A Whole New Ballgame

Acts 17:15-21

Paul left Berea to relieve the persecution caused by the Thessalonian Jews who were stirring up strife. He left silas and Timothy behind to establish the church, while some of the Christians from the church escorted him. We know that Paul had a serious health problem, believed to be related to his vision, and it was apparently not considered safe for him to travel alone.

My dad had serious allergy problems, and from time to time his eyes would swell completely shut. During those times, Mom or one of us older kids would have to drive him around and read the Bible for him. What a blessing it must have been for Paul to have Luke accompany him during the periods when his health was bad, especially at a time when most forms of transportation made less than five miles per hour and any distance required days of travel. Athens was almost a two hundred mile journey.

“And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.” (Acts 17:15)

Arriving in Athens, Paul sent his escorts back with a request that Timothy and Silas come to meet him as soon as they could leave the church in Berea. They may have carried the second epistle to Timothy as well.

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.” (Acts 17:16-17)

The other cities Paul had visited all had a strong Jewish influence. The Jewish community in Athens had very little impact on the deeply entrenched Greek culture, and the city and was essentially pagan, with even the Jews ignoring it. Troubled by what he saw, Paul went into the synagogue and those who were seeking the Lord. People began to come to him to learn what he believed.

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.” (Acts 17:18)

While Greece was no longer the World power it had been, it was viewed as the center of intellectual and scientific development, much as Paris is viewed as the center of fashion and sophistication today. Just as designers find it advantageous to have a Paris connection, Philosophers found it beneficial to establish a group in Athens. Two of these groups, the Stoics and the Epicureans, were intrigued buy Paul’s teachings, since both had a strongly religious bias, and they had never heard of Jesus , and were only vaguely familiar with Jewish teachings.

“And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)” (Acts 17:19-21)

People who visit Paris go to see the art and fashion displays and shows, so they can impress others with their sophistication. People who went to Athens went to learn the newest theories and ideas, so they could impress others with their up to the minute knowledge. The trouble was that as Luke says, they didn’t apply the knowledge in a practical manner, just taking it in so they could impress people.

The Stoics believed the way to happiness was by strengthening he physical body and refusing physical pleasure. They would have been today’s fitness guru’s spending hours getting into shape and eating only what is deemed healthy. While it is true that we can greatly improve our lives by changing what we do, it will not make us happy, nor will it prepare us for death.

The Epicureans took the approach that there life is short and should be enjoyed as much as possible, since there was no eternity. They devoted their energies to tasting wines, sexual pleasure, fine food and entertainment. They “lived for the weekends” in today’s terminology. It is a common philosophy among many groups.

Because they were not familiar with what Paul was teaching, both Stoics and Epicureans wanted to learn more, but only as a curiosity. They deliberately invited Paul to speak at the Areopagus, so that they could learn what he was teaching.

The Holy Spirit was using their curiosity to open the door for Paul to teach the people of Athens about Christ. It was not a great publicity campaign or rally, but the Holy Spirit using individual discussions that attracted the attention of the philosophers.