Proud Athens, with its noble temples, its philosophers, its wisdom, knew not God. The wisdom of the then world had only taught men ignorance of the living and the true God. The wisest, the most refined, the most highly educated of men were as utterly and as hopelessly in ignorance of God as most degraded barbarians. What a comment upon the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of the prudent herein lies.
Athens was full of idols, and the apostle's spirit was stirred within him as he saw them. His words, “We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device" (Acts 17:2929Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. (Acts 17:29)), have their application not only to heathendom; they should be heard throughout Christendom also, for “God dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands."
The philosophers could not understand Paul when he spoke of Jesus and the resurrection. And indeed the truth of the resurrection is to this day a stumbling block to mere human wisdom. It is not science, but the power of God, and is therefore outside the limits of human philosophy.
The wisdom of the world has not advanced in this direction since the day when Paul stood on Mar's Hill in the center of the philosophers and enquirers. We were hearing of a heathen philosopher the other day, who said to the missionary, " Your doctrine is good, but when you speak of a man who is dead rising again—" and here he could not contain himself, but broke forth into ridicule—the laughter of ignorance! And in like manner in Christendom the truth of the resurrection is sometimes met with loud laughter. However, though some mocked when they heard of the resurrection, others said, “We will hear thee again of this matter," and some " slave unto him, and believed." The seed sown in the unpromising' soil of philosophers' souls sprang up here and there, and brought forth fruit to the glory of God.
Beautiful Athens, with its ruined temples, is, alas, not altogether freed from idols. The Christianity of the Greek Church is sorely leavened with the old corruption that Paul exposed—" Art and man's device."