Paul On Mars Hill

Act 17:16 "Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols."

I was reading a book that discussed this portion of Scripture and how Paul actually did NOT "contextualize" nor try to change the message of the Gospel to suit the unbeliever's ears in Athens. Many man-centered "Christians" like to claim this about Paul, even claiming that pagan writings are inspired and approved by God. The reality its the very opposite.

What is interesting is that Paul, a well educated man, wasn't impressed with the culture he found himself in. Indeed, it would've been the one city that would have fed that "intellectualism" so many have (and to his bright mind, no doubt). But not him. He wasn't impressed with their buildings, art, philosophies--the worldliness and intellectualism of that ancient city of Athens. No. He was GRIEVED by their paganism.

I don't see "Christian" intellectuals having that same grief. Rather I see them attracted to the world, impressed with it, consumed by it, drawn to it, seeing so much "good" in it. Paul didn't. He saw that ACTUAL problem which was not only unbelief, but PAGAN unbelief.

With all the scholars of the day there, with all their philosophies and education, these intellectuals worshipped false gods and goddesses; idols of perversion and immorality. So much for the scholars' logic. It seems about the most illogical thing to do---worship a stone, a tree--believe in myths and fairytales.

Acts 17 is an amazing demonstration of the power of the preaching of the Gospel. In it we see what Paul meant by 1Cor:
1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1Co 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Paul proclaimed the resurrected Christ Jesus to the scholars of Athens. Some mocked, a few were willing to hear from him again. Most thought it was entertaining:Act 17:21 "Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new."

The scholars called him a "babbler"--name calling by the intellectual elite of the day (that's a logical fallacy!), but they were the ones without understanding, babbling on about nonsensical myths and philosophies. They were not enlightened in the least.

Paul boldly tells them their religions and practices are are wrong. The unknown God they knew existed, because their own poets admitted, thus proving Paul's point in Romans 1 that they DID know He existed, yet worshipped false gods in temple. They worshipped the creation rather than the Creator. It showed their lack of TRUE knowledge and wisdom.

They got it wrong on every point and that is what Paul showed them. They were darkened in their understanding completely. Not once did Paul tell them they were sorta right. He didn't build a bridge of common ground.They were wrong.

The unknown God, Paul declared, is Knowable. He is Creator, Master of Heaven and Earth, doesn't live in any temple built by man (their temples therefore were worthless), He is sovereignly in control of all people/nations/ creation, He is to be worshipped, and that they needed to to worship HIM. The Unknown God is not like their idols of gold, silver, or stone; He is not like anything in their imagination. He is set apart, above all creation. And (here's the zinger), this God whom they knew existed, demands for them to repent,has fixed a DAY to judge all the world by one righteous man who was raised from the dead.

Instead of approving of pagan poets, Paul used them to demonstrate what he said in Romans 1: they KNEW God existed, yet refused to worship HIM, and instead, create worthless, deaf and mute idols, wallowing in sexual perversion. It actually shows their condemnation.