Acts 17:16-34 Paul Engages the Athenians
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day with those who chanced to be there. 18 Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, “What would this babbler say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took hold of him and brought him to the Are-op′agus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you present? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-op′agus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, 28 for
‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your poets [Epimenedes of Knossos 6th c BC; ] have said,
‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ [Aratus, Phaenomena, 3rd c BC, Cilicia]
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 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 men by raising him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from among them. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionys′ius the Are-op′agite and a woman named Dam′aris and others with them.
Here we see Saint Paul engaging his Athenian conversation partners respectfully and intelligently (despite their mocking skepticism,) without losing sight of the life in Christ as the ultimate aim. He begins by establishing a bridge of understanding, starting with a common philosophical bond in rejecting the polytheism of popular Greco-Roman religion.
The Areopagus (“Ares Rock”) is a prominent outcropping of rock next to Acropolis in the center of Athens. In Greek classical times it was the site of the high court, and it was here in 399 BC that Socrates faced the charges of corrupting the youth of Athens with his ideas. During the Roman period it lost most of its official functions and became a place for philosophical debate. Epicureanism and Stoicism were among the most popular philosophies in the air, not just in Athens but throughout the first century Roman Empire.
Epicurus (4th c BC) was a materialist who attacked superstition and notions of divine intervention. He believed that living a virtuous and modest life would lead to true pleasure, which he equated with tranquility, freedom from fear, and absence of bodily pain. Later generations often misinterpreted the ascetic dimension of his thought and associated him exclusively with hedonism.
Stoicism (Zeno, 3rd c BC) was much more popular and believed in a divine connection between all parts of the universe. Hence the stars and planets and natural phenomena could be used to discover the divine will. Stoics believed that true virtue was to live in harmony with divinely ordered nature and saw their philosophy as a way of life.
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In commenting on this passage Saint John Chrysostom focuses on Paul’s ultimate aim, to bring the Athenians to repentance and life in Christ. But this he says is a message for all of us, and Saint John tells his hearers of a spiritual tool that he has found useful in his own life as a way draw closer to God: bringing to mind the specific benefits we have each received. “Let each one of us make diligent search, and as in a book let him have the benefits of God written down.” The more specific we are, the more real becomes our gratitude and hope and friendship with God.
These words were spoken indeed to the Athenians: but it is seasonable that one should say to us also, “that all men everywhere must repent, because he has appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world.” See how he brings Christ in as Judge also: Him, both providential for the world, and merciful and forgiving and powerful and wise, and, in a word possessing all the attributes of a Creator… Let us repent then: for we must assuredly be judged… “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive according to that he has done” (Rom14:10, and 2 Cor 5:10.)
… But let us, who know these things accurately, do something that is to the purpose: let us be made friends toward God. How long shall we be at enmity with Him? How long shall we entertain dislike towards Him? “God forbid!” you will say: “Why do you say such things?” I would wish not to say the things I say, if you did not do the things you do: but as things are, what is the use now in keeping silence from words, when the plain evidence of deeds so cries aloud? How then, how shall we love Him? I have told you thousands of ways, thousands of times: but I will speak it also now.
One way I seem to myself to have discovered, a very great and admirable way. Namely, after acknowledging to general obligations to Him let us also then think about what He has done for each of us in his own person, because these are of great force: let each one of us reckon them up with himself, and make diligent search, and as in a book let him have the benefits of God written down. For instance, if at any time a person has fallen into dangers and escaped the hands of his enemies; if he has ever gone out on a journey at an untimely hour and has escaped danger; if ever, having had an encounter with wicked men, he has got the better of them; or if ever, having fallen into sickness, he has recovered when all had given him over to death. For remembrance of these benefits avails much for attaching us to God. …
If we call to mind, and make diligent enquiry of these two points, what sins we have committed against God, and what good He has done to us, we shall thus both be thankful, and give Him freely all that is ours.
But no one gives a thought to any of these things: but just as regarding our sins we say that we are sinners, while we do not enquire into them specifically, so with regard to God’s benefits we say that God has done us good, and do not specifically enquire, where, and in how great number and at what time.
But from this time forth let us be very exact in our reckoning. For if any one can recall even those things which happened long ago, let him reckon up all accurately, as one who will find a great treasure. This is also profitable to us in keeping us from despair. For when we see that he has often protected us, we shall not despair, nor suppose that we are cast off. But we shall take it as a strong pledge of His care for us, when we bring to mind how, though we have sinned, we are not punished, but even enjoy protection from Him.
(On Acts, Homily XXXVIII)
Update
Catching up at the office after being in Dallas and before going away again tomorrow. Treasurer Melanie Ringa and I will go to Springfield, MA to meet Wednesday evening with Archbishop Nikon and the New England Diocesan Council. Then on Thursday I’ll be at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary for the special conference on Metropolitan Leonty, marking the 50th anniversary of his repose.