Acts 17:16-34

Marc Minter

FBC Diana

Acts • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

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Main Point: Christ calls Christians to be His public witnesses, though the response from unbelievers will vary, and He will Himself grant growth and reward as He sees fit.

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Introduction

What keeps you from talking more about the gospel and repentance? Are you afraid of what your friends might say? Are you afraid of suffering ridicule at your job? Are you afraid that you don’t know enough to have a conversation about such things?

How do you measure success? Is it a successful gospel conversation if you simply bring up Jesus’ name at some point? Is it successful if you make sure to include every datapoint you know about the gospel? Is it successful if the other person still likes you at the end of the conversation?

Today we’re picking up the story of Acts near the end of Paul’s second missionary journey. He’s done evangelism in Philippi, in Thessalonica, and in Berea, and now he’s alone in Athens… waiting for his traveling companions to arrive. Paul spent a little time there, and he went about doing what he’d normally done in other towns. But this time, he’s thrust into the bright lights of the biggest stage of the known world – the Areopagus (or Mars’ Hill) in Athens.

Will he change his message to accommodate these intellectual and political titans? Will he change his strategy in order to build bridges between an idolatrous culture and Christianity? And what might we learn from Paul’s example and the record Luke gives us of what happened on this momentous day?

Scripture Reading

Acts 17:16–34 (ESV)

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said:

“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

29 Being then God’s offspring, 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. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 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.”

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Main Idea:

Christ calls Christians to be His public witnesses, though the response from unbelievers will vary, and He will Himself grant growth and reward as He sees fit.

Sermon

1. Understanding the Public Square

Paul was in Athens because “the brothers” in Berea had “sent” him there in order to avoid the mob from Thessalonica (Acts 17:13-15). The last two towns Paul had visited – Thessalonica and Berea – had been scenes of mob violence against Paul and his message. Along with several friends, Paul was traveling from town to town, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Jewish leaders (social and religious) as well as the Roman leaders (political, economic, and religious) were unwelcoming. In fact, in all three cities Paul had visited so far on this second missionary journey he seems to have barely escaped each one with his life.

Now, Paul was “waiting” for “Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible” (Acts 17:15-16). And while he was waiting “at Athens,” we’re told in v16 that “his spirit was provoked,” and this whole passage is about what he was provoked to do. But before we get into the meat of what Paul did and said, let’s first take note of what we might learn about Athens… what we might learn about the context in which Paul acted and spoke.

Luke describes Athens by giving us at least three characteristics. The people of Athens were (1) idolatrous, (2) obsessive about philosophy, and (3) fascinated by everything new or novel.

A. Idolatrous

1. Luke says that Paul “saw that the city was full of idols” (v16).

a. Paul himself said (I think with a bit of sarcasm), “I perceive that in every way you are very religious” (v22).

b. And Paul “observed” many “objects” of their “worship” (v23).

c. They had so many “altars” for offering sacrifices to pagan gods that they even had an altar to “the unknown god” (v23).

i. John Calvin commented on the idolatry of Athens by pointing out that “the whole world was [at that time] full of idols; the pure worship of God could be found nowhere; and there were everywhere innumerable monsters and superstitions, but Satan had made the city of Athens more mad than any other city…”[1]

2. What is idolatry?

a. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says idolatry is “(1) the worship of a physical object as a god; (2) immoderate attachment or devotion to something.”[2]

b. Wikipedia says, “idolatry is the worship of a cult image as though it were God.”[3]

c. John Piper, drawing especially from Colossians 3:5-6, says, idolatry “is the thing loved or the person loved more than God, wanted more than God, desired more than God, treasured more than God, [and/or] enjoyed more than God.”[4]

d. In sum, idolatry is the unauthorized or undue giving of worship, superlative love, and ultimate devotion.

i. God, as He has revealed Himself, is due our highest praise, He deserves our highest affection and our most definitive loyalty.

ii. And God has authorized humanity, as His image-bearers, to know, to love, to glorify, and to enjoy Him… a relationship that no other created thing has been granted.

iii. And yet, since Genesis 3, humans have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and [we’ve] worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25).

iv. Such is the natural bent of fallen man, and idolatry is beginning and origin of all sin.

