“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
Idolatry is quite common today though it often masks itself under the guise of materialism, patriotism, philosophy, or the adulation of celebrities and self-help gurus. The ancient Greeks at Athens had a great number of idols. Although these were made of stone the deities they invoked represented various virtues as well as vices. As Paul toured the city he was amazed at the great proliferation of these idols. Paul used this fact as an opportunity to preach the gospel with compassion, logic, and understanding. To him, the vast number of idols not only signified the uncertainty of the Athenians regarding who God was, but also the spiritual thirst of the people.
Although Paul began to reason first with the Jewish and Gentile worshippers in the synagogues, he carried his argument into the city marketplace. There he attracted the attention of Athenian philosophers and intellectuals because he spoke of Jesus and the resurrection, concepts unknown to them. His sermon to this group teaches us lessons about dealing with nonbelievers and skeptics. These days they appear to abound, along with many who are openly hostile to Christianity. Many complain that Christianity is intolerant. Many lash out at and blame God for their loss and grief. They appeal to the gods of science, government, education, and self-reliance as the means to correct or overcome all problems especially that of climate change. In the long run, such means will prove unreliable and untrustworthy. All will fail to resolve the grief, pain and spiritual angst all human beings feel.
Paul’s method of approach to the Athenian philosophers contains principles that can help us present the gospel to these hurting people, billions of whom, like those Athenians, know little or nothing about Jesus or Christianity. Paul’s desire was not to impress them or win an argument, which, these days, seems to be the goal of politicians, celebrities, and media pundits. Paul’s aim was to win people over to Christ. Thus he started with something which was familiar to them, the statue of the unknown god. He complimented them on their religion as a sign of their desire for truth. He quoted their literature to convey truths about God. Paul reasoned that a God who created men in his image must have intelligence and a design and plan for all men. He presented the Biblical concept of a loving, personal, and Almighty God who had intervened in human life to grant eternal life to all men and women.
We, like Paul, can take that which is familiar to other people and bring forth those concepts and truths which are unfamiliar: sin, the cross, and the resurrection. We then can proclaim the love and sovereignty of Jesus for many people are searching for love and acceptance in a variety of ways and experiences, not knowing that what they seek is found in Jesus. Like Paul, we must warn them all about God’s judgment of their sin and idolatry. We must tell them of God’s desire that they repent of such sin, for faith in Jesus is impossible without such repentance.