NL 437: Paul in Athens

image: "The Acropolis of Athens from the Areopagus”, by George E. Koronaios (Wikimedia)

Acts 17:16-31

May 15, 2022

Acts 17:16-31

Bible Study

  • Literary Context

    • Begin the study no later than 17:1. Read of Paul’s exploits and method in Thessalonica and Berea.

      • Driven out of Thessalonica, then they follow him and get him out of Beroea

    • Acts 17:21 (CEB)  “All the Athenians as well as the foreigners who live in Athens used to spend their time doing nothing but talking about or listening to the newest thing.)

    • Consider extending the reading to include the reaction, to verse 34

    • Quick Philosophy Review

      • Epicurean - Happiness is the primary aim of life. This occurs through the two-fold path of pleasures in moderation and the avoidance of pain.

      • Stoic - teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions in order to develop clear judgment and inner calm and the ultimate goal of freedom from suffering

    • Athens is the heart of intellectualism.

  • Paul’s Appeal

    • “Paul, formed in Torah sensibilities, is rightly greatly disturbed by the idolatry all around him, but now he will do something absolutely stunning and marvelously productive with his outrage. He will not turn away from the idolaters, but toad them. This is what the gospel demands = a reaching toward and reaching out.” (WIllie James Jennings, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible: Acts, p. 176) 

    • Starts with the positive - to relate to audience

      • To the “very religious.’ In other words, they have many gods, many temples, many rituals. They are the opposite of today’s ‘Spiritual, but not religious,’ and yet at the same time in the same family. They partake of the spiritual flavor of the culture, but are not interested/able to name a core belief beyond ‘The Unknown God.’

      • The Unknown God is a catch-all, or spiritual insurance policy, leaving open the possibility that there are gods that they have not yet named.

      • Truthfully, philosophers paid little attention to the gods. “The reality, of course, was that , although few Greek thinkers - including the Stoics - actually denied the traditional objects of religious devotion, these deities were often relegated to the sidelines of philosophical inquiry as being all but irrelevant… One thinks of our own society, in which belief in God always ranks high in the polls, but appears to be less important in the living of daily life” (Texts for Preaching, Year A, p. 302)

    • Moves to what is held in common

      • “Creator”

        • Does not appeal to Scripture (it would be meaningless to a people who does not know Scripture)

        • The natural world is one in which we all live, and can hold in common

      • The nature of God

        • Holy - separate - “not served by human hands”

        • Life giver

        • Relationship started - God calls us into relationship with one another (nations) and with God (search for God).

        • Search for God is the reason for the appeal to the “Unknown God”

      • Appeals to their own culture, and quotes the poet “We are his offspring.” 

        • This is a similar tack that has been taken with Judaism. Jews were the offspring of Abraham, and thus a chosen people.

        • Moves from this to the condemnation of idols, which foolishly try to contain the God that is in all of Creation.

        • Commonality of all humanity/siblinghood of people.

    • Makes the leap to Resurrection

      • Resurrection of Jesus is the sign that what he said matters.

      • Judgment of Jesus is the final movement, and the reason people should “change their hearts and minds.”

      • Jesus is the culmination of all philosophies because of the Resurrection.

      • “In mentioning the resurrection, Paul risks rejection by his audience. They may agree to a created world and to our common humanity, but there is no possible ‘natural theology’ evidence for an assertion of the resurrection. Appeals to reason and to observation of the national world can only be taken so far in the proclamation of the gospel. Eventually revelation must be invoked and the scandal of faith to reason and experience must be made plain” (Will Willimon, Interpretation: Acts, p. 144)

      • This is where he loses many, some want to discuss it more, and some believe.

      • These are the expected results even today.

        • Ridicule

        • Discuss more

        • Believe

      • “Christian proclamation is not to be judged merely by its success in winning an approving response. Where the Word is faithfully preached, some believe, some mock.” (Willimon, p. 144)

        • Should churches be judged merely by their success in winning an approving response?

        • I (Robb) am deeply suspicious of two things;

          • Attempts to “prove” Christianity (The Case for Christ)

          • When Christianity becomes popular.

Thoughts and Questions

  • What are the dominant philosophies of today? Conservative Christianity, Secular humanism, Spiritual but not religious, Neo-Nationalism. In the marketplace of ideas, where does Jesus crucified and resurrected fit? What is the nature of the repentance that the Resurrected Christ calls us to?

    • “The God whom Paul proclaims is not just another option for human devotion, not an accommodating God content to be one of many. The God who sent the Christ is still the Holy One of Israel, a jealous deity without rivals, an exclusive lover who tolerates no competition - money, sex, philosophical ideals, institutions - who fiercely judges all idols made by hands or minds of men.” (Willimon, p. 144-45)

  • Paul was a master of tailoring his argument to his audience. He did this through getting to know his audience. He leveraged something of his identity - Learned Jew, Roman citizen - and used it to engage an audience. He also took time in places to learn them. He engaged them for some period of time, and spoke to people in the marketplace before making this speech. In this speech, he never uses the word “Jesus.” He doesn’t use jargon like prophets, sin, Christ, or crucified. He speaks to them in their language, but at the same time does not shy away from the true scandal - or place of power - Resurrection. How do our testimonies reflect this

  • Is our reliance on Scripture dooming the Church to irrelevance? For a people that does not hold onto the authority of Scripture, appealing to the authority of Scripture seems wasteful. Instead of relying on the authority of Scripture, the preacher’s first task may be to convince people of the need for Scripture in the first place.

    • A teen once asked me, during Bible study, “Why do we even bother with the Bible?”

    • I was not ready for a good response because I was acting under the assumption that the Bible mattered - one that this teen did not hold.

  • Do we, in the church, continue to seek out God or are we convinced at we have found God?

  • Are our churches shrines to the God we created in our own image? Do they keep us from going out and seeking God who first seeks us?

Year 4Eric FistlerActsComment