1. Provoked (verses 16-21)
2. Preaching (verses 22-31)
3. Response (verses 32-34)

Some cities across the world are known for certain things. London and New York are known as major financial hubs of the world. Geneva, Switzerland is known as the banking capital of the world. Los Angeles is known as the entertainment capital of the world. Paris and Florence are known as the artistic centers of the world. Jerusalem and Kathmandu are the religious centers of the world. Washington D. C. is known as the most powerful city in the world, as it’s the capital of the most powerful nation of the world.

In the ancient world, a similar phenomenon existed. Jerusalem was the religious capital of the world. Rome was the military capital of the world. Athens was the intellectual capital of the world. Today, in our study of Acts, we will see Paul entering Athens, and preaching to the intellectuals of that city. Indeed, my message this morning is entitled, “Preaching to the Intellectuals.” So, I invite you to open in your Bibles to Acts 17, which describes Paul entering Athens, being provoked by its idols, and preaching the gospel to the intellectuals of the city.

Again, before we read our text, let’s orient ourselves, where Paul has been, and where Paul is going. In Acts, chapter 15, we saw Paul and Silas being sent out by the church in Antioch to visit the churches that Paul had established on his first missionary journey. He headed north through Syria to visit the churches in Southern Galatia. Along the way, Timothy joined them. Then the missionary band headed west to Troas, where they received the call to go to Macedonia. So, they crossed the Aegean Sea and ministered to the cities in Macedonia, namely Philippi, and Thessalonica, and Berea. And this morning, we see Paul traveling south, alone to Achaia, where Paul will enter the city of Athens.

As many of you remember from your history days, Athens was a great city! It rose to prominence in the 4th century B.C. Especially through its famous philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Scholars from all over Greece came there to study philosophy, rhetoric and science. However, by the time Paul arrived in the city, it was no longer the city that it once was. For in 86 B.C. Athens was sacked by the Roman general, Sulla, who looted the city and destroyed many of the buildings there. Athens was trying to regain its former glory. Yet, it was still was a hub of culture and still held some prominence. So, Paul’s visit there was very significant.

Let’s read what happens with Paul in Athens. Our text begins in verse 16, where Paul is waiting for Silas and Timothy to come to him.

Acts 17:16-34
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. 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. 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. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 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. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 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, 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, 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.’

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. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 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.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from 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.

Let’s start off with my first point. It’s simply the word, ...

1. Provoked (verses 16-21)

We see Paul being provoked in verse 16:

Acts 17:16
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.

That is, he was agitated. He was emotionally stirred. What he saw did not sit well with him. He saw a “city [that] was full of idols.” Literally, Paul saw that the city “was idols.” It has been estimated that there were 30,000 idols in Athens. In fact, so many idols were in the city that one man wrote, “It was easier to find a god in Athens than to find a man.”^[1]

It is no wonder that he was provoked. A city full of idols. Idol worship all around. The true God of scripture being lost in the shuffle. Some suppose that Paul was provoked to righteous anger Like a prophet, who was declaring God’s wrath against those who do such things. Like the anger of Jesus, when he saw the money changers and those who were selling doves in the temple. They were taking the temple and making it “a robbers den.” (Mark 11). Jesus saw them as thieves preying upon the unsuspecting worshippers. Others suppose that Paul was provoked to concern. Like a pastor, who is compelled to tell people of the way of relief. Like Jesus, who looked upon the people as “sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36) misguided and misdirected. Matthew Henry thought that Paul was motivate by both of these reasons, as he writes in his commentary, “Paul was filled with concern for the glory of God, which he saw given to idols, and with compassion to the souls of men, which he saw thus enslaved to Satan.”^[2]

Lest you think that this was just then. We have our idols. Brad Bigney rightly identifies an idol as “An idol is anything or anyone that captures our hearts, minds, and affections more than God.”^[3] Just imagine what Paul would have thought if he spent some time in our society. Seeing houses of worship empty on Sunday morning, while they are playing volleyball down the street. Seeing the wealth around us, while some are hurting in the streets. Turning on the television and seeing what is there. Going to the theaters, seeing what’s playing. Reading our newspapers. What would Paul find on the internet. Paul’s heart would surely be provoked by spending a few hours in our society.

Now, it is interesting (and helpful) to note how Paul response in his provocation. He didn’t distance himself from those in Athens. He didn’t protest against them. He didn’t publicly condemn them for their idolatry. He didn’t move away from them. Rather, he moved toward them, proclaiming the truth of the gospel of God’s grace that would free these people from such bondage. This is what we read in verse 17.

