How Extremely Religious You Are

 

Chapter 17

Paul and Silas continue their travels this week. They bid farewell to their host, Lydia, and leave Philippi, heading westward on the Via Egnatia, the main road that runs east to west through Macedonia. Eventually they arrive in Thessalonica – the headquarters for the Roman governor of the region.

The apostles have a clear and predictable pattern: when they arrive at a new destination, they first go look for the Jews. If there is a synagogue, they go there on the sabbath. This might be surprising, considering that Paul and everyone around him has affirmed that his mission is to the gentiles. Yet Paul, who never stops identifying as a Jew, does not forget about them. And in every place he goes, there are at least some Jews who believe.

Unfortunately, there are often more than enough who believe Paul is dangerous. Sometimes they pursue him as zealously as he, himself, once pursued the Christians (see Chapters 8-9).

In Thessalonica, we are told, they recruit some “ruffians” to form a mob, “and set the city in an uproar” (v. 5). Their complaint? That Paul and Silas have been turning the world upside down. Which is true, of course. The mob response seems to be an indication of how threatened they feel by the apostles.

The apostles are accused of treason – “saying there is another king named Jesus” (v. 7) – and are run out of the city. In a letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he says “We wanted to come to you … but Satan blocked our way” (1 Thess. 2:18), suggesting that they were barred from returning to the city.

In Beroea, they set about their usual routine, and find a calmer, more receptive audience in the synagogue. All goes well, until the angry Jews from Thessalonica track them down. Paul’s friends spirit him away, all the way to Athens.

This episode in Athens is a significant point in the story of Acts. It is an interesting sample of how Paul might have approached a gentile audience with the gospel of Jesus Christ. As was his routine, he first went to the synagogue to argue with the Jews – “and also in the marketplace” (v. 17). Strategic, perhaps? Did Paul know that being overheard by the Athenian public would arouse their natural curiosity?

What we glean from the people of Athens from Luke’s account seems to be supported by other ancient historians. Athens was known as a highly significant cultural center. It was known for its religious enthusiasm and passion for new ideas. There were philosophers of all types there. Luke mentions the Stoics and the epicureans, specifically. The Stoics would have advocated for self-control, reason, and order. The Epicureans would have been drawn to sensory experiences – the YOLOs of the day (You Only Live Once). Paul manages to give a message that has something for everyone in it.

Look at the organization of his speech. He begins with flattery. “I couldn’t help but notice how many nice objects of worship you have!” Then he very gently moves into a critique of idolatry. “Let me tell you about this ‘unknown god.’” And he proceeds to drawn a portrait of “the God who made the world and everything in it,” never once referring to Israel, but making multiple references to their own philosophical beliefs.

In other words, Paul meets them where they are. He doesn’t judge them. And he takes them to Jesus – although he doesn’t mention Jesus’ name either. I suspect he will get to that, once he has reeled them in.

He loses some of them when he gets to the resurrection of the dead. Isn’t that still the way it is? The Epicureans, in particular, would have mocked the idea. But still, “some of them joined him” (v. 34).

The reader is left wondering at the end of this chapter. How are we to judge the Athens experience? Was it a success? An utter failure? Or just meh?

Even more intriguing, is what Paul himself seems to say about it. From Athens, Paul went to Corinth (18:1). In a letter to the Corinthian church, Paul describes his state of mind and spirit when he first arrived:

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Something about his time in Athens shook his confidence. The Athenians were a tough audience, and perhaps Paul realized he couldn’t out-debate the debaters. Perhaps he found that the power of the gospel is in the ability it gives us to demonstrate God’s powerful love.

However much we value demonstrations of knowledge, what we know from Paul’s experience in Athens is that at some point the gospel is offensive to intellectualism. The gospel insists on revelation that is beyond rational thought, life that is beyond this known world, and authentic humility.

Questions for Reflection:

·        Paul writes to the Corinthians, “but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). What do you think?

·        Luke remarks a couple of times in this chapter that even some people of high standing became believers. Why do you think Luke finds this remarkable?