Paul in Athens (Part One)

Scripture: Acts 17:16-18 (ESV)

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was 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 happened to be there. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

Devotion:

            This week we are going to spend some time with Paul in Athens. Paul had just been run out of the cities of Thessalonica and Berea for preaching the gospel. Because of the intense opposition to the gospel, he sought refuge in Athens. Paul waited there for Timothy and Silas, his ministry partners, to join him.

            While waiting in Athens, he was walking around the city. As he went about, he was greatly disturbed by the number of idols the Athenians worshipped, so Paul went to the local synagogue to preach and teach about Jesus. Paul did not believe that by simply doing good works, he could effectively reach people for Christ. Paul, of course, lived an upright and blameless life, but he knew that was not enough. He knew these people had never heard the gospel of Jesus and needed more than good works to lead them to Christ.

             Today’s world is a lot like Athens. We have many idols. Perhaps not carved out of wood, chiseled out of stone, or cast out of metal, but we have idols. One of the most obvious ones is our technology. The smartphone is found in just about every adult's and most children's pockets. It commands our attention with various notification bells, vibrations, and other means of getting us to pay our undivided attention to it. Even though I write these words before or at 5:00 am, I must turn my phone off to give my undivided attention to my writing.

            Paul’s world was different yet similar to our own. In our time, the Bible and its rich literary and cultural contributions are going extinct among the people. In Paul’s day, no one had brought the saving message of the cross to the people of Athens. In our own day, many places are devoid of anyone testifying to the same message the people of Athens had been ignorant of. As the people of our day lose the rich history of Christ, so we slide into the welcoming arms of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Let us pray that we will be courageous like Paul and proclaim Christ right where we are. That all may know of His saving love.

Prayer:

            Lord, witnessing in Athens must have been quite a challenge. Witnessing to Christ in our own day and age is also challenging. Give us imagination, strength, and courage to present the gospel in ways that meet the needs of our time. Please help us do the hard work of making your name known in words and deeds in a culture where electronic idols are everywhere. May we always bring glory to your name. Amen.