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Here I Stood: The Athenian Areopagus

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So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 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 a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them” (Acts 17:22-34).



I think only once did I climb up to the top of the Areopagus (hill of Aries) to imagine Paul standing in the midst of the council and proclaiming these words. I had my Bible along and read the text, which is also posted at the entrance to the Acropolis. It was a remarkable sermon and a remarkable confrontation. Paul was speaking to Gentiles who were immersed in a sea of human reason, believing that somehow reason would lead to the good life, although they obviously disagreed on which philosophy it should be.


Paul set forth a sovereign God who created all people and all things everywhere and gave proof by raising His appointed man, obviously His Son, from the dead. He even supported his words by quoting from their own poets, demonstrating that he was no ignoramus but an educated Jew who was conversant with their own culture and literature. Without focusing on the negative reaction of those who mocked, we should note with joy the men who joined him and believed including a distinguished and noble council member named Dionysius and a woman named Damaris. Quite an experience to follow Paul to this famous location!





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