Acts 17:16-21 (NIV)
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul’s response to the idols and altars that he found in Athens was to go first to the synagogue to persuade the Jews and God-fearers that Jesus was the Messiah. That was the low-hanging fruit in the city, and he had some success with them.
But he also went into the marketplace every day and shared the good news with those who were there. These people were fresh ground for the gospel, so Paul had to modify his approach. He couldn’t use the Jewish Scriptures as a foundation, because the vast majority of these people had no knowledge of them.
Instead, Paul began by simply sharing the story of Jesus, His ministry and miracles, as well as His death and resurrection. This caught the interest of some of his hearers, mostly because what he was telling them was new and interesting. As Luke points out in verse 21, philosophy was the hot topic among the people in Athens, and everyone was interested in hearing and discussing the latest ideas.
A group of intellectuals, calling themselves “the Areopagus” (Mars Hill) after the place where they met near the Acropolis, invited Paul to address their meeting, and Paul jumped at the chance. It is one thing to share the gospel with the people on the street uninvited. But he was being invited to share his message with this group.
Paul knew that the initial framework for his hearers would be philosophical, mind-centered instead of heart-centered. But he trusted that God would find a way to move the gospel forward into their hearts and create fertile ground where the seeds of eternal life would be able to take root and grow.
Father, it is humbling to see Paul’s passion for the lost, a passion that moved him intentionally out of his comfort zone and into the middle of a difficult mission field. He doesn’t seem to see people as Greeks or the Jews, but simply a people who need the gospel. He knew that some were close to the truth, and he definitely worked there. He also knew that some were far away, but he worked there as well, knowing that every contact would have the potential to loosen the soil and make room for the seeds he was sowing. He knew that eventually at least some of them would be able to come into Your kingdom, so he was eager to move the process forward every day. What a great role model for me! Thank You, Lord. Amen.
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