Paul at Athens
(Acts 17:16,17)
As we continue in the book of Acts, we come to Paul in the famous city of Athens. We see Paul looking at the city of Athens, seeing the city full of idols of false gods, and the Bible says that his ‘spirit was stirred within him’ because it seemed every place he looked were these idols. Because of this Paul began preaching Jesus in that city and he again used the strategy of going to the synagogues first preaching to the Jews and the ‘God-fearers’ (God-fearing Gentiles) then to the heathen of that city. Today, we will discuss what Paul saw, what he felt, and what he did to reach that pagan city.
I. What Paul saw. (v. 16- “…he was beholding the city full of idols.)
Paul was in the philosophical and educational center of the world at that time and it greatly influenced the Roman Empire. There waiting on his friends and fellow workers in Christ, Paul looked around him and saw in every corner, nook and cranny, anywhere someone could put an idol there was an idol. Temples to false gods, huge statues, groves, and towering above it all was the Parthenon, which was the one of the greatest buildings of architecture that housed the massive statue of the patron goddess Athena. It was the epitome of paganism and idolatry and here Paul is witnessing this massive city that is supposed to be the most educated and enlightened city in the world and it is one of the spiritually dark places in the world full of people that are spiritually blind to the true light of the Gospel.
Athens was the center of the world for it’s culture, art, intellect, and ideas. This city influenced the whole Roman Empire in every area of life, politics, philosophy, and religion. But in all its educational and cultural achievements it was a place of great spiritual blindness. Could there have been places of worse condition than Athens? Probably so, but it was one of better examples of paganism and spiritual corruption. One thing we can learn about this place is that it shows that without a doubt it is a place that is in absolute need of Divine revelation. Leave a man in society without a Bible and he will make a religion of some kind to try and fill the great void in their soul but it will be a corrupt religion that usually worships the creation rather than the Creator. We see that Athens worshipped the works of their own hands. They had a religion without peace, without light and without hope. Something we can learn from what Paul saw at Athens is that irregardless of the highest intellectual minds and the highest excellence in the material arts that these things will not reveal the true light of God’s love or salvation from sin.
If you were to ask the greatest philosopher’s in the world and the most intellectual minds the question ‘What must I do to be saved?’, they could give no answer that could cleanse a soul from sin. Of all the great artistic and architectural wonders of Athens although it may be pleasing to the eye it could not bring the joy and peace that comes from knowing the love of Christ. Only through the Word of God proclaimed by the Spirit filled Christians can may know and see the glorious light of God’s love in Christ. This is a picture of the modern western world today. Though we may not have all the idols of stone, wood, and metal we have the idols of worldly success, wealth, political power, fame or pleasure. This is what Paul saw then and it is what we see now.
II. What Paul felt (v.16- his spirit was stirred in him…).
In verse 16 we see that the sight of this city provoked Paul’s soul. What does that mean? It shows that the gross idolatry angered and grieved Paul. This was a place of pagan worship and it usually involved perverted sexual practices, mutilation, drunkenness, or mind altering drugs. Of course, any worship of a false god or goddess has a demonic spiritual involvement of some kind (basically worship of a demon). The gross perversions and pagan idol worship angered and sickened Paul. We must be like Paul when it comes to our society and be angered and sickened at the perversions that are going on around us. Drug and alcohol abuse at an all time high, the party lifestyle of the rich and famous in Hollywood being played out all over the T.V.; the Paris Hilton’s and Lindsey Lohan’s addictions and immorality glamorized by the media. The homosexuals parading around and flaunting their perverted lives out in front of the cameras and those who speak out and condemn their actions are shouted down by saying they are hate mongers. Couples living together and thumbing their noses at God who has ordained marriage and marriages dissolving in divorce because of spouses who can’t obey the vow of fidelity commanded by God. Young men and women who have children out of wedlock and don’t have fathers and being raised by grandma and grandpa because mom and dad refuse to raise them. Sexual immorality destroying lives and STD’s at an all time high and the world thinks the problem can be fixed with a condom or a birth control pill.
Are we like Paul? Is there something stirring in your soul that is sick and tired of all the sin and perversion that is flooding our world and damaging our society. Does it still anger you that this sewage of sin is flooding our homes through the TV, radio, internet, and other media outlets. We were once a society that cared about our neighbors and cared about the people in our cities and towns and the condition of peoples souls. Today, we don’t care who lives next door, if they stay out my business then I’ll stay out of theirs. A good neighbor was once someone we could depend on and help out if they needed help, today a good neighbor is someone who minds their own business and stays out of mine. We once got up in arms if stores opened on Sunday and now they sell beer and liquor on Sunday. Today, people would rather speak down on the church and Jesus and if the church openly condemns anything sinful we are told not to judge.
Do we still get provoked in our souls at the unrighteousness around us. But most of all, are we burdened by the souls of the lost around us. To see our neighbors and fellow citizens walk down the path of destruction blinded by sin and Satan does it stir our soul to tell them about Jesus (Mt. 7:13 ‘…wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”). This world and the god of this world wants to keep the lost in spiritual darkness and keep them blind to the glorious truth of the Gospel (2 Co. 4:3-4, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.) We should be stirred by the same love and compassion of Christ that He has showed and given to us, because many are on that road to destruction. It is true that we must guard our hearts and homes from the evil around us by the power and the word of God but we must also change our society by proclaiming the truth of God’s word and reaching mankind one soul at a time. This sinful, idolatrous city provoked Paul to action and now we will discuss what Paul did.
III. What Paul did (v. 17)
You have heard what Paul saw and you were told what Paul felt and now we will see that Paul did. He was active with his faith in Christ. He just didn’t sit around and moan about the condition of the world around him. He went and began to change his world around him and the way he did that was by the powerful, world changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had a plan that he knew could change the lives and souls of that sinful city. It involved teaching, preaching, discussing, and sharing the gospel message. It always had an impact on whatever city he went to. We see it in Acts 17:4-6, we see Paul was teaching and preaching the Word of God and preaching Jesus is the Christ and Savior of mankind and we see the impact, “4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. 5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 but when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too”.
We see two things that happened when the word of God is preached: 1. People are saved and 2. People are offended. This glorious gospel is what Romans 1:16 says is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”, but it will offend the reprobate and sinful society. When we tell people about Jesus it condemns the sinner because it shows he needs a Savior. Those who reject the message of Christ will usually hate us for Christ’s sake. Remember what Paul did and what he preached Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected, we see that in verse 18.
Remember, God uses His children to reach the lost. When the early church here in Acts was persecuted, His children went into different countries and lands taking the message of the Savior with them and changing the world.
We must see and follow the example of the Apostle Paul. When we see the sinful and idolatrous world around us openly defying God and His word, we must allow the Holy Spirit in us to stir our hearts and souls to action. God can use all of us to change the world around us by His power; all we have to do is allow God to use us to accomplish His will through us.
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