While Paul was waiting for [Silas and Timothy] in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So 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. A 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. Then 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? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with the inscription: To An Unknown God. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:16-23)

The Reactions of a Wise Man in Christ

The events described here in God’s Word took place historically during Paul’s second missionary journey about 49 to 52 AD. At one time Greece was a mighty empire and Athens a great city known for its art, philosophy, and literature. However, by the time of Paul’s arrival Athens had faded considerably; though it did still maintain a leading university, while remaining well known for being the center of classic philosophical discussion.

In fact the great Bible commentator Matthew Henry informs us:

A scholar that is in love with the learning of the ancients would think he should be very happy if he were where Paul now was, at Athens, but Paul though bred a scholar, does not make this any of his business at Athens. He has other work to mind: his business is, in God’s name, to turn them from the service of idols to the service of the true and living God in Christ.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Dr. Leslie Church, Ed., 1705, emphasis original)

Our Lord in His infinite wisdom sent a scholar of His own, the Apostle Paul, right into the very seat of contemporary scholarship in the ancient world, the city of Athens. A common misconception today is that in Paul’s time man was not all that intellectual, but this was actually a time of great learning. It’s also interesting tp note here that so-called “modern” man fancies himself as so much wiser than these poor ignorant people in the first century.

I wonder then, why is it that our Western world is still so heavily influenced by these ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle? And why is it that our leading intellectuals bow before them still in worship in front of their sacred cow of philosophy? As all this relates to the text in Acts 17, here’s how the NAS reads in verse 16 — Now while Paul was waiting for [Silas and Timothy] at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.

The NIV—we have already seen—says that [Paul] was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. The Greek word translated here as “greatly distressed” is paroxuno and carries with it the meaning of “provoked, pained, to stir to anger.” The theological term itself comes down to us from the Latin: really-ticked-off-i-cus. In other words, Paul was angry over the rampant idolatry and the prevailing philosophy of the day — “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.”

Does that sound familiar? Well now, maybe you’ve heard it expressed this way: You only go around once in life, so go for the gusto! Or, how about: Just Do It; No Fear; Go For It. Or maybe you’re familiar with this one: Life Is Short—Play Hard, and other like phrases in so many of our contemporary ad campaigns from our would-be postmodern philosophers on Madison Avenue.

E.H. Trenchard informs us that the ancient city of Athens was “a city notorious for its liking for ‘intellectual chat’… The Epicureans formed a philosophical school which thought of pleasure as the greatest good,…” (New International Bible Commentary, 1298). And then there’s this further bit of wisdom from Dr. Henry Morris, whose numerous writings about the creation/evolution debate earned him the title “The Father of Modern Creationism.”

Dr. Morris insightfully points out that, “In Paul’s day, the dominant humanistic philosophies were Gnosticism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, and others–all based on evolution” (The Biblical Basis for Modern Science, 114, emphasis added). Do you happen to remember what I pointed out a moment ago about modern man thinking he is somehow superior to the “ignorant” people who lived in the first century?

Again I find myself wondering, if we really are so much more intelligent and sophisticated now, then how is it our society has now become enslaved by the pursuit of the very same things that caused the great civilization of Greece itself to implode? Do you seriously think that the inevitable “success” of the powerful homosexual lobby is not having devastating consequences upon this nation; and as we’re beginning to see now, in the visible church itself?

The truly wise person would be prudent to give this subject some very serious prayerful consideration. As the words of this classic adage have never rung truer than for this sorry generation: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. One final key comment on Acts 17:16 by Matthew Henry — “[Paul] was filled with concern for the glory of God, which he saw given to idols, and with compassion to the souls of men, which he saw thus enslaved to Satan” (ibid.).

A few pertinent questions spring to mind: Why aren’t we as concerned for the glory of God today? Where is our compassion for the lost? And why is it that right now we can see this country so obviously following the “idols” of the theory of evolution and sexual immorality, and yet we ourselves are not greatly distressed or feeling our spirits being provoked within?

Food for spiritual thought…

See also:

THERE IS NO SPIRITUAL SWITZERLAND

PICK YOUR SWORD OF THE SPIRIT BACK UP!

THE NIGHTMARE BEGINNING FOR MAINSTREAM EVANGELICALISM

EMERGENCE CHRISTIANITY—A POSTLIBERAL CULT SLITHERS INTO EVANGELICALISM

APPRISING MINISTRIES WITH A PEEK AT THE COMING SOTERIOLOGY OF EMERGENCE CHRISTIANITY

THE NEW CHRISTIANS WITH CHRISTIANITY WORTH BELIEVING—NO SOLA SCRIPTURA: YES, WOMEN PASTORS AND QUEER CHRISTIANS

RECLAIMING THE BIBLE AS THE WORD OF GOD