Acts 17:17
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.

Notice the little word, “So.” It is because the city was full of idols, that he drew near to the people to tell them of Jesus Christ. Paul reasoned with people in the synagogue, with the Jews, and any God-fearing gentiles who might happen to be there. He told them of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He probably preached his, “The Christ is Jesus” sermon to them, as he did in Thessalonica. Going to the Scriptures, and showing that the Christ must suffer and rise from the dead. and that Jesus was the Christ who fulfilled all of these things.

But Paul didn’t only speak to the religious people within the walls of the synagogue. Paul also reasoned with people in the streets, Again, verse 17, "he reasoned in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there." This was with anybody who wanted to talk. This was with open air evangelism. I would suspect that some of the time, he was engaged in individual conversation. At other times, he was projecting his voice so that many could hear.

Again, Paul is setting forth a model for us to follow. He is being a witness of Jesus, as the theme of Acts is calling us to be. So, again, I would encourage you to open your mouths and speak with those around you, as Paul did. He reasoned with those around him. He told those around him of Jesus. We are called to do the same (Acts 1:8).

Now, in Athens, some of those who heard him speak were the intellectuals of the day. Verse 18 identifies some of them.

Acts 17:18
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him.

You may not be up on your ancient philosophy. So let me help you. The Epicureans were atheistic materialists. In other words, they denied the existence of God and taught that men should live for the moment, since there was no life after death. Their motto may have gone something like this: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Or, “If it feels good, do it.” Are Epicureans with us today? Certainly. These are the atheists, the humanists, and the Existentialists. The Epicureans had a sense of morality, like many humanists today. Many people who don’t believe in God are kind, and have a sense of right and wrong. Do you know anyone like this? If not, I would encourage you to get out, they aren’t hard to find. Such people are all around.

The Stoics, on the other hand, were the pantheistic fatalists. In other words, they believed that everything is God, and taught that men should resign themselves to endure whatever would come. Their motto may have gone something like this: “Que sera, sera.” “What will be will be.” The Stoics placed great emphasis upon reason, devoid of feeling. Are there Stoics today? Sure are. I have heard many non-Christians say, “Everything happens for a reason,” even when they have no one who is guiding everything. New agers could be considered modern day Stoics, seeking a spirituality through meditation and mind-control, letting go of much of the world’s pleasures.

Anyway, as those in Athens talked with Paul, they were interested in what he was saying.

Acts 17:18
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.

Here was the gospel, coming to Athens for the first time. And those in the public space were intrigued by it. Paul was saying things that they had never heard before. To the philosophers in Athens, he was going on about some new deities that they had never heard of before. There was this Jesus deity. There was this resurrection deity. They were intrigued enough that they wanted to hear more. So, they gave him a platform to speak (literally).

Acts 17:19-20
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.”

The Areopagus was “a small hill covered in stone seats.”^[4] It was named after the Greek god of war, “Ares.” Literally, it was the “Ares’ Rock.” The spot was also known as “Mars Hill,” as “Mars” was the Roman name for the god of war. It was a place where the leaders of Athens could discuss and debate important matters, perhaps even holding trial. For someone coming into the city speaking something new, it was the perfect place to invite Paul to come and speak. Verse 21 tells us that ...

Acts 17:21
all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

They wanted to hear this new thing that Paul was saying. What an opportunity! It’s as if I were approached by some of the professors at the University of Chicago, and given the opportunity to speak at the weekly symposium held on campus. “Tell us about this Jesus?” “Tell us about this resurrection?”

Paul took full advantage of the opportunity. He preached a sermon which is every bit as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. This is my second point: 

2. Preaching (verses 22-31)

Paul’s sermon has three points: 1. Introduction (verses 22-23); 2. God (verses 24-29); and 3. Conclusion (verses 30-31).

Paul begins his introduction right where these people are. First, he compliments them.

Acts 17:22
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

I remember in high school learning about Greek Mythology, and the many gods that were worshiped in Athens. We have mentioned Ares, the god of war. But there was also Atlas, the strong man, who held the world on his back. There was Eros, the god of love. And Cronos, the god of time. And Hercules, the god of strength. There was Hermes, the messenger. There was Hades, the god of the underworld. And Poseidon, the god of the sea. And Zeus, the great god of the sky, the supreme of all the gods. Paul could easily have condemned them for their idolatry, but he turned their idolatry into a compliment! "You are very religious."

