Acts 15:36-18:22

Acts 15:36–16:10


When Paul and Barnabas disagreed in regards to Mark, they went their separate ways to continue their work in the Lord. As a result, God's word spread twice as fast (Acts 15:39-41).


Paul’s concern about Mark is understandable because Mark did bail out on them in the past. However, Barnabas believed in giving people second chances (He gave Paul a second chance!), which is also understandable because we all make mistakes, and if we aren’t given second chances, how could we grow?


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts15
Paul believes that Mark’s refusal to go with the missionaries into Galatia during the first missionary trip amounted to desertion (15:38). Perhaps Mark has some defect in his character that makes him unreliable.On the contrary, Barnabas, the "Son of Encouragement," sees some promising qualities in Mark and wants to give him experience and training. Mark is his cousin, and Barnabas knows the family traits (Colossians 4:10). Or perhaps family loyalty was more important to Barnabas than commitment to the work.


In the end, Mark proved Barnabas right, and perhaps Paul was being too hard-nosed (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 23). Years later, Paul would say to Timothy of the young man he had once rejected: "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). Actually, both Paul and Barnabas may be right: Mark would do poorly under Paul’s leadership, but would grow while helping Barnabas.


Paul's 3 companions on his second missionary journey were Silas (Acts 15:40), Timothy (Acts 16:1-5), and Luke (Acts 16:8-10).


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Acts 16:10 we got ready. This is where the "we" passage of Acts begin (see Introduction: Author). The conclusion is that Luke is informing the reader that he had joined the party at Troas.


http://helives.blogspot.com/2009/03/church-history-lesson-8-pauls-second.html
From Lystra they made their way to Troas, where they picked up Luke. In the book of Acts, written by Luke, you find the subjects of travel changing from "Paul and his companions" to "we", indicating Luke’s inclusion.


Galatians 2:1–7
Acts 16:3
1 Corinthians 9:20–23


When Paul took Titus, Titus was not circumcised. However, when Paul took Timothy, Timothy was circumcised. I think the reason why there is a difference in treatment is because Paul was following his own words, that we should avoid doing things that would cause our brothers/sisters to stumble (1 Corinthians 8; Romans 14).


Hence, with Titus, Paul was speaking to the Gentiles, who did not follow the Jews’ tradition of circumcision. Paul therefore did not think it necessary for Titus to be circumcised (1 Corinthians 9:21), because it could become an unnecessary stumbling block for the Gentiles.


With Timothy, on the other hand, Paul was speaking to the Jews, who showed trouble understanding that God doesn’t care about the physical circumcision as much as about the circumcision of the HEART (Romans 2:29). And because Paul was very well aware of this, he knew that to prevent his Jewish brothers/sisters from stumbling, Timothy needed to be circumcised.


On a side note, stumbling here means to lose the way. The focus should be God’s love and spreading God’s love. But when people stress out about the details of life, for example, circumcision, they stumble. They stumble because they can't see past the details. That is, they focus more on the details than God! This was exactly what the Pharisee did. They were so focused on the Law, they couldn't see that Jesus came to fulfill the Law, thereby rendering the Law a thing of the past! And since Paul was there to help people walk with God, he made sure he avoided doing things that would cause others to stumble and help guide people to walk with God.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Acts 16:3 he circumcised him. As a matter of expediency so that his work among the Jews might be more effective. This was different from Titus's case (see Gal 2:3), where circumcision was refused because some were demanding it as necessary for salvation.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts16
His father is Greek (16:1)


Because Paul wants to add Timothy to his missionary team, he is faced with a public relations problem. Luke tells us that while Timothy’s mother was Jewish, his father was Greek, probably pagan, and perhaps now deceased. Timothy was the product of a mixed marriage. Jews will not look kindly on such a situation, because it dilutes Jewish identity (Nehemiah 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10).


The father, who had authority over the household, did not allow Timothy to be circumcised – but he did allow her to instruct the boy in the Hebrew Scriptures.The Jews know that Timothy is not circumcised. But since his mother is Jewish, Timothy is also considered a Jew. But because he is uncircumcised, he is considered an apostate Jew.


This presents Paul with a dilemma. Circumcision is of no value in salvation (1 Corinthians 7:19; Galatians 5:6). In one of his most angry moments, he tells Gentiles, "If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all" (Galatians 5:2). In his more diplomatic times, he allows that "circumcision has value if you observe the law," but he quickly notes that the real circumcision is "of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code" (Romans 2:25, 29).


