Resource Detail

The God Who Made the World

Acts 17:16-34

Key Verse 17:24

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.”

What distressed Paul about Athens? (16) What then did he do? (17) Why do you think he went out to the marketplace as well? What is the significance of the expression "day by day" in verse 17?

Who began to dispute with Paul? (18a) What are the main characteristics of the two groups (Epicurean and Stoic)? What was Paul preaching? (18b) How did they respond? (19-21)

Read verses 22-25. What did Paul teach them about: 1) themselves; and 2) God? How is God different from the Athenian gods (or idols, in general)? Why is it important to teach that God is the Creator? 

How did God work in human history? (26) Why? (27) What happens when men "seek him" and "reach out for him"? (27) What does it mean that "he is not far from each one of us"? (27b-28)

How should we not think about God? Why? (29) What does God now command all people everywhere? (30) What day is coming? (31) Who is the man appointed to judge the world? How did God reveal this?

How did the people respond? (32-34) Why is it important to teach about the day of judgment and resurrection? What do you learn from Paul's ministry in Athens?

He Will Judge the World

(this new teaching)

Acts 17:16-34

Key Verses 17:30-31

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. 

In last weeks passage we learned of the importance of knowing Christ through the Scriptures. Paul continued his ministry of reasoning from the scriptures in the synagogues. Revealing Christ through the scripture was the basis of his ministry, explaining and proving the Jesus was the Christ. His ministry was not based on fantastic stories or miracles. Also we see the Bereans are recognized for their noble hearts for they examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true. They based their belief on the Scriptures. I have a question for you: after listening to the sunday messages each week, do you examine the scriptures to see if what the messenger said is true?

In today's passage Paul is in Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy. Athens was the center of Greek culture and philosophy. Here Paul meets with some philosophers and shares the gospel message with them, the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. The good news of salvation and judgment is God's message for everyone, including these intellectuals. Even they need to Turn to God in repentance. Because they did not have a background in the Scriptures, it was not easy at first for Paul to preach the message to them, that's why they called it a new teaching when they heard the gospel message. But he spent time with them and wisely shared the full message understandably. We learn from this passage the need for us to turn to God in repentance. 

First, in the marketplace day by day (16-21)

Paul had been quickly shuttled to Athens by the brothers in Berea to avoid further conflict with the Jews there. They had formed a mob in Thessalonica and had gone to Berea and were starting to do the same. 

Look at verse 16. Acts 17:16 (NIV)

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

Ancient historians say that there were more than 30,000 gods in Athens at this time, and that it was easier to find a god in Athens than to find a man. Still today in Athens, the main tourist attraction is the building Parthenon in the Acropolis, which was the temple of Athena, the protector goddess of Athens. Athens was not the commercial center of Greece, but it was the cultural center for their arts, philosophy, and religion. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and sophocles are among the greek philosophers who came out of Athens some hundreds of years before Paul's day. Even now western culture is so strongly influenced by the Ancient greeks. 

But Paul did not go to athens as a tourist. He was not caught up in the architecture or local philosophy class. He was not overtaken and impressed by their high intellectualism.  He was greatly distressed. They were steeped in idol worship. What then did he do?

Look at verse 17. He was so distressed that he went to the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews and God fearing Greeks there. He also went out to the marketplace day by day and reasoned with whoever was there. Paul usually didn't go outside of the synagogue, but he was so distressed that he had to talk to whoever he could out in the public area. 

He began his preaching and Bible study ministry. He preached the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. It was so urgent that all the people of Athens hear the gospel message. And he did this day by day. The athenians thought that they were cultivating art and philosophy, but they were really in bondage to Satan. 

This tells us that we need to pay attention to the reality, the spiritual condition where we are. Maybe southern California has more idols than ancient Greece. And the idol network has more access than in ancient times. When Athenians wanted to hear the latest ideas they had to get up and leave their houses and go to the Aeropagus. But today you can look up the latest ideas on Twitter or Facebook from your cell phone on your couch. Very easily your computer, or cell phone, or tv can become the medium, the altar, for idol worship. During the staff conference last month, one shepherd from Wisconsin came up to me and said, "You're from California? How can you live there and have a church there? Isn't it hard to live there because of the sinful environment?" even other parts of the nation look at southern California as a kind Athens, filled with idols. I responded, "it's normal." and finding such idolatry as normal can be our problem and we may not be distressed by our environment. Instead, we enjoy worldly pleasures and seek material gain, and don't diligently teach the Bible. But we need to engage in bible Studies, even daily by God's help, with whomever we can meet. If we can't go, then we should encourage someone to go for us. And we should pray for those who are going fishing.

How did they receive Paul's message? Let's look at verse 18. Acts 17:18 (NIV)

A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 

Here it says, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." they thought he was just babbling, it sounded like blah blah blah. And they were not even sure if he was advocating foreign gods. They didn't understand his message at all. But they were interested, so they brought Paul to the Aeropagus to hear him further. They asked him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears and we want to know what they mean" (19-20). The Aeropagus was a famous place for hearing the latest and new ideas. Traditionally, it was the place where people were investigated for corruption. Verse 21 tells us that it was also a good place to waste time. 

