so wise worshipped their own creations (idols) rather than the Creator.

God is not pleased by the rejection of men and He does not give men the luxury of having Him as a “god” who does man’s bidding, who is there when men need Him, and who can serve other “gods” as well. He is a God who is above men, not under them, who controls men and is not controlled by them. He is a God who is willing to overlook past sins, but who requires that all men repent of their sin and rejection of His self-revelation and standards of holiness. He is a God who does not allow men to be speculative about Him or religion. He is about to judge the world in righteousness, through Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Messiah. As proof of His identity as the Judge of the earth, God raised Him from the dead. The “unknown god” should not have been unknown, and His identity is now made known—Jesus, the Son of God, raised from the dead.

These self-important philosophers were exposed as fools! What a blow to the religious multi-god system of Athens; for all their gods they had missed the one true God. The philosophical, academic approach of these men had failed them because it made it seem you could look at truth from a distant non-committal viewpoint. They were wrong! Time was limited and judgment imminent. They must decide upon the truth and commit themselves to it, not through a mere mental exercise, but as a matter of life and death, for this decision bears on one’s eternal destiny.

“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some {began} to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.” Acts 17:32-34

The Athenian philosophers got more than what they wanted and less. They got more in the sense that they were informed of their ignorance and sin. They were told of a Savior Whose name they had never heard, of a coming day of judgment, and of a Judge Who had been raised from the dead. They were called to make the kind of commitment to truth which they had avoided for years. 

They also heard less than they wanted or expected. They had hoped for a very complex system, a very intricate philosophical approach to life and “god,” that would leave the common (dull) mind gasping for air, thus making them seem very intelligent. A system so complex that it could never fully be grasped would give them years to ponder and probe without taking action. Paul gave them a very simple gospel, the same as he preached everywhere, the message of a Savior, of a cross, of a resurrection, of a coming day of judgment, and of a choice which must be made. They wanted Paul to stay on, so they could continue their conversations and begin their cross-examination. Instead, Paul moved on because there were other places to go, where the gospel had not been proclaimed. His gospel was simple and short; there really was nothing else they needed to know and no amount of debate and argumentation could persuade them. Only the Holy Spirit could “open their hearts and minds” to the truths which he had spoken, as He did with Dionysius the Areopogite and Damaris.

Luke’s account of Paul’s preaching in Athens is descriptive of what Paul did. Paul’s writings in his epistles supply us with an explanation of what, why, and how he did what he did at Athens. The first three chapters of 1 Corinthians, the first chapter of Romans, and the first two chapters of Colossians bear directly on Paul’s ministry at Athens. The third chapter of Philippians is also informative. The following passages are only suggestive, but they are a starting point for further study:  Romans 1:18-23; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:18-23. I suggest study of these passages.

Don’t these Athenian philosophers remind you of Americans today? Gentile heathens in ancient times enjoyed the blessings of political freedom in what was one of the earliest democracies. Cultured, highly intelligent, well-educated and very religious, they rejected God and exchanged the worship of the one true God for “gods” of their own. Very similar to our secular culture today. We have more confidence in human reasoning and our search for truth than we do in the one Who is the Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ. We, as a culture, are always in pursuit of something new and novel.

How often enlightened Christians look down on those who have a simple answer to life’s problems (Christ, and His shed blood)! They tell us that life’s problems are really much more complex than salvation and that the wisdom which we need is not really that found in the Bible, but only product of the human pursuit of knowledge. We sanctify such knowledge often by adding the adjective “Christian” in front of it, but all too often it is only some “god” of our own making, an idol of sorts before which we bow the knee, in addition to Christ, and often in place of Him. God does not tolerate competition. We know this in our hearts, in practice we set up idols anyway. Many of the methods, skills, and techniques which are taught Christians are really the products of human minds and inquiry, not Biblical revelation. They are not simple, gospel answers to life’s problems, but complex drawn-out processes. We should alert to those subtle human elements which creep into our theology and practice, in the name of religion, but not in accordance with the gospel. We should examine to see how much of our religion and worship is our own adaptation of God’s revelation, or our own re-shaping of God, to make Him more to our liking.  Is our worship is God-centered or man-centered, focused on pleasing and serving God or getting God to serve us and our perceived needs? How much of our proclamation of the gospel is consistent with Paul’s preaching -- a simple, straightforward message of man’s sin and coming judgment, Christ’s sacrifice and salvation for all who would repent and believe?

The gospel should shape our worship and our every action!