Leave it to the English teacher to be completely smitten with Greek culture, but I seriously cannot contain my excitement when talking about Ancient Greece. After all, the philosophy, art, democracy, and theology are enough to turn me into a little girl with a new doll. Just like that little girl that cannot wait to show you her doll’s hair, I can really start to talk your ear off about the classics if you get me going.
I would like to think that when Paul arrived in Athens, he was just as intrigued by the culture as I am. In Acts, it talks about how he took some time to tour the city and really see how the Athenians had established an ordered government, and observed how they worshipped. Oddly enough, I believe he was fascinated by the culture, but also deeply troubled by the fact that these highly civilized people were missing one key ingredient to a fulfilling life.
As the story goes, Paul began to evangelize in the streets, and the Greeks were intrigued by him as well.
18
Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers had discussions with him. Some asked, “What is this babbling fool trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be speaking about foreign gods.” The philosophers said these things because Paul was telling the Good News about Jesus and saying that people would come back to life.
19
Then they brought Paul to the city court, the Areopagus, and asked, “Could you tell us these new ideas that you’re teaching?
20
Some of the things you say sound strange to us. So we would like to know what they mean.” Acts 17
A few things stand out to me about this particular passage of scripture. First, Paul was unashamed by his convictions. Despite his attraction to the wealth and progress of the city of Athens, Paul began to share the truth of the gospel because he had experienced the power of God for himself. God has a way of taking those who are seemingly the most unworthy and using them for a specific purpose. After all, Saul was known to kill and persecute the early followers of The Way. After God transformed him, Paul became one of the most powerful mouthpieces for the healing power of Christ. Instead of killing Christians, Paul propagated the faith in a way that hadn’t ever been done before.
I think about what God has done to transform my life and I am whole-heartedly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to share the love of Christ. There was a period of my life where I was living quite hedonistically, mostly concerned with earthly pleasures. I lost sight of storing up heavenly rewards. I neglected the need for a savior. Ironically enough, the more I divulged in pleasures of the flesh, the more I became painfully aware that I needed a savior. My life was in turmoil. I claimed the name of Jesus, but I wasn’t living like I knew him. In my own way, I was single-handedly destroying the image of who Christ is, all the while limiting his power in my life. Much like Saul, I was totally unworthy to become a vessel to share the love of Jesus.
A funny thing happened, however, when I was rescued. I realized that my salvation was the only solid ground on which to stand. I didn’t want to venture out into the rough waters of my flesh, and instead opted to stay where God had placed me. I began to seek purpose through this savior. My life was transformed, and I wanted my choices to shine the greatness of my Lord.
The second thing that stands out to me is the receptiveness of the Athenians:
21
Everyone who lived in Athens looked for opportunities to tell or hear something new and unusual.
Have you ever been around someone with completely unconventional ideas, but listened to them simply because of their convictions? I think about that a lot. Just the other day, I watched a documentary about marriage and an unmarried couple discussed their unconditional love for each other and expressed this through a partnership ceremony. The wife even said, “if he goes and lives with another woman, I will still love him no matter what.”
I’m pretty sure I could have caught flies when I watched this particular interview, but I couldn’t stop watching and listening to her point of view. There was something unusual about what she had to say. I didn’t agree with it at all, but I wanted to listen because I was fascinated.
What is it about our culture that encourages us to listen to every other point of view except for that of Christians? In the United States, the Christian faith has been marginalized because it is offensive to others. In my own experience, I find enormous pressure to mute my convictions in favor of social etiquette. I am deeply troubled by this new cultural norm simply because Christianity may be flawed, but Jesus was flawless. Who wouldn’t want to know about a God who can save us from ourselves and promise eternal life?
The last part that stood out this morning was Paul’s evangelism;
22
Paul stood in the middle of the court and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious.
23
As I was going through your city and looking closely at the objects you worship, I noticed an altar with this written on it: ‘To an unknown god.’ I’m telling you about the unknown god you worship.
Paul did not mock the faith of the men of Athens. In fact, he assured them that they were very religious. He noticed the hole in their religion, however. He offered a suggestion to fill the void that all of us have until we experience Christ as our savior. The key to solid evangelism is acknowledging that your audience has equally as strong convictions as you do, they simply do not know Jesus.
Paul finishes his sermon simply by telling the Athenians about this “unknown God,”
24
The God who made the universe and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by humans,
25
and he isn’t served by humans as if he needed anything. He gives everyone life, breath, and everything they have.
26
From one man he has made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live.
27
He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any one of us.
28
Certainly, we live, move, and exist because of him. As some of your poets have said, ‘We are God’s children.’
29
So if we are God’s children, we shouldn’t think that the divine being is like an image made from gold, silver, or stone, an image that is the product of human imagination and skill.
Instead of a God who needs to be satisfied by impossible measures, or one who is quick to anger, Paul assures the Athenians that “God is never far from any one of us…we live, move, and exist because of him.”
Because of my experience of being rescued by an all-powerful savior, I have a strong foundation of faith. He is never farther than I can reach and he is the reason I exist. I have a hunch, if I focused more on sharing my experience with Christ rather than attempting to be right, I may attract more followers to Jesus…