Timothy is circumcised (16:3)


Paul decides that in the case of Timothy, circumcision will be helpful, so he has Timothy circumcised before taking him on the journey (16:3). Paul will be preaching in synagogues, with Timothy as his helper. But Jews will not look favorably at someone regarded as an apostate sitting in their midst. Timothy is not circumcised as a condition of salvation or discipleship. It is simply a way to assure his acceptance among those Jews with whom he and Paul will work (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).


"It was Timothy’s mixed parentage that made Paul decide to circumcise him before taking him along as his junior colleague. By Jewish law Timothy was a Jew, because he was the son of a Jewish mother, but because he was uncircumcised he was technically an apostate Jew. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy." (F.F. Bruce, The Book of Acts,revised edition, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, page 304.)


Since Paul has Timothy circumcised, who technically is only a half-Jew, this takes the wind out of a later criticism that he is teaching Jews not to circumcise their children (21:21). Luke tells his readers ahead of time that such an accusation is without foundation. By circumcising Timothy, Paul is showing that he is not flouting Jewish customs nor trying to destroy Judaism. (He does the same thing by his own observance of Jewish laws.)


The missionaries were led by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6-10).


This inspires me in the following way:


Isaiah 30:21, 48:17–18
Listen to God's commands, and He will guide us on the right path.


Proverbs 3:6
"Think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths."


Acts 16:11–40
The Philippians were visited by Paul next, and they received Paul's teaching well.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts16
Philippi is an especially important center for Paul’s European mission. The Philippian church generously supports him financially in his work (Philippians 4:15-18; 2 Corinthians 11:9). The church there has a "partnership in the gospel from the first day" (Philippians 1:5).


The missionaries were wrongly accused of wrongdoings and thrown into prison in Philippi. However, they prayed and praised (singed hymns to) God. Soon after, a violent earthquake caused the prison doors to fly open, and everyone's chains came loose. The event was so inspirational, it converted the jailer and his family to become followers of Christ, because they witnessed with their own eyes the protection of God. This miracle also solidified the believers' faith in God.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts16
Escape from prison (16:25-29)


Luke now turns to describe the miraculous occurrences that happened while Paul and Silas are in prison, and the consequences that follow. He picks up the account with the imprisoned Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns at midnight (16:25). Luke doesn’t say what the two missionaries were praying about. However, since they are singing, we can assume they are expressing joy.Luke wants his readers to know that Jesus’ disciples are people who turn to prayer in times of crisis (1:14; 2:42, 47; 4:23-31; 6:4; 7:60; 9:11; 10:2, 9; 12:12; 13:2-3). Paul and Silas are like Peter and John, who after being beaten, rejoice "because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the Name" (5:41).


Around midnight, God intervenes by shaking the prison by means of an earthquake. The prison doors fly open, the prisoners’ chains are opened, and the jailer is awakened. To his horror, he sees the prison doors standing open. Thinking the prisoners have escaped, he is about to commit suicide. (In Roman law, a guard who allows his prisoner to escape can suffer the same penalty as the prisoner would have suffered.) At this point, Luke’s readers may be concerned that the jailer will face dire consequences. Luke has already told us that when Peter escaped from prison, Herod "cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed" (12:19).


On this occasion, however, none of the prisoners escape. Paul and Silas are still in the jail. When Paul perceives that the jailer is about to kill himself, Paul shouts, "Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!" (16:28).


One might wonder why the other prisoners, whose chains have fallen off, don’t escape through the open doors. Perhaps they are paralyzed with fear by the supernatural power that seems to be with Paul and Silas. The prisoners have been listening to the two missionaries singing to their God, and may assume that the earthquake is an answer to their prayers. But that part of the story is not pertinent to Luke’s account, and he simply doesn't give us the details.
"What must I do to be saved?" (16:30-32)


More important, from Luke’s perspective, is that the jailer rushes into the cell and falls down before Paul and Silas, in great fear. "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" he cries out (16:30).


It’s not clear what the jailer’s understanding of "being saved" is. Does he fear some kind of retribution from these two "magicians"? (The jailer has probably heard about the exorcism of the demon from the slave girl.) Perhaps he heard something of the gospel being preached in town. Aspects of the message of salvation may have been conveyed to the jailer in the prayers and songs of the imprisoned missionaries.


