15. “And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.”
Are we conducting Paul through this world? That is, are we a living testimony of the doctrines given to him for the church by our ascended and glorified Saviour? The modern day “Athens” in which we live is still full of man’s intelligence and philosophy, yet ignorant of the true God. May we bear Paul and his gospel of our risen Lord and Saviour into “Athens.”
16. “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.”
What an apt picture of the world that we live in today. In the Western world, idolatry has more to do with material possessions and sensual pleasures, while perhaps in other parts of the world it has more to do with false religion. But whatever the reasons, man has a multitude of idols—those things which take the place that God alone ought to have in each heart. May we be careful that our lives as believers do not slip away from our precious Saviour so that we too become “wholly given to idolatry.”
17. “Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.”
Paul did something about that which caused such deep stirrings in his heart. May we not only see the condition of things around us, but seek in divine love to bring the liberating gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to those who are captives of Satan and his minions. Everywhere Paul went, he preached the gospel. May our lives—every aspect of them—preach the gospel to those around us.
18. “Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.”
The Epicureans and the Stoics were at opposite ends of the philosophical scale—the one addicted to enjoying every kind of human pleasure and delight, and the other dedicated to absolute refusal to allow human emotions of joy or sorrow to effect their lives. Christ alone can bring lasting joy, and He alone can give peace in the midst of sorrows and trials. To the philosophically blinded Athenians, the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection only added one more strange god to their pantheon. But let us, like Paul, be faithful in preaching “Jesus, and the resurrection.”
19-20. “And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.”
The God who loves man so much that He sent His only begotten Son to become a man, willingly die, then rise from the dead, all so that men who have no thought of or care for Him might be saved, blessed and made eternally happy, was the essence of the new doctrine which so confused the intelligent and philosophical Athenians.
What a comment on the moral bankruptcy and darkness of man’s natural wisdom! It judged the truth of God—a crucified, now-living, risen Christ—to be nothing more than strange things!
21. “(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)”
Here is the reason why the Athenians were “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:77Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7)). They were always eager to hear something new—a new line of reasoning, a new philosophy. May we be content with the divine, unchanging truth of God. Though “old,” it is living, ever “new” and always applicable to our current life.
22. “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”
The Athenians were totally given up to the worship of demons. The place (the Areopagus in Athens) boasting the very pinnacle of man’s wisdom and philosophy resulted only in their being sunk in the depths of satanic delusions! What glory and light are found in the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Our God is light and love. Let us walk as “children of light , and . . . the day” (1 Thess. 5:55Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)).
23. “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.”
Let us remember that “the world by wisdom knew not God” (1 Cor. 1:2121For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)). Man, so very proud of his wisdom and intelligence, has, by it, sunk into the lowest possible religious darkness, a total slave of satanic delusion and at infinite distance from the God who created him. May we be willing to bear the reproach of being thought “fools for Christ’s sake” (1 Cor. 4:1010We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised. (1 Corinthians 4:10)) as we live and preach the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
24. “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”
Paul begins his message to the Athenians by telling them the truth about themselves—they were totally given over to the worship of demons and were completely ignorant of the one true God. This was a characterization impossible to accept apart from a humbled, repentant heart.
The only true God, which their wisdom and philosophy failed to reveal, was infinitely greater than the philosophies propounded in the Athenian Areopagus. The architectural beauty of those temples still causes wonder and admiration today. Yet, the unknown God they ignorantly worshipped—infinitely greater in majesty—fills all creation with His glory but is the object of man’s hatred, unbelief and scorn!
25. “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”
Cain tried to give the best of his efforts to God, but he and his offering were rejected. Yet the very life and breath that he expended to bring the “fruit of the ground” as an offering to God came from the very One who could never accept anything from the sinner, save his repentance and faith in the Saviour. The approach to God and eternal blessing is “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:2121Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21))—not beautiful buildings or man’s philosophies or his supposedly great wisdom.
26. “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.”
The Athenians (mankind today as well) thought that by their wisdom they were the masters of their destinies. What foolishness! God created them and has appointed their time and place, and it is to Him they are responsible. Oh! what a solemn message we have to present to this Christ-rejecting world. But are we doing it—through our actions and words?
Ed.