Acts 17:15-34
The Book Of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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I. Paul escapes to Athens Acts 17:15
Paul arrives in Athens
Those helping Paul are sent back to Berea to tell Silas and Timothy to join Paul in Athens
We have no record of when they arrived but in Acts 17:16 it says he waited for them.
Paul sends Timothy to Thessalonica from Athens I Thes 3:1-2
Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,
In Athens Paul finds a city given to idolatry Acts 17:16, to philosophies Acts 17:18, and to any new thing Acts 17:21.
idols - idolatry
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 2712. κατείδωλος kateídōlos
superstitious, those wholly given up to the worship of false gods
But he goes first to the synagogue Acts 17:17
He reasoned-no doubt from the scriptures like in Acts 9:20, Acts 13:5, Acts 14:1, Acts 17:2
Preaching Christ to the Jews and Gentile worshipers likely on the Sabbath
Then in the public market Acts 17:17
Here it is said he went daily to converse with whoever would listen. Preaching Jesus and the resurrection Acts 17:17-18
There he encountered Epicurean and Stoic philosophers Acts 17:18
Calling Paul a babbler Acts 17:18
one who spouts off with trivial things
a foolish babbler-a superstitious man
an idler who makes a living selling non-sense in the market place
a term used for a low and contemptible persons
Others said he is a proclaimer for foreign gods
foreign here meaning things that Paul was saying they had never heard before. He was espousing a God different from any God they knew.
When they took Paul it’s hard to know if they took him simply because they where curious to hear what he had to say or if they where bringing him before judges to be tried in some way. ”Took” is the greek word for they grabbed him or seized him. Same word used in Acts 16:19, Acts 21:30.
Paul’s defense Acts 17:22-31.
He appeals to a commonality-they where religious and they worshipped.
But God doesn’t dwell in temples made by men, nor does He need anything like what they offer to their gods. Nor is He worshipped by the things that men create i.e. things from gold, silver, stone-statues, idols(figurines). Even Stephen in Acts 7:47-48.
The “Unknown God” is the God I speak of. You don’t know Him but I do.
He made the world and mankind. He gives life and breath. He has made every nation of men from “one blood”. And He has appointed their times and borders.
Therefore all men should seek Him in hopes of finding Him though He is not far.
It’s in Him we live-It’s because of Him we have life and being. We are His offspring. .....“son of Adam, son of God” Luke 3:38.
Since we are not gold, silver and stone we shouldn’t think God is.
It should be noted that Paul does not quote any scripture to these men and women at this point. He quotes Greek philosophers and poets, Epimenides and Aratus Acts 17:28. Also in Tit 1:12 Paul quotes Epimenides-One of them, a prophet…Epimenides.
Now he turns his arguments to repentance, the judgement of God and the resurrection. Acts 17:30-34.
You served these false gods and philosophies of men in ignorance to the True God-but now you are without excuse.
The idea of the “resurrection” proved to me more than they where willing to accept-some mocking Paul.
And some believed Paul.