Second, Paul teaches about the Creator (22-28)

Look at verses 22-23. Acts 17:22-23 (NIV)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. [23] For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Here we can learn how Paul wisely spoke the gospel to them.  First Paul got them ready to listen to his message. He hooked them by showing them that they were not only very thoughtful, but very religious people. They even prepared an altar to an unknown god. But despite their devotion to philosophy and religiosity they did not know God. He was unknown to them. When they didn't know God, they came to worship the wrong thing, such as seeking pleasures, intellectual recognition, and even worshipping what they did not know. It means that they were walking in darkness. 

Then Paul began to teach them about who God is, starting with Genesis 1:1-2.

Lets read verses 24-25. Acts 17:24-25 (NIV)

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. [25] And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Paul first proclaimed that God is the creator. He is the God who made the world and everything in it. God is not an idea or philosophy or something that only exists in the realm of thoughts. All things came from him. And he is the Lord of all things, in heaven and on earth. 

Here paul contrast the true God with their idol gods. There was the pantheon of gods ruling here and there and all over the place. Even over harvest or war there was a god ruling. But there is one true God, the Creator, who is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the supreme being. Where does he live? It is not on mt. Olympus or "temples built by human hands." he is high above them. God is Also fully self-sufficient. He is not needy, especially from human hands. In fact, he is the source of all life and breath and everything else.

This shows that the solution to rooting out idolatry begins with knowing the Creator God. 

Next, Paul proclaimed what the Lord God has been doing since the Creation. Look at verses 26-28. Acts 17:26-28 (NIV)

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. [27] God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. [28] `For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.'

God has been deeply involved in human history, even to the times and dates and locations of where people live. Human history looks like it was moving randomly. Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be). These days it has been shortened to just, whatever. But we cannot say, whatever. God the Father has been working and is still at his work throughout history to bring men back to him.

Look again at verse 27. "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us." God was turning men back to him. If they seek him, if they reached out to Him, they would find him. God is near each one of us. He is findable. Though it may be more accurate to say that he found us for he is already working throughout all history, even to the times and dates and places, so that you and i could seek him and find him.

It is amazing to realize that God has worked all through human history even for me, that i would seek him and not only seek, but find him. Verse 26 mentions "from one man..." When the first man Adam sinned, God did not cast him aside and make a new man or new men. god never casted aside sinners or gave up on them. He continued to work so that they would seek him. Sinners are very far from God due to their sin. No matter what  they try in gaining knowledge or self-discipline or good works they cannot come to God by their own power or effort for God is a holy God. and yet God is near each one of us because he is working so that we would seek him and find him. He made the way through his Son Jesus Christ. So that we could have the image of God and purpose of God restored in us. He died and shed his blood to cleanse us from our sins.

The Greeks dissected the meaning of life endlessly because they tried to find meaning without God. So their philosophies and ideas never ended. So really they look so foolish. They were never satisfied. And the same things are happening today. Young people and looking at all kinds of wrong things for pleasure and purpose, in money and girls, but it doesn't quench the thirst of the soul because our being came from God, who is the Lord of all things, and so we were made to live for him and worship him alone. 

Third, he commands repentance (29-30)

What then is the way to seek God? Lets look at verses 29-30. Acts 17:29-30 (NIV)

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone---an image made by man's design and skill. [30] In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."

God is living and he commands all people everywhere, meaning, including these intellectuals, to repent. The way to seek God begins with repentance. God is not an idol or idea, he is the Creator, he is our Father looking for his lost children. He makes himself known to those who seek him by turning away from the idolatrous ways of this world, which means repentance. Repentance is commanded, not suggested. It is because God has nothing to do with idols. To turn to God and seek him, we must turn from idolatry. Turning from idols is to repent and worship God, not just by coming to a worship once a week, but to fix my life direction and purpose for him. Who read today's daily bread passage, from Exodus 8? God revealed then his purpose to free his people, that is, so they could worship him. Exodus 8:1 says, Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, `This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me."

Fourth, he will judge the world (31-34)

Look at verse 31. Acts 17:31 (NIV)

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." He commands us to repent because God will one day judge the world with justice. God is often blamed for allowing injustice in this world. But the Bible clearly says that God is just for there will be a day of judgment with justice, for sure. Each person will be accountable for what he has done. So we came from God, we were made for God, and we will also be judged by him. This judgment is a wonderful event. Because at this point God will renew all things. 

During the recent Prop 8 trial, many were upset because of the judge. They felt he should have excused himself because of bias as an openly gay person. But he did not do so. So who our judge is is very important. God has appointed Jesus as our judge. And he has given proof of this by raising Jesus from the dead. Jesus promises no condemnation for all who believe in him. For he died for us. 

The Greeks listened well until they heard about the judgment and resurrection. They didn't want to accept that God raised Jesus from the dead. If they accept his resurrection, then they must surely repent. Then Paul left the council, because they were not listening anymore.

Lets read verses 32-34. Acts 17:32-34 (NIV)

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." [33] At that, Paul left the Council. [34] A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Despite their rejection, a few people believed and followed Paul.

We thank God for working in our lives, even to the times and dates, so that we would seek him and find him. We thank for sending Jesus to restore us to God and restore God's purpose for man which is to live for God and be fruitful. May God help us not to conform to our idolatrous society, but respond with distress and urgency through daily fishing and bible studies.

One word: seek him in repentance