B. Love of Philosophy

1. Two philosophy schools in v18, the “Epicureans and the Stoics.”

a. These were the two major philosophical traditions of ancient Greece and Rome… but there’s more!

i. Athens was home to Socrates (469-399 BC), Plato (c. 429-347 BC), and Aristotle (384-322 BC).[5]

· And both Plato and Aristotle had founded schools in Athens (the Academy and the Lyceum, respectively) for the purpose of training students in what we once called the liberal arts – grammar, logic, rhetoric, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music.

ii. In the 13th century, European Christians began merging these classic disciplines with theological study, and the 14th century is often noted as the beginning of the Renaissance, which was followed and overlapped by the Protestant Reformation.

iii. Friends, it is impossible to overstate the influence that this single city had on ancient thinking and teaching on everything from architecture to politics and economics to the meaning of life… and continues to have on educational content and methods in our present day.

2. In its day, Athens’ city leaders were and met at the “Areopagus” (v19).[6]

a. Most all translations simply say that Paul was “brought” to the “Areopagus,” but the NIV says Paul was “brought” to “a meeting of the Areopagus” (v19).

i. This (the NIV) is the translators doing a little interpretive work for us, since the “Areopagus” was a place and also the name of the meeting or council of the premier philosophers and statesmen in Athens.

ii. This again emphasizes the high value philosophy had in Athens.

C. Fascination with the new (or novel)

1. Luke says, “the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new” (v21).

a. They had arrived at the top of the philosophical, economic, and political mountain… and now all they wanted was entertainment.

2. An Evangelistic Confrontation

Paul had already begun his evangelistic mission in Athens just like everywhere else. He’d “reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and devout persons” there (v17). Paul had also gone into “the marketplace” and “reasoned” with “those who happened to be there” (v17). But at some point, “some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him” (v18), and some of those men brought Paul “to the Areopagus,” so that they and their fellow statesmen might all hear “this new teaching” and “some strange things” (v19-20).

Standing inside one of the most beautiful structures of ancient Rome, and standing in front of the most learned men descending from the most prestigious philosophers of all time, Paul displayed incredible confidence in the basic biblical worldview and especially in the historical reality of a crucified and risen Messiah.

Paul’s speech, at least the part that Luke recorded of it, is masterful! He confronts three errors with three truths, which all lead to one conclusion.

A. Truth #1: God is creator and Lord

1. Error #1: “God… does not live in temples made by man…” (v24).

a. Man was the center of the Athenian universe, and the gods were like deified humans, whose life and dwelling was imagined by men.

b. But Scripture teaches that the true God “made the world and everything in it,” and that He is “Lord of heaven and earth” (v24).

B. Truth #2: God is providential

1. Error #2: God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything…” (v25).

a. The Athenian gods were a needy bunch; they needed regular offerings and sacrifices in order to eat and drink.

b. But Scripture teaches that the true God is the one who “gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (v25).

i. The God of the Bible made every person and “every nation of mankind” (v26). And He even “determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling” (v26).

c. All of this is to say that God is “nor far from each one of us” (v27); on the contrary, “In him we live and move and have our being” (v28).

C. Truth #3: Man is God’s image-bearer

1. Error #3: “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” (v29).

a. The Athenian gods were made in the image of man, and they were symbolized by literal sculptures or pictures or elements.

b. But Scripture says that humans are “God’s offspring” (v29) in the sense that we are all made in God’s image, to reflect His character.

D. Conclusion: Repent! Judgment is coming!

1. Paul’s conclusion is a jarring accusation and demand.

a. The accusation: “The times of ignorance God overlooked” (v30).

i. Paul picked up the Athenians’ “altar” to “the unknown god” (v23) and held it up as evidence against them.

ii. Paul accused the Athenians of “ignorance” about the most important questions of all time – Who is God? What is He like? What does He want from me?