In any case, he is soon educated as to what it means to be saved. Paul answers the jailer’s question by saying, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household" (16:31). Of course, there is more to being saved than simply uttering the words, "I believe in Jesus." Jesus himself said, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).


"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" is a summary confession of the Christian faith. "Believing on the Lord" is Luke’s shorthand statement for the faith as a whole. He has already used it several times (5:14; 9:42; 11:17).


Paul summarizes the gospel to the church in Rome in the same way: "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). This confessional précis implies that human works do not earn salvation. Since salvation comes through Jesus Christ (4:12), one must believe in him as Savior in order to experience him as salvation.


But faith in Jesus needs to be explained. Paul does this for the jailer and his family. The two missionaries speak "the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house" (16:32). No doubt they explain the gospel of salvation in terms the jailer and his household can understand. They also probably discuss something of what it means to have a new life in Christ. Further instruction will come later within a church of believers organized in Philippi.


Family baptized (16:33-34)


The jailer takes Paul and Silas into his quarters and washes their wounds. Then, he and his family are baptized — as in the case of Cornelius. The jailer is then "filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole family" (16:34). Since Luke is speaking from hindsight — and perhaps he even served as pastor for these people — he knows that their conversion is real.


"The gift offered to the jailer is also offered to his whole household. The New Testament takes the unity of the family seriously, and when salvation is offered to the head of the household, it is as a matter of course made available to the rest of the family group (including dependents and servants) as well (cf. 16:15). It is, however, offered to them on the same terms: they too have to hear the Word (16:31), believe and be baptized; the jailer’s own faith does not cover them." (I. Howard Marshall, Acts, page 273)


Luke describes the conversion of the jailer in terms of believing in God. As a pagan Gentile, the jailer would be taught about the one true God. Paul has already told him that a person has to believe in Jesus to be saved. To believe in the one true God is to believe in Christ; to believe in Christ is to believe in God. As Jesus said, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me" (John 12:44).


Luke, in passing, gives two practical examples of the jailer’s new-found faith. He tends the prisoners’ wounds and brings them into his own house and feeds them. It’s doubtful that an army veteran would have shown compassion to prisoners in his prior life. We should also note that Paul has no hesitation at eating with Gentiles, something that would be impossible for a devout Jew to do.


I think Paul mentioned his Roman citizenship to the magistrates because he wanted to let them know that he knew they have broken the law in the way they treated both Paul and Silas. The magistrates illegally detained them and had to let them go if they didn't want to be punished for their wrongdoings.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Acts 16:37 without a trial. Public cheating for a Roman citizen (see v. 38) would have been illegal, let alone beating without a trial (see 22:25 and note). Let them come themselves. Paul and Silas were not asking for an escort to salve their injured pride as much as they were establishing their innocence for the sake of the church in Philippi and its future.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts16
"We are Romans" (16:35-38)


After the meal, Paul and Silas voluntarily return to their prison cell. The next morning the magistrates send the police officers to the prison with instructions to release the two missionaries. Paul and Silas have paid the penalty for their suspected disturbance of the peace by being beaten and imprisoned overnight. Now they can be freed, and perhaps commanded to leave town.


But Paul surprises the officers by saying, "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out" (16:37).


When the magistrates learn that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens, they are alarmed (16:38). They come to the prison, escort the missionaries outside, and plead with them to leave the city peacefully. If any officials appreciate the value of Roman citizenship, it would be the magistrates of a Roman colony. The Valerian and Porcian laws, issued in bygone days, said a citizen could travel anywhere within Roman territory under the protection of Rome. It is illegal to punish or imprison a Roman citizen who appeals for a trial at Rome, rather than under local authorities.


By the time of this incident at Philippi, A.N. Sherwin-White points out, the original laws regarding the rights of the arrested had been modified. A Roman citizen might under some circumstances be chained or beaten at the orders of a Roman magistrate (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, page 73). However, under no circumstances can any punishment be given without a trial. This is the issue Paul brings up. He and Silas were beaten and imprisoned without first being tried (16:37).


We have little evidence of how this exercise of the rights of a citizen is normally made. Neither are we certain how an individual can support his claim of Roman citizenship on the spot. In the case of Paul, he is probably registered as a citizen in the provincial records of Tarsus, and a copy of the registration can be obtained, but that could take months. And we have no evidence that Paul is carrying such a document with him.


