Chapter Seventeen –
Second Journey of Paul Continued
ACTS 17:22-34:
We began
this journey with Paul and Silas in
Antioch of Syria;
they then traveled through the rest of
Syria
and through the region of
Cilicia
strengthening the Bodies of Christ along the way. When they
came to the area of the two cities of
Lystra and Derbe,
they will pick up young Timothy to travel with them. They delivered the
decrees to these cities which strengthened them to a productive unity. From
here they will travel to two new areas of Asia Minor;
Phrygia and Galatia.
Luke does not record anything about these visits and Paul will not return to
these regions until
Chapter 19.
Passing
through the region of Mysia (having been forbidden by the Spirit of God to
go into Asia and Bithynia at this time), Paul and his group have come to
Troas.
Here at Troas, Paul will have a vision encouraging him to go to Macedonia
and bring the Gospel. As they determine to go to Macedonia, we learn that
Luke joins them.
They set
out across the Aegean Sea and cross with relative ease, stopping at the
island of
Samothrace,
and the next day arriving at
Neapolis,
the sea port town for Philippi. From Neapolis they head straight to
Philippi,
the chief city of this region. While here, Paul would live the very words
that he would later instruct the Philippian Christians to practice after him
(Philippians
4:8-9). He would go on to bring the Gospel to already
religious people, produce good works in the face of adversity, and never
allow an opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus as the Christ to pass.
There would be great success in the power of the Gospel at Philippi.
From
Philippi, Paul will travel to
Thessalonica
and preached to the Jews and devout Greeks in the synagogue with good
success. The unbelieving Jews would stir up a mob and attempt to bring Paul
and his traveling companions out to the people. This would be unsuccessful;
however, it forced the brethren to send Paul and Silas away by night to
Berea.
Paul would enter the synagogue and bring the Gospel of Jesus as the Christ
to these Jews with a much different universal result. They searched, proved,
and readily accepted Paul’s evidence and teaching; however, Jews from
Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up trouble there. The brethren sent
Paul away by ship to
Athens.
Upon arrival in Athens, and while he is waiting for Silas and Timothy, he
begins to speak in the cities synagogue and market place (Paul is uniquely
moved by the city being given over to idolatry); his preaching soon gains
him an audience with the cities philosophers and that is where we pick up in
this lesson.
Please use
the map provided:
http://www.plvcc.org/index.html/articles_live_by_faith/image2/CNM19Pauls2ndJourney.gif
Before we
begin, we should remind ourselves that this is not the first recorded sermon
of Paul to Idolaters; please record for your notes –
Acts 14:15-18. This sermon that we are about to look
into is an expansive version of the word he shared in Lystra on the first
journey.
Text #1:
Introduction and Compliment –
Acts 17:22-23
“Then
Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I
perceive that in all things you are very religious;
23
for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I
even found an altar with this inscription”
TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:"
The Apostle
Paul compliments these philosophers in order to gain their attention and
using an object they are familiar with to begin the series of instruction.
It should be additionally understood at this point, that just because they
were religious does not equate with an acceptable presentation of worship.
This then becomes a good place to make a note concerning the words of Jesus
to the woman by the well in Samaria (as this sermon sets many precedence’s
concerning worship of God in spirit and truth), note:
John 4:23-24
“But
the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24
God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””
Text #2:
Evidence of God –
Acts 17:24-28
““God,
who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and
earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25
Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He
gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face
of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the
boundaries of their dwellings,
27
so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him
and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28
for in
Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have
said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”
The
foolishness of idolatry is something that has been demonstrated through the
prophets of God for centuries prior to this – see:
Isaiah 44:9-17; as an example. Paul additionally
sets forth that everything on this world was created for us; so why would He
accept what we can fashion out of what was created for us, in order to offer
worship to Him? Instead we learn the universal singular item that the
Creator is seeking; His offspring!!! Acceptable worship can only come from
within each of us, and is never found in anything created by us!
The fact
that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, and that He is only
sought acceptably through His offspring (mankind), demonstrates that His
ways our higher than our own (Isaiah
55:8-9); and that what we may see as foolish by the
standards of this world, He chooses purposefully, that no flesh should glory
(1
Corinthians 1:21-29).
Times and Boundaries: Many have explained this over the passage of
time to state that we are affixed to this world (oxygen, warmth, food,
water, etc…); which has always seemed to me an over statement of the
obvious. We have however, the similar language used by Moses to describe
God’s work in the rising and falling of nations (especially the provision of
the boundaries for Israel) – see:
Deuteronomy 32:8-9. In the context of Paul’s lesson,
it would seem that he is likewise showing that the rising and falling of
nations is God’s sole area of control, that regardless of the ruling powers,
all men should seek the Lord and His ultimate power; because in Him we
are, in every aspect!
God’s
manifest control in this way is supported by the whole of God’s revelation:
Genesis 11:9;
Exodus 14:4;
2 Samuel 17:14;
2 Kings 19:28;
Job 12:19;
Proverbs 16:9;
21:1;
Isaiah 40:23;
Jeremiah 18:7;
Daniel 4:25;
Revelation 17:17.
Text #3:
Conclusion –
Acts 17:29-31
“Therefore,
since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine
Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s
devising.
30
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men
everywhere to repent,
31
because
He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by
the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by
raising Him from the dead.””
Therefore: Paul has presented evidence from nature, used common
sense concerning the futility of their desire to create gods, and used their
own wisdom to demonstrate that they should have known better.
He now
re-enforces that fact that we cannot think of service to God in any way
except in His nature, spiritual! Never physical! The simplicity of coming to
God is never about grand edifices, anything given to the masses for their
entertainment; naught but the trained heart of man, will God accept!
Times of Ignorance: Ignorance was never an excuse not to seek God,
nor is it one now. God is speaking about a simple recognition that before
the One He sent to judge the world had come, when men stopped looking for
God, He simply allowed them to stay ignorant (as in not sending prophets to
them) –
Romans 1:18-23.
But
Now: A change has occurred! No longer will God allow ignorance;
thus, He has commanded that the message about God’s great work in Christ is
now to be spoken to the entire humanity of man and the universal need of
every man to repent (leave their own desires and come to God!).
Listen to
Paul’s words, as he explains his commission:
Acts 26:17-18
“I
will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the
Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18
to open
their eyes,
in order to turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are
sanctified by faith in Me.’”
Assurance:
Evidence is now presented, testimony that only the power of the Creator
could wield in demonstrating control over death; the resurrection of the
Christ of God. This is now for the Gentiles, as well as it was for the Jews,
God’s vindication of Jesus as the Christ.
Romans 1:4
“and
declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of
holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
Text #4:
Acts 17:32-34
“And
when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others
said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
33
So Paul departed from among them.
34
However,
some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the
Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
The Gospel
would see limited success here; yet, it would still find the hearts of some.
This should not surprise us with the level indifference and conviction
explained by Luke in
Verse 21. It should speak of two very important
things to us; first, that Paul’s words concerning ignorance being overlooked
now, is absolutely true on their part, thus they have determined their
judgment in disbelief. Second, is that even in what would be otherwise
considered hostile territory to the truth of the Gospel, honest hearts can
be found is courage and trust is demonstrated.
Next: “Paul in Corinth!”