· Side Note: The meaning of “overlook” here is not that God did not or will not judge those in the past who did not have the gospel. Rather, it is the observation that God “overlooked” or passed over generations of ignorant Gentile sinners without revealing the gospel to them. It was not until Christ came that the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins was preached to sinners outside of Israel who knew nothing but sin and condemnation.

b. The demand: “now [God, the one true God] commands all people everywhere to repent” (v30).

i. Paul offered no compromise for the Athenians, so that they might somehow keep their idolatrous society intact while also embracing this God whom they did not previously know.

ii. Paul demanded a full turnabout, from idolatry to true and right worship… from ignorance to right belief… from the illusions of grandeur which they could see all around them to the glories of a kingdom and a King which they could not see… at least not yet.

· Side Note: It is interesting that Paul’s gospel call to sinners in Athens is the same as Peter’s gospel call to sinners in Jerusalem… The demand on sinners of all kinds – legalistic ones and relativistic ones, self-righteous ones and self-centered ones – is “repent!” (Acts 2:38, 17:30).

2. In addition to the accusation and the demand, Paul pointed to a historic reality that (as the Bible argues) has a corresponding future reality.

a. See v31, “he [i.e., God] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man who he has appointed…”

i. We talked about this at length last Sunday.

b. And how can we know God will do this? Paul says, “he [i.e., God] has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (v31).

3. An Ordinary Set of Responses

As always, when the biblical call for repentance is heard, the hearers must respond… and we see all three of the ordinary responses in our passage today. We see rejection, delay, and repentance/belief. These are the same basic options everyone has when they hear God’s command to repent, to turn away from sin, from unbelief, from idolatry, from ignorance… God commands all people everywhere to repent and to believe in, trust in, give allegiance over to… Jesus Christ. Some do, but not everyone. Let’s consider briefly the ways people might respond to the message of the gospel and the call to repent and believe.

A. Rejection

1. Luke says in v32, “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked” (ESV, NKJV) or “sneered” (NASB, NIV84) or “laughed in contempt” (NLT).

a. In Athens, the Christian worldview was plausible until Paul mentioned resurrection… a crucified and risen Savior was just silly.

i. Later, in Corinth, Paul would preach to a similar crowd, and in a letter he wrote to the church there later on, he said, “Jews demand signs and Greeks [think Athens and Corinth] seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly [or foolishness or μωρια) to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:22-24).

b. This sort of rejection happens today as well.

i. Sinners across the street, sinners in the next office, sinners at our dinner table, and sinners who sit in a school desk next to yours… they are happy to hear about a Savior who makes life better, a Savior who comforts their pains, or a Savior who defeats their enemies.

ii. But sinners of all kinds are unlikely to embrace a Savior who conquers through death and who calls them to die to self and live for a life to come.

iii. That is utter nonsense… it’s foolishness… it doesn’t work in the real world.

B. Delay

1. Back in v32, Luke says that some in the crowd said, “We will hear you again about this.”

a. It’s not clear to me that anyone “believed” right away, since it was only after “Paul went out from their midst” (v33) that “some… joined and believed” (v34).

i. One commentator I read even said that Paul’s evangelistic efforts in Athens were something of a failure at this point.

ii. But I disagree!

· This sort of response is one that many Christians in American Evangelicalism seem to have forgotten… Sometimes sinners need to hear more of what Christianity is all about before they can make an informed decision.

b. It may be that the sinner is delaying because they don’t want to give up particular sins or because they don’t want to follow Christ wholeheartedly just yet… and their delayed response is more of a soft or passive rejection…

c. But it may also be that we need to slow down a bit and make sure that they understand what the gospel really is, what repentance really looks like, and what it means to follow Christ.