We can learn much from such an approach. To condemn them straight off for the evil of their idolatry would be to end Paul's opportunity to be an influence in their lives. He would have been booted instantly from the platform. So, first, he gains their favor by speaking what is true of their idolatry: it demonstrates their interest in religion.

Now, of all the idols and altars that Paul saw, there was one that stood out to him. It was an altar that he could use to transition his talk to the true God. He says (in verse 23), ...

Acts 17:23
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’

Apparently, those in Athens were afraid that they might have missed a god in the midst of their many gods. So, they erected an altar, dedicated to some god unknown to them. Paul takes this altar and announces the subject of his message.

Acts 17:23
What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

What a great transition! While the Athenians would have professed their ignorance on the identity of this unknown God, Paul now proposed to make this one true God known to them.

Paul's comment didn’t come out of nowhere. Paul saw the altar some time before. Paul thought about how to use this altar to transition to speak about spiritual things. I would encourage you all to be observant of others, and think about ways for you to transition to speak about the Lord with those around you.

In this season, you can transition from the Easter Bunny and eggs, to speak of the true meaning of Easter. “Jesus is the reason for the season.” You can transition from the weather. as everyone talks about the weather turning to something nicer. you can say, “I love this time of year, because everything seems to have new life. It reminds me of Jesus, and the new because in this season, we celebrate Easter, the new life that comes through faith in Jesus. You can take the news of Ukraine that everyone is talking about, and transition to speak of he reality of the war, and talk about how we live in a sin-dominated world.

This is what I did this past week. I was talking with a friend about the war. He was talking about how horrible is has been. He’s a non-Christians and doesn’t understand how such terrible things can happen. I said, “It’s exactly what the Bible says about the sinfulness of men and how wrecked this world is. “The Bible teaches that God created a perfect world, but we, in our sinfulness have ruined it. the ugliness of war is an expression of how broken things are. “But Jesus came to reverse that and give us hope beyond this life.” It takes some work and thought to transition in such ways. But with some willingness, each of you can be creative and ready to transition a conversation to things of the Lord.

Anyway, Paul transitions to speak about God. and in so doing, he addresses their ignorant worship. In verses 24-29, Paul picks out 11 characteristics of God. In so doing, it became clear that this God is so different than all of the other gods that those in Athens worshiped. First of all,

1. God is creator of the world.

Acts 17:24
The God who made the world and everything in it,

A simple statement about God’s role as creator. We live in a world that would deny this. But the Bible is clear that there is a single, omnipotent God who created the world. This is clear from the very first verse of the Bible: Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He created everything by the word of his mouth: Gen. 1:3 Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. I mean everything, the stars, the plants, the animals, man and women.

2. God is lord.

Acts 17:24
... being Lord of heaven and earth.

This simply means that God, the creator, is the one who rules and reigns, not Zeus, but the LORD. “The earth is the LORD’s and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.” (Psalm 24:1). "Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases" (Psalm 115:3). Those in Athens may have tried to appease their puny gods. But Paul puts forth the true God as Lord of all!

3. God is transcendent (above the ways of the earth).

Acts 17:24
God does not live in temples made by man,

Unlike the gods of Athens, who were earthbound, Even the most powerful of them had their own earthly domains. But the true God is different. He is “enthroned on high” (Psalm 113:5). He dwells on his heavenly throne, the earth is merely his footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

4. God is self-sufficient.

Acts 17:25
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything

What a contrast this is with the gods of Athens, who needed people to serve them at their altars! But God doesn’t need anything. The true God doesn’t need anyone to accomplish his purposes. He has everything that he needs. He never puts out a “Help Wanted” sign. He never lacks the power.

5. God is the giver of life.

Acts 17:25
he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Those in Athens had their origin story. There was nothing. Then, there was Chaos, until from light, mother earth simply came to be (the goddess Gaia) and from mother earth, came the sky and the oceans. But that’s not the true God. The true God made everything and everyone, and is the true life-giver.

6. God is sovereign over our lives.

Acts 17:26
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,

That is, God determines when we live and where we live. It is no accident that we all are alive now. It is no accident that we all are living in Illinois (or Wisconsin) right now. It is no accident who your parents are. It is no accident who your brothers and sisters are. It is no accident who your children are. God determines it all. He has complete control over our lives.

7. God is immanent (near).

Acts 17:27
Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

The gods of Athens were off doing their own thing, having spats and arguments with the other gods. They were only minimally concerned with things on the earth. Not so the true God. The true God knows when we sit down and when we rise up (Psalm 139:2). The true God is intimately acquainted with all our ways (Psalm 139:3).

