Lecture Notes: Acts 17 and Christian Teachings

Introduction

• Speaker: Mallalerie Wright

  • Role: High school ministry and trip leader to Tijana, Mexico
  • Reading from Acts 17:26-28
  • Prayer for seeking God and finding Him closer than expected.

• Speaker: Greg Fner

  • Role: Teaching pastor at Fellowship Church
  • Focus: Book of Acts, specifically Acts 17:16 onward
  • Context of Mother's Day as a significant church attendance day

Context of Acts 17

• Paul's Visit to Athens

  • Athens: A major intellectual and cultural hub of the Roman Empire
  • No New Testament letter to Athens despite its historical significance
  • Impact of 4th century BC Athens with philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

• Athens' Idol Worship

  • Paul's provocation by the city's idols
  • Judaism's opposition to idolatry
  • Idolatry seen as worship of demonic powers
  • Modern equivalents of idols: pleasure, power, success, status

Paul's Engagement in Athens

• Debating with Epicureans and Stoics

  • Epicureans: Pursuit of pleasure as the highest good
  • Stoics: Values of self-discipline, courage, justice
  • Modern resurgence of Stoic philosophy
  • Biblical alignment with Stoic values: self-discipline as a fruit of the Spirit

• Paul's Approach

  • Contextualizing the gospel to Greek and Roman philosophies
  • Quoting Roman poets to connect with the audience
  • Striking at the philosophical heart of idol worship

Paul's Speech at Mars Hill

• Setting: Aropagus, or Mars Hill, surrounded by temples
• Opening: Acknowledging Athenians’ religiosity (superstition)
• Main Argument:
  • God does not reside in man-made temples
  • God as the giver of life and existence
  • Challenge to Athenian nationalism: All nations made by God
  • Critique of idolatry: Gold, silver, stone, and man-made objects

Theological Points

• Existence of God: Creation as evidence of God
• Call to Repentance:
  • Repentance as a change of mind
  • Command for all to repent as judgment day is set
  • Assurance through Jesus' resurrection

Conclusion

• Paul’s Impact

  • Some mocked, others intrigued by resurrection
  • Conversion of Dionis the Aropagite and Damaris
  • Symbolic transformation from paganism to Christianity

• Closing Prayer

  • Emphasis on worshiping the one true God
  • Rejection of earthly idols and faith in Jesus Christ
  • Hope for eternal worship in God's kingdom