Acts 17:22-34

When we last left Paul, he was in Athens. He found a city filled with the worship of many gods and much idolatry. The people being so superstitious were so afraid they might offend a god,  they built temples and shrines to everyone they became acquainted with even to the extreme of having an altar to “the unknown god”.

Today’s section deals with the address of Paul to the Athenians in which he shares with them the message of the Gospel.

• Unto the uttermost parts of the world
  • Second missionary journey
    • In Athens
      • Paul’s address (Acts 17:22-31)
        • The beginning point – a god unknown (Acts 17:23)
          • In the 6^th century B.C. Epimenides came from Crete and is reported to have turned aside a plague from the people of Athens by appealing to a god of whom the Athens had never heard. An altar was built to honor this god, whom the Athenians called “The Unknown God”.
        • The context
          • He introduced THE God as the God to them who was unknown. Being a heathen nation, they had no knowledge of the true and living God.
        • The content (Acts 17:24-31)
          • Paul did not present God to them from the Hebrew Scriptures for they had no knowledge of them. He utilized the General Revelation (see below for more information to General Revelation)
          • Who He is
            • He is creator
            • He does not live in temples of man’s making
            • He is not dependent on man for help
            • He is the giver of life
            • He is approachable and knowable
          • What He is not
            • Gold, silver, or stone
            • An image made by human design or skill
          • Our responsibility
            • To seek him (Acts 17:27b)
              • Even the poets have declared this
            • To repent (Acts 17:30)
              • The matter of resurrection and judgment (Acts 17:31)
        • Their reaction (Acts 17:32-34)
          • Mockery
            • The matter of resurrection became he point at which they were repulsed
            • Epicureans did not believe in anything of a future state. Their emphasis was pleasure now. They were probably the mockers.
            • The Stoics could accept the view of a resurrection, although they viewed the body as evil. This view was brought about by the teachings of philosophers, Plato and Socrates. To them it made no difference what happened to the body as long as the spirit is good.
          • Belief
            • A few became followers
            • Most rejected the Gospel
          • Paul left the council and the city
            • So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. Acts 13:51
            • If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. Luke 9:5
      • Why would Paul bring up the resurrection? (I Corinthians 15:12-26)
        • Resurrection is a vital part of the Christian faith
          • Without the resurrection, we have a false hope
          • If Christ wasn’t raised, we don’t have a living Savior

In theology, general revelation, or natural revelation, refers to God’s revelation “made to all men everywhere”, discovered through natural means, such as observation of nature (the physical universe), philosophy, and reasoning. Christian theologians use the term to describe knowledge of God purported to be plainly available to all mankind. General revelation is usually understood to pertain to outward temporal events that are experienced within the world or the physical universe. The definition may be extended to include human conscience or providence or providential history.