Thematic Bible: Debates
Thematic Bible
Paul » Debates » Mar's hill
Paul waited for them at Athens. His spirit was irritated within him when he saw the city full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons. He went to the marketplace every day with those who would meet with him. The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said: What is this babbler saying? Others: He seems to be advocating strange gods because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. read more.
They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus. They said, May we know what is this new teaching? You bring strange ideas to our ears. We want to know what these things mean. The Athenians and the strangers who lived there spent their time doing nothing else except talking about and listening to new ideas. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our existence. Your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, a device made by man's design or skill. God overlooked the times of ignorance; but now he commands men everywhere to repent. He has established a day (time) in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man [Jesus] whom he has ordained. Of that he gives proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (John 5:22) (Isaiah 2:4) (Acts 10:42) Some mocked when they heard about the resurrection of the dead. Yet others said: We will hear you again concerning this. Thus Paul went out from among them. Some men joined themselves to him and believed. Included among the believers were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus. They said, May we know what is this new teaching? You bring strange ideas to our ears. We want to know what these things mean. The Athenians and the strangers who lived there spent their time doing nothing else except talking about and listening to new ideas. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said: Men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious. As I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God. What you worship as unknown, this I will proclaim to you. The God that made the world and all things in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in temples made with hands. Men's hands do not serve him as if he needed anything. He gives life and breath to all. From one person he made every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth. He determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation. God did this so man could seek him and might find him. He is not far from each one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our existence. Your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, a device made by man's design or skill. God overlooked the times of ignorance; but now he commands men everywhere to repent. He has established a day (time) in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man [Jesus] whom he has ordained. Of that he gives proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (John 5:22) (Isaiah 2:4) (Acts 10:42) Some mocked when they heard about the resurrection of the dead. Yet others said: We will hear you again concerning this. Thus Paul went out from among them. Some men joined themselves to him and believed. Included among the believers were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.