C. Repentance and Belief

1. v33 says that “Paul went out from their midst.” In other words, he left that scene at the Areopagus. And at some point after (maybe later that day, or maybe some days later) “some… joined… and believed” (v34).

a. At this point in the Acts storyline, Luke has already been using the terms “repent” and “believe” and “baptism” somewhat interchangeably.

i. When 3,000+ responded on the day of Pentecost, they “repented” and “received [Peter’s] word” [i.e., believed the gospel], and were “baptized” (Acts 2:38, 41).

ii. When Philip preached “the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” to the Samaritans, many “believed” and were “baptized” (Acts 8:12).

iii. When Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius and his friends, they were born again, as evidence by their being filled with the Holy Spirit, and they were “baptized” (Acts 10:44-48).

iv. Therefore, when we read that someone “believed” the gospel, or “repented” of their sin/unbelief, or were “baptized,” we are to understand that all three of these come along together.

· If someone believes the gospel, they repent and are baptized as a public profession of that belief!

· If someone repents of sin and unbelief, they believe and are baptized as a public profession of faith!

· If someone is baptized, they are professing their repentance and belief in the only public way the Bible prescribes, and at least one existing Christian [usually a church of them] is affirming that profession.

b. Friends, this is the only right response to the gospel!

i. If you’re here today, you are not repenting or turning away from sin and believing or trusting in Jesus as the center or substance of the gospel, then let’s talk after the service.

c. Brothers and sisters, this is the secondary goal of our evangelism… as I’ve argued earlier in our study through Acts… the primary goal being to faithfully [i.e., biblically] share or teach the gospel.

i. And, by God’s grace, some of those with whom we share the gospel will come to see beauty in the face of Christ, and they will repent and believe… and they will join with other believers in the context of a local church.

4. Five Implications

I’ve already done some application as we’ve gone through this passage today, but I want to end my sermon this morning by providing some clear points of application… five of them. What might we learn from Paul’s example here? How might we follow his good example? And how might we think more biblically about our own role as witnesses for Christ in the world as it is today?

A. We must evangelize in public

1. Paul found himself in yet another town, in some ways the same as other towns, but Athens also had its own unique challenges for Christian witness… Yet, he carried on with the mission… he went where the people were… in the synagogue and in the marketplace… and he taught the gospel with the aim to persuade.

a. We too must teach the gospel to our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, our classmates, and our family members.

b. We must do this in public, where some might mock us and others might thank us… but we cannot be dissuaded from teaching the gospel.

c. Christians today, like Christians of every age and geography, will experience the harshest criticism in those areas where we are most at odds with our culture, our politics, and our economy.

B. We must assume nothing

1. Consider in our passage where the Apostle Paul started his evangelism.

a. He started by:

i. defining who God is

· He is the creator, the providential God, sovereign over all human affairs, and the image-giver to mankind.

ii. and defining who man is

· humans are created in the image of God – His “offspring” – intended to live according to His design, not according to their own imagination about Him or about themselves.

2. We cannot assume that our neighbors, our coworkers, our family members, or even our fellow church members have a biblical worldview.

a. Is God the creator and sovereign Lord of heaven and earth?

b. Does God sustain all mankind, rule over the rise and fall of nations, and determine all lifespans and geographical boundaries?

c. Are all humans created in the image of God, designed and intended to reflect God’s character as God has revealed it?

d. Is the message of the gospel divine revelation which must overcome and displace our present ignorance?

i. I believe our passage this morning answers “Yes” to all of these questions…

ii. but I expect that at least some of us in this room would not be prepared to answer “Yes” to all of them with full conviction.

iii. And I am certain that many of the folks we know, whether they say they are Christian or not, would wholeheartedly answer “No” to some or all of these questions.