Much of our information on a Roman citizen’s rights regarding trial and appeal actually comes from the book of Acts itself. These matters are touched on in the following verses: 16:37-39; 22:25-29; 25:9-12; 26:32; 27:1; 28:16.
One might wonder why Paul and Silas don’t appeal to their Roman citizenship before they are beaten and imprisoned. Perhaps they do, but in the heat of the moment no one pays any attention to them. Cicero cites a case in which a prisoner is beaten even as he shouts that he is a Roman citizen (In Verrem 5.62). At a later time in Jerusalem, Paul will claim his citizenship rights before being beaten (22:25). But in that case he is about to be scourged, which is a more deadly form of beating than that administered by the officers’ rods.
Paul insists on a public apology from the magistrates of Philippi. It serves notice that the missionaries had been wrongly disgraced, which is not so important for Paul, but very helpful for the believers who remain in the city. They will not stand for any arbitrary bad treatment — either here or elsewhere in the empire.


"Leave the city" (16:39-40)


Paul and Silas do not leave the city immediately, even though they were requested to. This, too, makes a point with the authorities. Yes, Paul will leave, but he will not scurry out of town in fear as though he had been guilty of a crime.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts17
Reasoning from the Scriptures (17:2-4)


In the synagogue, Paul is "explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead" (17:3). Paul tries to be methodical in his teaching. He "reasons," "explains," "proves," and "persuades" his hearers. What probably surprises, and angers the Jews is Paul’s claim that the Messiah "had to suffer" (17:3). Preaching a suffering Savior who died is not a popular message for most Jews, since they are looking for a heroic Messiah (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).


Paul argues that Jesus fulfills the conditions for a suffering Messiah — which the Scriptures speak of. Thus, he is that Messiah. But to the Jews, Jesus is a criminal and insurrectionist who was executed by the Romans. It’s not surprising that Paul probably lasts only three weeks in the synagogue before being ejected as a heretic, or fool.


"The preaching of Paul in the Book of Acts generally and at Thessalonica particularly took the form of a ‘proclaimed witness’—i.e., a witness to the facts that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, that his suffering and resurrection were in accord with the Scriptures, and that through his earthly ministry and living presence men and women can experience the reign of God in their lives." (Richard N. Longenecker, "Acts," The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, page 469)

In its simplest form, this is the essence of the gospel Paul preaches from the Hebrew Scriptures. He writes later of this "good news": "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4).


Some of the Jews believe this gospel and join Paul and Silas. As well, so do a number of God-fearing Gentiles who attend the synagogue and a few "prominent women" (17:4). These all become disciples. Once Paul is barred from the synagogue, he turns to teaching the pagan Gentiles. He apparently receives a much more favorable response from them, as Thessalonians implies. It is helpful to read Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians in connection with this section of Acts. The epistles flesh out Luke’s account of Paul’s stay in the city and put a very human face on his relationship with the converts there.


Jews accuse Paul and Silas (17:5-9)


Paul’s success with the Gentiles both within and especially outside the synagogue ignite the Jews’ jealousy (17:5). Not only is Paul the renegade rabbi stealing converts from their private preserve, he is having unprecedented success in making proselytes from the Gentile community at large.
The Jews decide it is time to stop Paul’s evangelizing activities. So they "rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city" (17:5). The mob is composed of criminal types who hang around the public square with nothing to do but cause trouble. The Jews probably pay them to start a riot. Apparently, their goal is to implicate Paul and Silas in a civil disturbance.


The Jews assume the missionaries are in the home of a convert named Jason. They storm the house but find only Jason and some other believers. (Jason’s home probably serves as a house church, as did Lydia’s.) Some connect this Jason with the individual mentioned along with Luke (Lucius) and Sosipater (16:21) in the letter to the Romans. However, Jason is a common name and any connection can only be speculative.


The Jews apparently hope to bring Paul before the popular assembly of citizens, the Greekdemos (17:5). The translation of the NIV, "crowd," is an unfortunate one. (See its marginal reference, "assembly of the people.") Failing to find Paul and Silas, the Jews drag Jason and some other believers before the city officials, or politarchs. These are the magistrates of Thessalonica, and the title is known from a number of inscriptions.


