Did Paul blow it in Athens?
In Acts 17 the Apostle Paul came to Athens, the cultural and intellectual center of the ancient world. Luke, the writer of Acts, recounts what happened there in vv.16-34 (text below). Paul, apparently abandoning his previous methods of evangelism, decided to philosophize with the philosophers in this mecca of erudition and learning. Going to Mars Hill, Areopagus, where the philosophers gathered, where verse 21 says, All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.
My thought is that Paul, in attempting to match wits with them by playing on the creative object lesson of the altar To an Unknown God, slyly offered Jehovah as the unknown God who does not need an image made or altar made to Himself and His Son Jesus Christ as Savior. The results of this mano-a-mano intellectual sparring approach to evangelism was less than expected, I think, and certainly less than Pauls prior successes, as indicated in vv.32-34: When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Whereas vast numbers of conversions were the norm for Paul, when cities were turned upside down where he ministered, the results of Pauls newest, more novel approach resulted in only a handful of believers a few men became followers of Paul and believed.
I am wondering if perhaps Paul bombed-out in Athens. We have no Epistle to the Athenians' nor any historical record that I am aware of that a strong church was ever established in that great city.
The following verse (v.18.1), tells us that Paul left Athens and immediately traveled to nearby Corinth (perhaps with his tail between his legs). Years later the Apostle reminds the Corinthians of how he first came to their city: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
Had he learned a valuable lesson in Athens saying, I came to you (directly from Athens) in weakness and fear, and with much trembling, having the brutal lesson been taught him in Athens to to trust the arm of the flesh or superior wisdom or to lean on his own understanding in order to gain the souls of men but rather only offer them Jesus Christ and him crucified. Rather than trust his own superior mental strength he had learned to rely on the demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
What do you think?
\o/
Atcs 17.16-18.1
16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33At that, Paul left the Council. 34A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
18.1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
In Acts 17 the Apostle Paul came to Athens, the cultural and intellectual center of the ancient world. Luke, the writer of Acts, recounts what happened there in vv.16-34 (text below). Paul, apparently abandoning his previous methods of evangelism, decided to philosophize with the philosophers in this mecca of erudition and learning. Going to Mars Hill, Areopagus, where the philosophers gathered, where verse 21 says, All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.
My thought is that Paul, in attempting to match wits with them by playing on the creative object lesson of the altar To an Unknown God, slyly offered Jehovah as the unknown God who does not need an image made or altar made to Himself and His Son Jesus Christ as Savior. The results of this mano-a-mano intellectual sparring approach to evangelism was less than expected, I think, and certainly less than Pauls prior successes, as indicated in vv.32-34: When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Whereas vast numbers of conversions were the norm for Paul, when cities were turned upside down where he ministered, the results of Pauls newest, more novel approach resulted in only a handful of believers a few men became followers of Paul and believed.
I am wondering if perhaps Paul bombed-out in Athens. We have no Epistle to the Athenians' nor any historical record that I am aware of that a strong church was ever established in that great city.
The following verse (v.18.1), tells us that Paul left Athens and immediately traveled to nearby Corinth (perhaps with his tail between his legs). Years later the Apostle reminds the Corinthians of how he first came to their city: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
Had he learned a valuable lesson in Athens saying, I came to you (directly from Athens) in weakness and fear, and with much trembling, having the brutal lesson been taught him in Athens to to trust the arm of the flesh or superior wisdom or to lean on his own understanding in order to gain the souls of men but rather only offer them Jesus Christ and him crucified. Rather than trust his own superior mental strength he had learned to rely on the demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
What do you think?
\o/
Atcs 17.16-18.1
16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33At that, Paul left the Council. 34A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
18.1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