8. God is our sustainer.

Acts 17:28
for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

This is the reality of the true God! He sustains us. In him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). "If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, All flesh would perish together And man would return to dust" (Job 34:14-15).

9. God is the source of our life.

Acts 17:28
for as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Here Paul quotes from one of their own poets, a poet named Aratus, who lives several hundred years earlier. Aratus had said this of Zeus:

Let us begin with Zeus.
Never, O men, let us leave him unmentioned.
All the ways are full of Zeus, and all the market-places of human beings.
The sea is full of him; so are the harbors.
In every way we have all to do with Zeus, for we are truly his offspring.

When Paul says this, he is not saying that we are deity. He is simply saying that we in some measure bear resemblance to our creator. Using Biblical language, we might say, “We are in the image of God.”

10. God is living!

Acts 17:29
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.

Here’s where Paul finally confronts their idolatry. God is not made of metal. He isn’t formed by the creativity of man. He is a living being. To those in Lystra Paul said, “We preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them” (Acts 14:15).

11. God is patient.

Acts 17:30
The times of ignorance God overlooked.

What a slam these words are to those in Athens. Here were the intellectuals of the day, and Paul was calling them ignorant. They were ignorant of God. They worshiped gods they created. They worshiped gods that were weak. They worshiped gods that were like us. They worshiped gods than needed us. They worshiped gods who had no life They worshiped gods who had no control over our lives. They worshiped gods who were far away and unconcerned for us. They worshiped gods who were in need of us. They worshiped god’s they had formed. They worshiped gods who were dead.”

Yet, for those hearing the message, God is giving them all a fresh opportunity. Despite all of the previous years of idolatry, God is overlooking it. Then Paul concludes his message in verses 30 and 31.

Acts 17:30-31
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 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.”

It’s interesting how Paul preached to the intellectuals. He preached God to them as sinners. I love the story that D. Martyn-Lloyd Jones tells of his time in Oxford.

I shall never forget preaching some twenty-seven years ago at a college chapel in the University of Oxford on a Sunday morning. I had preached in exactly the same way as I would have preached anywhere else. The moment the service had finished, and before I had scarcely had time to get down from the pulpit, the wife of the Principal came rushing up to me and said, 'Do you know, this is the most remarkable thing I have known in this chapel.' I said, 'What do you mean?' 'Well,' she said, 'do you know that you are literally the first man I have ever heard in this chapel who has preached to us as if we were sinners.' She added, 'All the preachers who come here, because it is a college chapel in Oxford, have obviously been taking exceptional pains to prepare learned, intellectual sermons, thinking we are all great intellects. To start with, the poor fellows often show that they do not have too much intellect themselves, but they have obviously been straining in an attempt to produce the last ounce of learning and culture, and the result is that we go away absolutely unfed and unmoved. We have listened to these essays and our souls are left dry. They do not seem to understand that though we live in Oxford we are nevertheless sinners.' Now that was a statement of fact by a highly intelligent lady, the wife of the Principal of a college.^[5]

You don’t need to be smart to preach to intellectuals. You don’t need to be smart to preach to atheists. In fact the Bible says, “The fool has said in his heart that there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The message of God coming for sinners is applicable to all. So, don't cower in speaking to others who are smarter than you are. Just because others have a degree or like to put their knowledge on display, don't be intimidates. Be bold. Be winsome. Be clear about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I skipped a verse in my earlier exposition of verses 24-29. I skipped half of verse 27, because I thought that right here would be the best place to discuss it. We were placed on this earth with the purpose that we should seek God.

Acts 17:26-27
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, 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.

Are you seeking God?

I had a conversation this week with a woman. If I tried to describe her to you, I would compare her with Mary Magdalene, a woman of the streets in distress until Jesus broke into her life. This woman has had more men than you can imagine. She looks the part. As I was talking with her, she told me that she was pagan. She told me of how her uncle died and that she was asked to read Scripture at his funeral mass. She said, "Me? Of all people?!!" I asked her what passage she was given to read. So, we talked a bit about the Bible. Then I told her the message of the Bible as briefly as I could: "God created the world. But we are fallen sinners. We can find forgiveness through Jesus." She responded to me, "I'm not a sinner. I'm pagan. I'm one with God. You know?" She needs this message more than anything! She needs this message about God and who he is! I was trying to present God to her. But she was having nothing of embracing her sin. This is because she wasn't seeking god.

