Acts 17:15, 17:22—18:1
Chapter 17
At the Areopagus
Then Paul rose to his feet in the Areopagus hall and said:
Athenian citizens, I observe that you are very religious in every way.
As I walked around examining your shrines, I even saw an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Now, what you worship as unknown, I intend to make known to you.
God, who created the world and everything in it, does not live in man-made temples, since he is Lord of heaven and earth.
Nor does his worship depend on anything built by humans, as if he needed it. Instead, it is he who gives life, breath, and all things to everyone.
From one stock, he created the entire human race to live all over the earth,
and he set the times and boundaries for each nation.
He wanted them to seek him on their own, even if it was just by groping for him, so that they could succeed in finding him. Yet, he is not far from any of us.
For, in him, we live, move, and have our being, as some of your poets have said: for we, too, are his offspring.
If we are truly God’s children, we should not view divinity as something like a gold, silver, or stone statue—merely a creation of human art and imagination.
But now, God chooses to overlook this time of ignorance; and he calls on all people to change their ways.
He has already set a day when he will judge the world with justice through a man he has appointed. And to show everyone it’s true, he has just given a sign by raising this man from the dead.
When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection from the dead, some ridiculed him, while others said:
“We must hear you on this topic at another time.”
At that point, Paul left.
But a few did join him and believe. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus court, a woman named Damaris, and others.
Chapter 18
In Corinth
After this, Paul left Athens and traveled to Corinth.
Commentaries
In Berea.
The same events as in Thessalonica are repeated. Paul and Silas’ mission ends, as always, in persecution. This time, it is the Jews from Thessalonica who go to Berea—about 50 miles away—to prevent Paul’s mission. However, the number of converts continues to grow, including important women. In Berea, the companions part ways for a time, so Paul goes alone to face the challenge of Athens.
In Athens.
Up to this point, Christian preachers have challenged Judaism, the law, magic (16:16-18; 19:12-16), and naive polytheism (14:6-18). Now it’s Paul’s turn to challenge a religiosity shaped by philosophy. The philosophers had reinterpreted mythology, turning it into a purified religion. At that time, Plato’s “Academy,” Aristotle’s “Peripatetics,” the “Epicureans,” the “Stoics,” and perhaps the “Cynics” were active in Athens.
At the Areopagus.
During his three major missionary journeys, Paul delivered three key speeches: to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch, to the Christian leaders in Ephesus, and to the pagan philosophers in Athens. The speech in Athens is especially significant to Luke, who is receptive to Greek culture, engages in dialogue, seeks reconciliation, and himself has a pagan background. Respectful in listening, he is also courageous in proclaiming. The results of dialogue and proclamation, both then and now, are in God’s hands. Most of Paul’s audience decides it’s not worth continuing to listen. However, the Apostle’s preaching was not entirely ineffective. Luke mentions two converts by name: Dionysius, a city official responsible for education and culture, and Damaris, another woman!
in Corinth – Heading Toward Antioch.
During that time, Corinth, the capital of Achaia province, was a city with two contrasting cultures—Greek before and Roman afterward. With over half a million residents, it was famous for its immorality and the stark divide between the wealthy and the poor. For Paul, it was a city of love and hardship, where he spent a year and a half evangelizing, making great efforts, and writing several letters. For Luke, it was the city where the Gospel was finally opened to the pagans and the Roman Empire, after being rejected by the Jews. Today, for Christians, Corinth is remembered as the birthplace of one of the most well-known and influential early Christian communities, whose life and energy continue to inspire us as we read the two letters Paul wrote to them.