All Greek to Me - Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) · All Greek to Me.pptx Author Josh Mitchell...
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ITS ALL GREEK TO ME ACTS 17:163
Transcript of All Greek to Me - Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) · All Greek to Me.pptx Author Josh Mitchell...
ITS ALL GREEK TO ME
ACTS 17:16-‐34
[16] Now while Paul was wai1ng 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 divini1es”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrec1on. [19] And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presen1ng? [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 1me 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 inscrip1on, ‘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 na1on of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allo_ed 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 imagina1on of man. [30] The 1mes 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 resurrec1on 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.
A. Paul in Athens v16-‐21 – The City -‐> The People
B. Paul Addresses the Areopagus v22-‐31 – The Diagnosis -‐> The Prescrip1on
C. The Athenian Response v32-‐34 – The Pa1ent’s Choice
[16] Now while Paul was wai1ng for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
“Religion was of highest priority. It seemed to organize all of life. The ‘god-‐inspired poets’ could be heard on the temple steps, while sages moved in and out of its shadows waxing eloquent to the people gathered round. The temple was the rallying point of all that was good, noble and beauCful. Religion was not only at the public forefront, the Athenian home was a permanent bed and breakfast for local deiCes.”
Ernst Guhl, The Life of the Greeks and Romans
[16] Now while Paul was wai1ng for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
“Paul knows only two classes of people, those who worship and serve the Creator and those who worship and serve the creature more than the Creator. Hence, when he saw predominately the later, he was sCrred deep within himself. And Paul, not one to take a holiday from his life calling, saw the men and women of Athens so inculcated with false worship that he was moved to present the gospel to those who sorely needed it.”
F.F. Bruce, The Book of ACTS
[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.
5 Types of People men1oned (v17 -‐ v18)
1. The Religionists (Jews) 2. The Seekers (devout persons) 3. The Working Class (marketplace) 4. The Epicureans (worldly ones) 5. The Stoics (ra1onalists, pragma1sts)
“Both schools had strong converCng power. They sought to liberate men from fate and make them self-‐sufficient and indifferent to the externals of life. Epicureans did so through hedonism, while the Stoics did so through complete denial.”
Evere_ Ferguson, Backgrounds of early Chris1anity
“And this example is worth the noCng, that the city (Athens), which was the mansion-‐house of wisdom, the fountain of all arts, the mother of humanity, did exceed all others in blindness and madness.”
John Calvin, Commentary on ACTS
[18b] And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divini1es”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrec1on. [19] And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presen1ng? [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 1me in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
Paul Addresses the Areopagus v22-‐31
The Diagnosis – Too Supers11ous – Too Self-‐Centered – Too Pluralis1c
Too Supers11ous
[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 inscrip1on, ‘To the unknown god.’
dice-‐ee-‐dahee-‐mon-‐es'-‐ter-‐os
[23b] 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.
Too Self-‐Centered
[26] And he made from one man every na1on of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allo_ed 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,
“These Athenians oQen described themselves as ‘Sprung from the earth’. They believed that they were either the source of all men or the epitome of all men and that their ancestors had inhabited the city without interrupCon.”
F.F. Bruce, “Paul and the Athenians”
Too Pluralis1c [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 imagina1on of man.”
[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 resurrec1on 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.
The Athenian Response v32-‐34
The Pa1ent’s Choice – Mock – Debate & Amusement – Believe & Be Used
