ActsSermon31

The Apostle Paul arrived in Athens alone after having been forced to flee Thessalonica and Berea. He sent word back for Silas and Timothy to meet him there, v. 15.

So what do you do while you wait? You can go sightseeing or you can go soul winning. Rather than viewing it from the perspective of a tourist, he saw Athens as a city full of lost men and women, doomed to a Christ-less eternity. Like Paul, we must have open eyes and broken hearts for our world. "Europe is looked over by millions of visitors and overlooked by millions of Christians" (Noel O. Lyons).

Athens, at one time had been the most important Greek city, but, by Paul's day, that status belonged to Corinth. While it no longer had the political and commercial place of pre-eminence, Athens had lost none of its cultural significance. In its heyday, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle had all taught their philosophies in Athens. By the time of Paul, it was still known for its philosophers, its leading university, its beautiful buildings and its novelity (v. 21). Athens was also a religious center, where almost every god thought to be in existence was worshiped. "It was easier to find a god in Athens than a man" one ancient pagan writer said.

How Athens Affected Paul, v. 16. One might think that Paul, with the educational and cultural background, would have been fascinated by a city like Athens - ancient temples, glorious artwork, magnificent buildings, sublime sculptures, engaging orators, clever philosophers, spectacular sights - interesting to a scholar like Paul. In, in that day, the marble and gold still glittered. But Paul's eyes were not on the sights but, rather, on the people. He saw pagans - "a city completely given to idolatry" - and his "spirit was stirred in him." This same word, "stirred", is translated "provoked" in I Corinthians 13. His heart was broken, he felt deeply and intensely moved, a nd provoked at the power that Satan held over this city. Idolatry is really nothing more than the worship of demons, I Corinthians 10:20; Deuteronomy 32:17.

How Paul Affected Athens. It was not in Paul's nature to remain idle while he waited for Silas and Timothy. And so, he began his ministry.

Paul in the Synagogue. In typical fashion, Paul went to the Jewish synagogue on the sabbath to reason ("dispute") with the Jews and the Gentile proselytes.

Paul in the Marketplace. But there was an added endeavor at Athens. There were daily trips to the marketplace, meeting and encountering individuals, and striking up conversations with them and preaching about Jesus Christ and His resurrection, vs. 17-18, a typical Paul gospel message.

Paul and the Philosophers. Verse 18 refers to the Epicureans and the Stoicks, two Greek philosophies of that day. Epicureans were materialists and atheists, and their goal in life was pleasure. To some, pleasure meant that which was grossly physical - eat, drink and be merry. But to others, it meant a life of refined serenity, free from pain and anxiety, avoiding extremes, keeping things in balance - but pleasure, none the less, was still the pursuit.

The Stoicks were the opposite of the Epicureans. They were pantheistic fatalists, that is, they believed that everything is god and everything that happens is god's will. We refer to a stoic person as someone who bears suffering and pleasure unemotionally. That comes from this philosophy. Pleasure is not good, pain is not bad. The most important thing is to be reasonable and to remain unmoved by inner feelings or outward circumstances. Of course, a philosophy like this fans the flames of pride and teaches men that they don't need the help of God.

The Epicureans said, "Enjoy life!" and the Stoicks said, "Endure life!" While they were opposites, they were united in their criticism of Paul. What will this babbler say? He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods.

Paul and the Scholars, vs. 19-21. Their interest was not conviction. To them, Paul was a philosophical oddity, someone with something new and novel to say. The Areopagus was the Athenian court of philosophers. These were the men considered to be the leading scholars of Athens, the intellectually elite.

