“Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD…” – Acts 17:22, 23
One of my favorite sermons of the apostle Paul’s was the one he made at the Areopagus. When he was in Athens and he saw the idols, he was provoked. He wasted no time talking to the people, both Jews and Gentiles about Jesus and His resurrection. That got the attention of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers and they were curious about what he was talking about. Some called him a “babbler” while others perceived that he was preaching about foreign gods. So, they took him to the Areopagus and asked him, “what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” That’s how they spent their time–standing around and telling about or listening to new things.
This was a perfect opportunity for Paul to talk to them about the true God whom they called, “the unknown God”. So, he stood in their midst and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus said would “teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:12). Paul starts out by acknowledging that the people were very religious and that he was considering the objects of their worship. He mentioned the altar with the inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. He then proceeded to tell them about the God whom they were worshipping in ignorance.
“God who made the world and all that is in it, being Lord of both Heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he ministered to by human hands, as though he had need of anything—seeing that he is the one who gives to all men life and breath and everything else.”
Unlike the other gods, we shouldn’t imagine God as being like gold, silver, or stone, or is an image carved by humans using their own imagination and skill. Idols cannot see, hear, talk or move. They have to be taken up and carried around. Why would anyone worship gods made by people when they could worship the true, living God?
Paul informed his audience that “God tolerated man’s past ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone to put away idols and worship only him. For he has set a day for justly judging the world by the man he has appointed, and has pointed him out by bringing him back to life again” (Acts 17:22:31).
When he mentioned the resurrection, some of the people laughed but others wanted to hear more. A few, however, joined him and became believers, among them was Dionysius, a member of the court of Areopagus and a woman named Damaris.
When it comes to sharing our faith with others, we will encounter the skeptics and opposition but we will also find those who will believe and accept the message. What Paul did that day was worth the ones who wanted to hear more and the few who believed. God will present us with opportunities to tell others about Him. We just have to be open and willing like Paul.
Sources: Bible Gateway; Blue Letter Bible
Notes to Women 