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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (14-11-1999 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
After Berea, Paul went to the greatest city of all,
Athens, the cultural capital of the ancient world. It is in the late afternoon
of her glory now, but still a wonderful city. For hundreds of years it has been
the home of great artists, sculptors, orators, writers, poets, dramatists and
philosophers. Here democracy was born. Here the Greek language – the most
perfect instrument for human expression – was born and was perfected. It is
now a leading university city.
In 52AD, the Apostle Paul, a bond slave of Christ, with the love of Christ in his heart and Gospel on his lips, looked around this great city. He was on his won, awaiting the arrival of Timothy and Silas. Many of the things he would have looked at are still there for the visitor to see today, though now in ruins.
Paul was greatly distressed at a city so full of idols
(v16). He even saw one altar to an unknown god, for fear they had left one out
who might be offended (v23). Wherever he went, in the houses he visited, in the
streets where he walked, he saw idols and statues of gods in wood and stone.
There were more idols in Athens than in the rest of Greece put together. In the
time of Nero, there were 30,000 public statues besides the countless numbers of
private houses. According to Petronius, it was easier to find a god than a man
in Athens.
This most learned, civilized,
cultured and artistic of cities was full of religion devoid of truth,
spirituality and power. The result was the shameless life-style to which
idolatry led. A group of Stoic and Epicurean philosophers disputed with Paul
(v18). Epicurean philosophy said that everything happened by chance. Death was
the end, so eat, drink and be merry. If there was a God like the one Paul spoke
of, He wouldn’t be interested in people and the world, so you could forget
Him. The Stoic philosophers claimed there is a bit of God in every one of us,
and life is ruled by fate, so we might as well be calm and unmoved. They
advocated suicide as an easy way out.
These philosophers were dark and
ignorant of the really important things which concerned God, salvation and life
after death. The world through its wisdom did not know God (1 Corinthians
1:21). Human knowledge and wisdom have their place, but they are useless when it
comes to the things of God. There is a need for divine revelation. God has to
disclose Himself. It is a blow to human pride that man is in total darkness
apart from the Word of God and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. It is a blow
to a world with its stress on knowledge and scientific achievement.
Paul was deeply distressed, and
stirred to the depths. He saw it as a tragedy that such gifts and talents
produced idols. He was indignant that the Devil had blinded men’s eyes. He was
full of compassion because these men were without God and without hope in the
world and on the broad way to destruction. He was full of zeal for God’s
glory.
Men who walk with God have their
priorities right and are concerned with the spiritual state of others. Lot, a
righteous man, was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (2 Peter
2:7). As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it (Luke
19:41). Paul said, I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For
I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of
my brothers, those of my own race (Romans 9:2,3).
Compassion and concern are the keys to evangelism. People can be lectured and told their duty, but it will be in vain if the evangelist is not telling them in love and compassion. In R.M.McCheyne’s diary he recount, “As I walked through fields, a thought came over me with almost overwhelming power. Everyone of my flock will soon be in heaven or hell. I visited all the sick and the dying of the congregation on Saturday afternoon, because I felt that before I preach on Sunday I would like to look over the verge.”
Paul was not only moved, but also determined to do
something about it. Although he was alone, he was not cowed to silence. We need
never be afraid of being on our own if we are with God. God can do much through
one man (e.g. John Wycliffe against the church; Martin Luther against the
ecclesiastical court).