In recent days those who believe that cultural relevance is the secret to powerful preaching often point to this speech. "We can take a lesson from the early church, which developed different evangelistic approaches to Jews and Greeks. The Jews knew the scriptures, so the apostles could begin directly with the message of Christ as the long-awaited Messiah. But the Greeks had no prior knowledge of Scripture, so the apostles had to find a starting point familiar to them. The classic example is Paul's speech on Mars Hill in Athens. As his springboard, Paul uses a religious site in the city: and altar to an unknown god. Later in the same presentation, he quotes a Greek poet. He appeals to the Athenians's own experience in order to create a common ground before presenting the gospel" (Chuck Colson).

Indeed, Paul did adjust his style of speaking, but he never changed his message. Paul did not try to conform the God he declared to the tastes and expectations of his audience. Nor did he leave out judgment (v. 31) and repentance (v. 30).

Such is not the case today as churches try to be more non-threatening in their presentation of the gospel.

A Collection of Quotes Taken From Newspaper Clippings and Magazine Articles Where the Preaching in "User-Friendly" Churches is Described.

· There is no fire and brimstone here. No Bible thumping. Just practical, witty messages.

· Services at our church have an informal feeling. You won't hear people threatened with hell or referred to as sinners. The goal is to make them feel welcome, not drive them away.

· As with all ministers, the pastor's answer is God - but he slips God in at the end, and even then doesn't get heavy. No ranting, no raving. No fire, no brimstone. He doesn't even use the H-word. Call it Light Gospel. It has the same salvation as the Old Time Religion, but with a third less guilt.

· The sermons are relevant, upbeat, and best of all -short. You won't hear a lot of preaching about sin and damnation and hell-fire. Preaching here doesn't sound like preaching. It is friendly talk.

When Paul accused them of being "too superstitious" he was not being impolite. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines this Greek word as "more religious than others." On the basis of all their gods, Paul recognized that these were very religious people.

Yet he did not hesitate to state their ignorance and his knowledge of God. "I know the unknown God. Let me tell you that He is, who He is, and what He was said." That is very confrontational.

There has been some discussion, in recent times, as two different styles of evangelism have been compared - lifestyle vs. confrontational. Lifestyle is "loving them until they ask you why" approach. My opinion is that evangelism not an either/or approach - either lifestyle or confrontational - it is both/and - both lifestyle and confrontational. You live the life before them. They see you good works, they observe you morality, your family life, your kindness, your ethics, etc. But there comes a point when an unbeliever must hear the gospel, Romans 10:17. Thus, you have to confront them with the truth. They are sinners in need of a Savior. They are doomed for eternal hell without salvation. Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. We receive eternal life by repentance and faith in Christ.

Confrontation is not being rude or impolite. Paul was polite, but he was also very bold and confrontational. He did not hesitate contradicting their Greek religious beliefs. He did not step around their sensitivities nor avoid truth that they might not want to hear. For example, (v. 24) "God does not dwell in temples made with hands"; (v. 29) "we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device"; (v. 26) all men are equal before God / none are superior.

His Greatness -

Creator, v. 24.

Lord, v. 24.

His Goodness -

Provider, v. 25.

His Government -

Ruler, vs. 26-29.

Omnipresent - v. 27 - not far from every one..

Judge - v. 30-31.

His Grace -

Savior, v. 31.

Christ's Resurrection, v. 31.

Sinner's Repentance, v. 30.

What we have here is a Biblical model of a Christian in a pagan culture. In times past, evangelism in North America was probably more like Paul's ministry in the Jewish synagogue. Most people worshiped the same God, shared a common knowledge of Scripture and held a similar worldview. Today, however, America is probably more like Athens. Paul's approach to evangelism serves a model for us in evangelistic methodology.

Don't alter the message just adjust the approach. Be polite but don't be afraid to be confrontational. Don't avoid doctrinal or theological teaching about God or the Gospel.

One other thing is that we have to ultimately leave the results up to God. Some mocked (v. 32), some showed interest in further investigation and a few (two specifically named, v. 34) believed in Christ.

Evangelism is not ultimately the result of our cleverness nor our cultural savvy. We must trust in the power of the gospel.

I Corinthians 2:1-2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.