I'm sure that you have people in your life that is exactly like this. They don't see their own sin. They think that they are OK. They think that they will make it to God on their own. Even when presented with the sovereign creator God who is Lord of all, transcendent, self-sufficient, giver of life, yet near and living and sustaining our lives, who is patiently waiting for us to turn from our sin, many will deny their need for God. But their denial doesn't ever wipe away their need, nor our responsibility to proclaim this God. We proclaim God, because people should seek him (verse 27).

Finally, let’s look at Paul’s admonition:

Acts 17:30-31
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 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.”

Paul puts forth three elements to his conclusion: (1) Repentance; (2) Judgement; and (3) Resurrection.

The response demanded is nothing more, nothing less than repentance. Repentance is a turning from sin and a turning to God. It is acknowledging the error of your ways and your need for forgiveness.

This is because of the coming judgment. We don't know when that day is. But God does. He has fixed that day on his calendar when he will come and judge the world in righteousness. Further, as Paul says, Jesus will be this judge. We have assurance that this will take place because of the resurrection of Jesus.

Now, when Paul began to speak about the resurrection, his little talk to the Areopagus was finished. This is because Paul was cut off from proceeding further. This is clear in my final point:

3. Response (verses 32-34)

Acts 17:32
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from 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.

When it came to Athens, the reason why the sermon was brought to a close is because those on the Areopagus finally understood what Paul was saying. It was when they heard that he was speaking about the “resurrection of the dead!” that they figured out what he was saying. Earlier, they had asked Paul to speak to them because "He was preaching Jesus and the Resurrection" (verse 18). For those who heard Paul speaking in Greek, it was as if Paul was talking about two deities. The first was named, "Jesus," the second was named "Anastasis" (the Greek word for resurrection). In verse 18, they had identified "Jesus" and "Anastasis" were "strange deities." They thought that there were two gods: One male god, named “Jesus” and one female goddess named “Anastasis.” But when they found out that Paul was talking about the Anastasis from the dead, then they knew what he was saying.

For those in the Areopagus, “The idea of resurrection of dead people was uncongenial to the minds of most of Paul's Athenian hearers. They would have endorsed the sentiments of the god Apollo, who said, 'Once a man dies and the earth drinks up his blood, there is no resurrection.'" ^[6] Thus, it makes sense that "some mocked." Even in our culture, if you tell others that this next Sunday (Resurrection Sunday), we will be celebrating Jesus, risen from the dead, you will possibly be mocked.

More often, however, in our culture, I have experienced an indifference from people. They think that such a belief is good for me, but not so much for them. Paul also experienced such a group of people. They were undecided and would be happy to hear Paul again.

But finally, some joined Paul because they believed what he was saying. We don't know how many believed. We are only told of two: Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris. What an encouragement that one of the intellectuals believed at the preaching of God!

What about you? Are you hostile to the resurrection? Are you indifferent? Or, do you believe in the resurrection?

If you believe in the resurrection, I would like for you to think about your own evangelism to others who don't believe. I would encourage you to mix with those in the world enough to know where they stand and meet them where they are. The apostles always did this so well. Here Paul did so with the intellectuals of the day, who had some bearing on religion, but not much. So Paul preached God to them. How different this message was than what Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, when he quoted from several Scripture passages (Joel 2; Psalm 16; Psalm 110). He quoted the Scriptures because this is where his hearers were. They were believers in the Hebrew Scriptures. So Peter quoted from them. We see something similar in Acts 13, when Paul entered the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. His listeners trusted the Scriptures. So he quoted from them extensively. Yet here in Athens, Paul met the intellectuals where they were. He brought forth the truth of God without referencing specific passages of the Bible (which the intellectuals neither knew nor trusted).

I have herd many talk about the world in which we live today is more of an Acts 17 world than an Acts 13 world. This means that for many people with whom we speak today, the Scriptures hold little sway in their lives. So, we should approach them as Paul did in Acts 17. Figure out what they believe, then transition somehow to tell them about God and the need to believe in Jesus. Command them to repent and trust in the Lord.

If they respond in hostility, realize that this is par for the course. It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. If they are indifferent and say, "Let's talk again sometime," then let them go. But pursue them later to talk with them about the Lord. When people believe, share the Scriptures with them.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on April 10, 2022 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955), 130.

[2] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, volume 6 (Carol Stream, IL: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), 181.

[3] Brad Bigney, Gospel Treason (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing), 24.

[4] https://www.gotquestions.org/Areopagus.html.

[5] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), 126.

[6] Aeschlyus, Eumenides 647-48 as quoted by F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 343.