Paul was taken to a court called
the Areopagus on Mars Hill, and he uttered his speech proclaiming God’s answer
to man’s darkness and ignorance. (You can still go to Mars Hill today, where a
plaque contains Paul’s speech in Greek.) Paul quoted from three of the Greek
poets, and led the listeners from the little they knew to Christ, the light of
the world. His argument was that we can never find out about God from our own
reasoning and intellect. God has made Himself known through revelation. God has
revealed Himself in three ways – through nature, then history, then finally
and supremely through Christ.
 | In nature. Paul tells them to look at the earth, sea, sky, flowers, animals, and man. Paul’s answer to the Epicurean belief that these all came about by chance was that the source of all these things was the true and living God. The world mirrors His power and wisdom and greatness, from the loftiest mountain to the tiniest insect. He is the Creator and Lord of all, the Lord of heaven and earth. He owns it all. We need to remember that we own nothing. Everything belongs to the Lord, and we are only stewards. One day we will have to give account. He is a great and glorious God and we cannot confine Him to a body. He does not depend on us for anything. He is all sufficient and independent, whereas we need Him. He gives us life and breath and all things – food, clothes, family, shelter, money, power to get money. How grateful we ought to be. |
| In history. God made the human race. We are all equal before the Creator. And he made all the nations, arranged where they should live, their migrations, their rise and fall. This is also true of us as individuals – He determined the date and place of our birth. He appointed all that concerns us – movements, changes, work, prosperity and adversity. So much is strange to us, like looking at a piece of patterned cloth on the wrong side, with the knots and joins exposed. God sees the right side, and from His perspective there is a perfect pattern He is weaving day by day. One day we shall see the right side and shall confess that He has done all things well. He is not far from any of us because in Him we live and move and have our being. He is near to all who call on Him. We are His offspring, and he feeds and provides for us. This is a breath-taking picture of God – being everywhere, knowing everything, all-powerful, forever the same. We need to think great thoughts of God. (C.f. book by J.B.Phillips, Your God is too small) |
| In Christ. Here is God’s supreme revelation. We
can learn much from nature and history, but it is in Christ we see Him
personally. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father (John
14:9). The full light has dawned. Give us the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). In the
past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in
various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews
1:1,2). Jesus is the final and full disclosure. God revealed His purpose to
save through death on the Cross, and offer us full and free salvation. If we
want to see what God is like, we can look at the Son, listen to the Son,
know the Son. In Christ we find the answer to all our needs. He forgives
sins. He gives our life purpose. He gives us strength in all the trials and
burdens of life. Paul made it clear to all these wonderful thinkers and
artists in the city of Athens that all their skills and abilities had their
place – but they still needed Christ for salvation. |
The listeners needed to do something. Paul had explained
to them about God, so now they were without excuse. God had taken steps to
disclose Himself to them – so it was their turn to respond to Him. The Day of
Judgment is fixed, the day when the world will be judged by Jesus Christ. They
would all face the one who loved them and died for them. Would they be able to
look Him in the eye? Would they be able to say that His death had not been in
vain?
We can be absolutely sure of
this judgement day because the judge is alive. He has been raised from the dead.
We are called to repent. This is what God commands of all men everywhere. We all
have to turn and forsake our old way of living, go for Christ, seek forgiveness,
and live under His rule as Lord and Master.
There were three reactions among
Paul’s audience. Some mocked and sneered (Acts 17:18,32). He was heckled as a
“babbler”, a gutter sparrow picking up scraps in the market place. He was
uncultured, and his message was nonsense.
Others procrastinated – they
said they would be willing to hear Paul speak again on the subject (v32). They
were not ready to face the moral challenge, but would give it a second chance at
a later date. There might be something in it. Whether the response was “no”
or “not yet”, the result was the same – these two groups of people
remained unsaved.
But the third group responded
and believed and joined Paul (v33). They were only a few. One was a member of
the Areopagus council, one of twelve judges. Some of the believers were women,
including Damaris. Only a few, but the result was salvation for these few. So
the work had started, and we do not know how many more followed. There was no
epistle to the Athenians, but we do know the candle had been lit, from which
other candles no doubt caught light and set Greece ablaze.
Paul’s concern and compassion
at what he found in Athens caused him to point men to Christ, the one who was
their creator at the beginning and would be their judge at the end. The call
went out for them to make Him their Saviour in the present.
He is not far from anyone of us. This great God can be called just whenever we want. He will hear us, and He will save us. Your many sins have been forgiven (Luke 7:47).
