Speaking the Truth Then and Now
Speaking the Truth Then and Now
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an alter with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you…” (Acts 17:22-24)
Athens was the greatest of all Greek cities, the mother of democracy and philosophical home to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.[1] It was here that Herodotus birthed our tradition of recorded history, investigated other cultures, and recorded how their respective histories interacted with that of Greece.
In Athens, Sophocles created and perfected the tradition of drama, and countless artists and artisans raised and beautified The Parthenon on the acropolis in what would become the “classic Greek style” above the city.
This magnificence, along with a vast array of temples and public buildings, would influence western architecture for millennia.
And so the Apostle Paul, with all this history spanning before him, with all the accumulated centuries of wisdom and experience preceding his visit, has the audacity to speak of something new. These philosophers and city leaders did not yet have this particular knowledge at their disposal; neither the information about Jesus nor the transformation that accompanied his proclamation had yet become a part of their personal experiences.
To connect with these people, Paul intentionally speaks to the culture of the people of Athens. He refers offhandedly to the shrines he sees in the city labeled “to an unknown god.”
This monument was a clever strategy by the Athenians, one we would call “covering all our bases.” They had placated one of the governing powers of life, the gods of the pantheon, “to an unknown god” as an emergency back-up plan. Think of it as an insurance policy against divine anger.
It is from this connection to what he has seen and heard that Paul proceeds to tell the story of faith. He compliments the Athenians on their devotion and search for truth. He quotes a Stoic philosopher: “…in him we live and move and have our being.” He refers to an Epicurean saying: “For we, too, are his offspring” (17:28).
In other words, he knows well the culture, what the people think, and how they interact with reality. He doesn’t condemn. He simply offers his understanding of what God has done in the world, why that is important, and what that means—and he does so in a manner that engages the people of Athens.
He tells the truth, and he lets God touch their hearts. Some scoffed, but others believed.
This is not a bad model for our world today.
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:
Lord, help us to see deeply into our culture and care deeply about others; give us wisdom; keep us humble; use us today to speak the truth; and may we witness your grace as it touches hearts and minds—ours and those around us. Amen.
[1] Aristotle was actually from Macedonia, a Greek area to the north that, under Phillip of Macedon and later his son, Alexander the Great, conquered and controlled Athens for a time. As a result, Aristotle was less popular in this Greek capital than were his predecessors.
Dr. David Jordan is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Decatur. He is author of several books and regularly contributes to Baptist News Global.