The Unknown God Made Known: Paul's Bold Witness in Athens

Athens: A City of Wisdom and Worship

In the fifth century BC, Athens was at the height of its glory. Men like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle made it the greatest center of philosophy in the entire known world. The city surrounded a high hill on which was built the magnificent Acropolis — a crowded, mind-boggling center of pagan worship and Greek art. Here stood the magnificent temple of Athena, Pericles' Parthenon. Athena was the goddess of war, wisdom, and handicraft, the city's major goddess. High above the Acropolis stood her huge, glittering bronze statue.

By the first century AD, although long past its glory days and political prime, Athens was still the home of Greek culture, wisdom, religion, education — and paganism.

Paul Arrives in an Unplanned City

This is the city in which Paul finds himself in today's lectionary reading. Having been progressively thrown out of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea for preaching the gospel, Paul has escaped to Athens and is waiting for his friends Silas and Timothy to join him. Athens hadn't necessarily been on Paul's itinerary list at that time. It was just the place he had ended up in after being booted out of other towns and cities.

Evidently, however, it was on God's itinerary list for Paul.

A City Full of Altars — and One That Stood Out

As Paul enters the city, he is mesmerized and saddened by the many pagan altars and shrines that confront him. Athena's temple and statue can't be missed. There is also a temple to Zeus, the king of gods, and an altar to Poseidon, the god of the sea. There is a shrine to Ares, another god of war. And we could go on.

But there is one particular altar that stands out for Paul — the one with the inscription: "To an unknown God." An altar built just to make sure no deity was going to feel overlooked. I think maybe even then God was sowing the seed for a good sermon in Paul's mind.

The Agora: A Stage for the Gospel

North of the Acropolis, Paul finds the Agora — the marketplace and the place for men to gather to air their views and discuss and argue about all sorts of topics. Although Paul is in Athens just waiting for his friends, he isn't one to let the grass grow under his feet or let previous experiences deter him from boldly proclaiming the good news of Jesus. There is no better place for Paul to tell his story, and he does.

Paul's preaching catches the attention of the crowd. They were always on the lookout for anything new or novel, and many questions are asked. As a result, they bring Paul before the Areopagus, the high court of Athens, comprised of the city's leaders and eminent philosophers — mainly of Epicurean and Stoic persuasions.

These philosophers had rather interesting and differing beliefs. A key belief of the Epicureans was that life was a progress towards extinction. For the Stoics, life was a pathway to being fully absorbed into God. But the one thing they did agree on was that all personal life ended here on Earth.

Nevertheless, they are all curious to hear what Paul has to say:

"Tell us what your new teaching is all about. Some of it seems really strange. We need to hear more."

How often do we get an opportunity like that?

A Masterclass in Teaching and Evangelism

Paul's address to the Areopagus can only be admired. He shows his full colours as a great and wise teacher as well as an evangelist. Paul could have started by denouncing the Athenians for their pagan worship, but good teachers don't aim to get people's backs up the minute they open their mouths.

Instead, Paul starts by congratulating the people on their religious devotion and piety. He lets them know that he has taken in the sights of their beautiful city, has seen their numerous altars to their gods. He tells them he has been interested in seeing what they worshipped — that he had even looked at the temples and altars very carefully, reading inscriptions.

Having got their attention, Paul can now zero in on the altar inscribed to the unknown God. It provides just the opening for what he really wants to say.

"This Unknown God Can Be Known"

He starts off with a startling statement: "This God you obviously don't really know but have been worshiping can in fact be known." And he, Paul, can tell them all about Him.

You can imagine the eyes now riveted on his face.

"This God alone has made the world we all live in. It is this God who has given you life and breath, and He is in charge of everything. It is this God — who does not need man-made temples or altars — who must be worshiped. We are His children."

And good teacher Paul points out that they have heard just those same words from their own poets.

"And since we are His children," Paul continues, "there is no point in worshiping anything human hands have made. In your ignorance in the past, you have been worshiping man-made idols, but these past mistakes God is willing to forgive. God, however, has now revealed Himself in Jesus, and your mistakes can no longer be excused."

"The day of judgment is coming," Paul tells them. "And for all of us, it is no unknown God, but a risen Christ with whom we will have to deal."

Mixed Reactions — Then and Now

The lectionary reading ends there, but it's interesting to read on and hear the mixed reactions to Paul's bold words. Some of his listeners were driven to laughter by the thought of someone being raised from the dead — what a fantastic idea! Stoics and Epicureans could not believe such a naive statement.

But it provided food for thought for others, and they said, "We will hear you talk about this some other time." Others — men and at least one woman, we are told — put their faith in the Lord and went with Paul.

Seizing Our Own Opportunities

How much are we like Paul in sharing our faith? Are we — individually and together as a local church — making the most of the opportunities God gives us to share the good news of Jesus?

God guided and empowered Paul to seize the opportune moment in Athens to share his faith. With the knowledge that God walks with us, let it be our continual prayer that we won't miss opportunities, big or small, to share our faith with others in the community God has given us.

Amen.