As Paul entered Athens and began to reason and persuade those in the synagogue, marketplace and beyond, he was invited to come into the Areopagus and explain this “strange thing to their ears.”  It is interesting how they responded to Paul…

“¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 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 would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

We could draw a parallel between the Areopagus and today’s institutions of higher learning, for in fact, that is precisely what the men gathered at Athens were interested in…”telling or hearing something new.”  They were searching for the knowledge that would make the most human sense and perhaps help them arrive at some form of higher existence, coming to fully understand their purpose of “being.”  The problem is that there is only one that help us fulfill that search and his name is Jesus Christ, however, we live in a time when certain men and women are committed to destroying the truth of who Christ is and God the Father.

Richard Dawkins

Sam Harris

Tonight we will finish our study of these opening verses when Paul goes to the Areopagus and we will make a contemporary comparison of his entrance into the Areopagus being much like entering into an American institution of higher learning, that has given birth to a completely new generation of evangelical atheists bent on ridding the world of religion all together.

the late Chris Hitchens

Daniel Dennett

Morning Worship: Psalm 24

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2024&version=ESV

Evening Worship: Psalm 25:1-11

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2025:1-11&version=ESV

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Paul now travels the long distance south to Athens, a beehive of humanity, “full of idols,” and again preaches the gospel.  This time he encounters just about every philosophy that was in existence at that time, specifically, the Epicureans and Stoics.  If you have never studied their beliefs, you may take a few moments and download the documents below entitled, “Jewish Teachings and Philosophical Schools” and read them.  It is very, very interesting what both of these groups believed about humanity and lifestyle.

The documents were created by Dr. David Crutchley, my professor of New Testament at Southwestern Theological Seminary during 2001-2003.  He created several documents that give a good thorough understanding of the Jewish Synagogue, Jewish Festivals and how the Sanhedrin was structured.  In the attachment there is also included a brief on the different philosophical schools that existed before during and after the life of Christ.

Jewish Teachings & Philosophical Schools

http://www.webexhibits.org/greekgods/index.html  This link is one that I found that has a very interesting web tool that helps us to understand the complexity of Greek Mythology and what Paul was up against when he walked up to Mars Hill to preach.  What Spirit empowered faith in the power of God!

**Woodland Baptist Church in NO WAY is endorsing this website about Greek Mythology – it is simply an academic resource to help us to understand the magnitude of false gods that the Greeks worshiped**

Here is part 3 of the Athens Bible study, which is basically the same as last weeks.   Notes – Aug 1, 2012 – Acts 17, 16-21 – Athens, part 3