The Jews bring a charge of disturbing the Pax Romana against Paul and Silas. They claim, "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here" (17:6). (The traditional KJV translation, "turned the world upside down," although memorable, gives an improper nuance to the Greek.) The Jews don’t have Paul and Silas in hand, so they accuse Jason of being part of the conspiracy by allowing the insurrectionists to use his home as a safe house. The Jews also accuse the missionaries of "defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (17:7). Naturally, charges of insurrection, subverting the empire, and a plot against Caesar are extremely serious. If they hold up, the missionaries could be executed.


The magistrates of Thessalonica apparently know of the recent troubles in the Jewish community at Rome. These are described by the Roman biographer and historian Suetonius (born c. A.D. 70) as the "constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus" (Life of Claudius 25.4). The continuing tumult forces Emperor Claudius to issue his edict around A.D. 49-50, which tries to expel all the Jews from the city. The Jews of Thessalonica are probably playing on these fears, intimating that similar riots might erupt in their city.
This may have had something to do with the accusation that the missionaries are "defying Caesar’s decrees" (17:7). Perhaps the decrees had to do with prohibitions against public assemblies (including religious ones) or the fomenting of riots — meant to prevent the sorts of disturbances that occurred at Rome. The Jews also accuse the missionaries of saying there is another king, Jesus, instead of Caesar. Perhaps the decrees in question contain oaths of loyalty to Caesar. Preaching Jesus as a rival emperor would violate such regulations.


Of course, the Jews are twisting the meaning of the confession that declared Jesus to be the Messiah and Savior. The Jews are putting a politically inflammatory twist on what is a personal and spiritual confession. (Although Jesus is not a king of this world, the gospel does call people to give greater allegiance to Jesus than to Caesar.) The Thessalonian politarchs are "thrown into turmoil" when the Jews make these accusations (17:8). They don’t want riots in their city, certainly not like the ones at Rome. The politarchs will be held accountable if they allow the violation of any imperial decrees.


But it seems that the magistrates see through the Jews’ plot and recognize the accusations as erroneous. Perhaps the officials recognize the rioters as the ne’er-do-wells of the town square. What’s more, Paul and Silas, supposedly the leaders of the riot, are nowhere to be found.


"The politarchs took what they thought to be a moderate and reasonable course of action. They made Jason and those with him post a bond, assuring them that there would be no repetition of the trouble. This probably meant that Paul and Silas had to leave Thessalonica and that their friends promised they would not come back, at least during the term of office of the present politarchs." (Richard N. Longenecker, page 470)


Differences at Berea from other places where the missionaries had preached: The Berean Jews received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures (Acts 17:11).


Similarities at Berea from other places: Some unbelieving Jews came to agitate the crowds and stir them up (Acts 17:13).


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts17
To Berea by night (17:10-15)


The Jews probably continue to look for Paul, so as soon as nightfall comes, the disciples spirit him out of the city and send him to Berea. Once again, Paul is forced to make a hasty and humiliating departure, as he did from Damascus (9:23-25), Jerusalem (9:30), Antioch of Pisidia (13:50-51) and Lystra (14:20).


Berea (modern Verria) is about 50 miles (81 kilometers) west-southwest of Thessalonica. It takes Paul about three days to reach the town. Berea is considered an out-of-the-way place, of little historical or political importance. Paul again goes into the synagogue to preach, but he is given an unusually warm reception by the Jews. Luke presents the Berean Jews as openminded individuals. "The Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians," he writes, "for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (17:11).


The Berean Jews apparently meet with Paul every day (not just on the Sabbath) to examine the Scriptures. Luke implies that they are zealous to understand the truth. If the Jews in Thessalonica took the time to search for and evaluate the promises of the Hebrew Scriptures, they too would discover that Paul was speaking the truth.


Many Jews in Berea believe the gospel, as do some prominent Gentile men and women (18:12). Among the believers is Sopater son of Pyrrhus, who is identified by Luke as being from Berea (20:4). Sopater might be the same person as the Sosipater of Romans 16:21, but there is no way to be sure.


