Acts 17 continues the second missionary journey. In Thessalonica Paul reasons from the Scriptures for three Sabbaths, explaining that the Christ had to suffer and rise, and that this Jesus is the Christ. Some believe, including a great multitude of devout Greeks, but opposition forces the team to leave by night for Beroea. The Beroeans are more noble, receiving the word with readiness and examining the Scriptures daily. Many believe. When Thessalonian Jews arrive and stir up trouble, Paul is sent on to Athens. While waiting, his spirit is provoked by the city’s idols. He reasons in the synagogue and the marketplace. Epicurean and Stoic philosophers bring him to the Areopagus. There Paul proclaims the God who made the world and all things in it, who does not dwell in temples made with hands, who gives life and breath to all, who made every nation from one, and who now commands all people everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day of judgment by the Man He raised from the dead. Some mock; others believe, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. The gospel confronts both synagogue and pagan philosophy while the Temple still stands.
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 Paul, as was his custom, went in to them; and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas: of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women. 5 But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. 6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!” 8 The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. 9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15 But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city 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 met him. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
19 They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about? 20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. 25 He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. 26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.” 33 Thus Paul went out from among them. 34 But certain men joined with him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Source: ebible.org
In Thessalonica Paul follows his established pattern: three Sabbaths of reasoning from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise, and that this Jesus is the Christ. The method is expositional and Christ-centered. Some are persuaded, including a large number of devout Greeks and leading women. The opposition that follows is fierce enough to force a nighttime departure. The gospel of the crucified and risen Messiah continues to create both faith and hostility.
The Beroeans receive the word with all readiness of mind yet examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. Luke calls them more noble. Openness without examination can become gullibility; examination without openness can become closed resistance. The combination produces many believers, both Jews and prominent Greeks. When opposition arrives from Thessalonica, Paul is again sent on, while Silas and Timothy remain to strengthen the new work.
In Athens Paul’s spirit is provoked as he sees the city full of idols. He does not withdraw in disgust; he reasons in the synagogue and every day in the marketplace. The provocation leads to engagement. When Epicurean and Stoic philosophers bring him to the Areopagus, he is ready. The New Covenant messenger is neither culturally captive nor culturally detached. He is stirred by the idolatry and therefore speaks.
Paul begins with what he has observed: an altar to an unknown god. He announces the God they worship in ignorance. This God made the world and everything in it; He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not dwell in temples made with hands. He is not served by human hands as though He needed anything; rather, He Himself gives life and breath and all things to all. From one He made every nation, determining their times and boundaries so that they might seek Him. He is not far from any of us. Quoting their own poets, Paul affirms that we are His offspring, and therefore must not think of the divine nature as gold or silver or stone shaped by human art. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed, and He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.
The resurrection is the point at which the address divides the audience. Some mock. Others want to hear more. A few believe, including Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris. The same message that creates faith in some produces mockery in others. Paul does not soften the resurrection to make the gospel more acceptable to Greek philosophy. The risen Man is both the content of the good news and the guarantee of the coming judgment.
Acts 17 shows the gospel moving from synagogue to the intellectual center of the pagan world. In Thessalonica and Beroea the Scriptures are opened to demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ. In Athens the Creator is proclaimed to people who have no shared Scriptures, yet the climax is still the resurrection of Jesus and the call to repentance. All of this occurs while the Temple still stands. The times of ignorance are ending; the risen Christ summons every nation. The light continues to go to the ends of the earth before the old covenant age closes.
Acts 17 shows the New Creation message confronting both the synagogue and the marketplace of ideas. In the synagogue the Scriptures are opened to prove that the Christ had to suffer and rise, and that Jesus is that Christ. In Athens the Creator is announced to those who worship in ignorance. He does not dwell in temples made with hands. He is not far from any of us. The times of ignorance are ending. All people everywhere are now commanded to repent because a day of judgment has been fixed and a Man has been raised from the dead as public assurance. Some mock. Some believe. The risen Jesus is both the Savior and the Judge. This is the word that continues to go to the nations while the old covenant structures still stand, calling every people to the living God.
Paul’s spirit was provoked by the idols of Athens, yet that provocation led him to engage rather than withdraw. How do you respond when you see the idolatry of the surrounding culture? What does the combination of the Beroeans’ readiness of mind and their daily examination of the Scriptures teach us about how we should receive new teaching?