Acts 17:16-34
Paul did not go to Athens as a tourist, nor as a student of art; he went there as a missionary, carrying the gospel of Christ. He found the city full of idols. No wonder his spirit was stirred within him. Among others he encountered certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, some of whom were curious to know what this “babbler” would say. Others decided that he was a setter forth of strange gods, because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. They took hold of him, therefore, and brought him into the Areopagus – a council of the first men of Athens, a sort of court – not for trial, however, but that his opinions might be declared.
Athens was full of splendid temples and magnificent works of art, but these temples were the shrines of idols, and these works of art were worshipped as gods by the people. However, Paul had not a word to say about the fine architecture or the wonderful statues he saw. His soul was so full of the compassion of Christ that in such a place as Athens the one thing he saw was that perishing souls worshipped lovely creations of art, instead of the true God. He forgot the beauty in his pity over the delusions amid which souls were perishing, and could not but speak out of the fullness of his heart. Utterly alone, he did not hesitate to declare Jesus Christ in the face of the world’s wisdom and culture, and to present the truth of the gospel in the presence of those who almost certainly would have only sneers and contempt for what he said. Paul began his address in a courteous way, referring to the apparent devoutness of his hearers. He then spoke of an altar he had seen as he passed through the city. “I found an altar with this inscription, to the UNKNOWN GOD.” It was said that it was easier in Athens to find a god than a man. Although there were so many gods, with temples and shrines everywhere, yet the people’s hearts were not satisfied. They still reached out after some other god, and since nothing that they knew of or could conceive of would answer their cravings, they had set up this altar to an unknown god.
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