NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 56
A cts 1 7 : 2 2
2012
22 So Paul, standing before the council,*
addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens,
I notice that you are very religious in every
way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your
many shrines. And one of your altars had
this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’
This God, whom you worship without know
ing, is the one I’m telling you about.
24 “He is the God who made the world and
everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven
and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made
temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his
needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives
life and breath to everything, and he satis
fies every need. 26 From one man* he cre
ated all the nations throughout the whole
earth. He decided beforehand when they
should rise and fall, and he determined their
boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek
after God and perhaps feel their way toward
him and find him—though he is not far from
any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move
and exist. As some of your* own poets have
said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this
is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol
designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or
stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance
about these things in earlier times, but
now he commands everyone everywhere to
repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For
he has set a day for judging the world with
justice by the man he has appointed, and he
proved to everyone who this is by raising him
from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the
z resurrection of the dead, some laughed in
contempt, but others said, “We want to hear
more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s
discussion with them, 34 but some joined
him and became believers. Among them
were Dionysius, a member of the council,*
a woman named Damar is, and others with
them.
Paul in Corinth
Then Paul left Athens and went to Co
rinth.* 2 There he became acquainted
with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus,
who had recently arrived from Italy with his
wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Clau
dius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.
3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they
were tentmakers* just as he was.
4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the syna
18
17:23
John 4:22
17:24
1 Kgs 8:27
Isa 42:5
Acts 7:48
17:25
Ps 50:12
Isa 42:5
17:26
Deut 32:8
17:27
Isa 55:6
Jer 23:2324
17:29
Isa 40:1825
Rom 1:23
17:30
Acts 14:16
17:31
Ps 96:13
Acts 10:42
17:32
z anastasis (0386)
1
Cor 15:12
18:2
Rom 16:3
1 Cor 16:19
18:3
Acts 20:34
1 Cor 4:12; 9:15
1 Thes 2:9
17:22 Traditionally rendered standing in the middle of Mars Hill; Greek reads standing in the middle of the Areopagus.
17:26 Greek From one; other manuscripts read From one blood. 17:28 Some manuscripts read our. 17:34 Greek an
Areopagite. 18:1 Athens and Corinth were major cities in Achaia, the region in the southern portion of the Greek peninsula.
18:3 Or leatherworkers.
17:2231 Paul’s remarkable sermon in
Athens reveals his versatility in preach
ing the Good News (Rom 11:14; 1 Cor
9:1923; 10:33; cp. Acts 16:3; 17:23;
21:2026). While Paul’s Greek audience
did not know the Scriptures or have a
tradition of monotheism as the Jews
did, they did have a rich intellectual
heritage. So Paul established a point
of contact on the basis of an Athenian
inscription to an Unknown God. He then
explained God’s nature as the Creator
(17:2229), followed by God’s purpose
as the Redeemer (17:3031). • As he
did elsewhere in his own writings (see
1 Cor 15:33; Titus 1:12), Paul made use
of the Greek poets. There are several
points of connection in this sermon
with the Hymn to Zeus by Cleanthes
(about 315–240 bc). Paul was probably
quoting Epimenides, who had declared
about God, “In him we live and move
and exist” (Epimenides, Cretica, about
600 bc). Paul also cited Aratus, a Stoic
poet from Cilicia (about 315–240 bc),
who had commented, “We are his offspring” (Aratus, Phaenomena 5). These
allusions to their own poets established
connections with his audience. Paul was
then able to present the singular nature
of God (Acts 17:29), and he stressed the
coming judgment through Jesus Christ,
whom God had raised from the dead.
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
This message, while touching on Greek
culture and philosophy, had a clear
focus on Christ that presented the chal
lenge of Christ to a cultured and intel
lectual but idolatrous people.
17:30 The idea of people’s ignorance is
carefully discussed both in the OT law
(Lev 4:2, 22, 27; 5:15, 17; Num 15:25,
27) and in the NT (Eph 4:18; 1 Pet 1:14;
2:15; 2 Pet 3:5, 8). Paul was particularly
fervent to overcome ignorance (see Rom
10:1315; 11:25; 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 2 Cor
1:8; 1 Thes 4:13). The message of Good
News overcomes ignorance and sum
mons all who hear it to repent of their
sins and turn to God (see Acts 2:38).
17:32 The Athenians listened carefully
until Paul spoke of the resurrection of
the dead (17:31); at that point some
laughed or mocked, for the notion of
resurrection was foolish to Greek ears
(see 1 Cor 15:1219). Similarly, the Jews
in Jerusalem later listened carefully to
Paul until he mentioned God’s accep
tance of the Gentiles (Acts 22:22). These
are examples of how the message of
Good News can offend people because
of their prejudices (see 1 Cor 1:2025).
17:34 some joined him and became
believers: Paul’s sermon was not with
out positive response. Two prominent
converts are mentioned: Dionysius and
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
Damaris. Luke often placed a man and
a woman in juxtaposition (e.g., 5:111;
17:4, 12; Luke 14:16; 15:310). • Diony
sius was a member of the council of the
Areopagus, the highest governing body
of Athens.
18:117 Paul spent eighteen fruitful
months preaching and teaching in
Corinth, first in the synagogue and then
next door in the house of Titius Justus
(18:111). Then, in court, Paul won a
significant victory over his enemies
(18:1217).
18:1 In Roman times, Greek political
power in Achaia resided in Corinth, a
prominent city-state and major com
mercial city. Corinth was notorious for
its prostitution, immorality, and drunk
enness (see 1 Corinthians Introduction,
“Setting”). Paul invested much time and
effort establishing a Christian commu
nity in Corinth (see note on Acts 16:8).
18:23 The edict of Claudius Caesar
that had deported all Jews from Rome
around ad 49 is mentioned by the
Roman historian Suetonius (Life of
Claudius 25). • Aquila and Priscilla
became an outstanding husband-and-
wife team in the early church (see
“Priscilla and Aquila,” 18:1-3). They
earned their living as tentmakers, as did
Paul, who probably lived and worked
POETRY & WISDOM