3. But, friends, these are the sort of questions that have to be addressed before we can even begin to call for repentance and faith.

a. If God is not the sovereign Lord, then what do I owe Him?

b. If God is not the one on whom I must rely for every aspect of my life, then why shouldn’t I seek refuge and help elsewhere (politics, money, social advancement, self-distraction)?

c. If I’m not one of God’s image-bearers, then why can’t I create my own identity and decide my own purpose?

d. If the gospel isn’t a message from God that must overcome my ignorance, then why would I keep listening if you say anything I don’t like?

4. I’m honestly not sure if our culture is more like or unlike Athens, since our culture in East Texas is nominally Christian.

a. We may find a common vocabulary and some common ethics, but we have our work cut out for us.

i. We must know what we believe and why we believe it.

ii. We must be students of the Scriptures in order to grow in our ability to teach others.

C. We must confront error with truth

1. I am amazed at Paul’s boldness in Athens!

a. He did not offend for the sake of offense, but he also went straight at the ignorance and error of his hearers… knowing that he was giving witness to Christ in the middle of a group of people who had some of the highest education and political influence of his day.

2. We too must be willing to stand with and for Christ in those areas of ethics and doctrine that are most out of step with the non-Christians around us.

a. We must be willing to stand with Christ on ethics – the moral law, what God says is right and wrong – and on doctrine – the theological truths of the Bible – even if we may face mockery and rejection because of it.

i. We must speak the truth, as lovingly and winsomely as we may, but we must speak the truth in opposition to error.

D. We must expect mixed results

1. Paul’s first priority was not to win a popularity contest.

a. Paul’s first priority was to be a faithful witness to Christ, so that some of his hearers might come to faith in the Lord Jesus.

i. In Athens, as in other towns, some mocked him, others wanted to hear more, and some believed the gospel.

2. Brothers and sisters, we must embrace the fact that God alone gives growth… God alone opens sinners’ eyes to believe the gospel… God alone grants the gifts of faith and repentance.

a. Throughout history, Christians have lived faithfully in this world, and sometimes they’ve seen many sinners converted, they’ve lived in communities that were entirely transformed, and they’ve even participated in historical moments that have changed the known world.

i. But this is not the norm… Normally, Christians have lived faithfully, they’ve died with the hope of resurrection (sometimes in the face of hostility and often in a world of indifference), and they’ve been forgotten by everyone but Christ.

ii. We must aim for faithfulness, to be faithful witnesses to Christ, and we must pray that God will grant the growth… but we must expect that sometimes He won’t.

E. We must trust God and stay on mission

1. Paul is a perfect example of a Christian on mission who stayed with the task of living as a witness to Christ in whatever circumstance and regardless of the response he was getting from the unbelieving world around him.

a. This was certainly true at the Areopagus, and this remained true throughout Paul’s life… as we shall see in the rest of Acts.

2. We too must persevere in believing, in witnessing, in doing good, and in believing that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will sort it all out in the end.

a. Near the end of Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia, he wrote, “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9-10).

Endnotes

[1]John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 145. [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idolatry [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idolatry [4] https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-idolatry [5] https://faculty.mtsac.edu/cmcgruder/ancientpandschools.html [6]The word “Areopagus” is the transliteration of two Greek words, Ἀρειον / Ἀρειος (Arēs, Greek god of war) and παγον / παγος (hill or rock). Therefore, any of the following translations would be accurate: Areopagus, Ares’ Hill, or Mars’ Hill. One reason the translators might choose Areopagus over Ares’ or Mars’ Hill is to at least leave open the possibility that Luke intended to refer to the council or meeting of the Athenian leaders and not only the place. Paul was “brought” to (v19) and “standing” on (v22) the hill (i.e., the Areopagus), but it seems more likely that Luke is saying that Paul was addressing the council (i.e., the Areopagus) and others who were observing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aland, Kurt, Barbara Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th Edition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.

Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2005.

Calvin, John. Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles. Edited by Henry Beveridge. Translated by Christopher Fetherstone. Vol. 2. 2 vols. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

Peterson, David. The Acts of the Apostles. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2009.

Polhill, John B. Acts. Vol. 26. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. 2015 Edition. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009.