Luke emphasizes that the converted Gentiles are "prominent," perhaps in social standing. (One can almost catch a purposeful contrast here. The gospel can attract good people, while the Jews must rely on the rabble and riff-raff to foment a fake riot.) However, the antagonistic Jews of Thessalonica learn that Paul is teaching in Berea. They send some agents to stir up the crowds there. The Berean disciples take immediate action and send Paul "to the coast," down to the sea (17:14). It’s not clear whether his friends put him on a ship bound for Piraeus, the port of Athens, or escort him by land to Athens. A sea journey would make more sense; otherwise Paul would have to travel a long distance over rough roads to get to Athens.
Silas and Timothy remain in Berea, but Paul gives instructions with the returning Bereans that they should rejoin him as soon as possible (17:15). They apparently rejoin him at Athens later, although Luke doesn’t tell us when (1 Thessalonians 3:1). Paul sends Timothy back to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Silas returns to Macedonia (perhaps Philippi), and then with Timothy rejoins Paul in Corinth (18:5).


Commentators speculate that Paul has not really planned to teach in Athens.Perhaps he would rather follow the Via Egnatia across the Balkan peninsula to Dyrrhachium on the Adriatic, and then cross the sea to Italy — and go to Rome. It may be that political considerations in Macedonia make it impossible for him to continue west. And because of Claudius’ edict expelling Jews from Rome, it is not a good time to visit the city. Whatever his intentions, it’s clear that Paul comes to Athens mainly to escape persecution.


1 Thessalonians 3:1–8
Acts 17:16
Paul was greatly distressed to see that Athens was full of idols.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts17
Paul at Athens (17:16)


Athens has a 1,000 year history of glory when Paul enters its gates. The city is famous as the founder of democracy. It is a literary, artistic and philosophical center. Aeschylus, Epicurus, Euripides, Plato, Socrates, Sophocles, Thucydides and Zeno are part of its heritage.


The Romans conquered Athens in 146 B.C., but they are so impressed with Greek learning that they foster Athens’ continuing dominance in cultural and intellectual matters. Athens continues to function as a free city. She lost her great wealth and pre-eminent position long before Paul teaches there. Athens, while still a great university town, has to live off its history, its reputation, its ancient glory. Its population during Paul’s days is only 10,000.


Teaching in the agora (17:16-17)


Paul is in the midst of an intellectual city, proud of its pagan heritage. Luke tells us that while Paul is waiting for Silas and Timothy, "he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols" (17:16). Paul becomes emotionally troubled by the people’s ignorance of the true God. The Athens of Paul’s day is a city of many gods. Ancient historians such as Livy (History of Rome 45:27) and Pausanius (Description of Greece 1, 14, 1-1, 15, 7) attest to the fact that Athens is filled with religious statues.


"It was said that there were more statues of the gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together and that in Athens it was easier to meet a god than a man."(William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, revised edition, The Daily Study Bible Series, page 130)


Paul continues his usual practice of teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, where he reasons with Jews and God-fearing Greeks (17:16). But he also pursues a parallel strategy of going to the Gentiles on weekdays. Paul reasons "in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there" (17:17). The marketplace is the agora, west of the Acropolis. It is the center of Athenian social life, and serves as its forum and a place where goods are bought and sold. Paul, like certain philosophers were known to do, challenges the crowds with the gospel message.




- Athens was full of idols (Acts 17:16).
- All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived in Athens spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas (Acts 17:21).
- Paul said, "I see that in every way you are very religious [superstitious]. I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship" (Acts 17:22-23).
- When Athens heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed (Acts 17:32-34).


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Acts 17:22 religious. Or "superstitious." The Greek for this word could be used to congratulate people or to criticize them, depending on whether those using it included themselves in the circle of individuals they were describing. The Athenians would not know which meaning to take until Paul continued. In this context it is clear that Paul wanted to be complimentary in order to gain a hearing.


* Acts 17:23 TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. The Greeks were fearful of offending any god by failing to give him attention; so they felt they could cover any omissions by the label "unknown god." Other Greek writers confirm that such altars could be seen in Athens - a striking point of contact for Paul.


* Acts 17:32-34 Three responses to Paul's sermon: (1) Some rejected ("sneered"), (2) some procrastinated ("We want to hear you again"), (3) some accepted ("became followers of Paul and believed").


* Acts 17:32 resurrection of the dead. Immortality of the soul was accepted by the Greeks, but not resurrection of a dead body.


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts17
"You are very religious" (17:20-22)


Paul now stands before the Areopagus and the council asks him to speak. "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?" the Areopagus asks, "You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean" (17:20).


What Paul does in his speech is to point out the weaknesses of popular idolatry. But he does this by relying on the insights of Greek philosophers to show that some pagans have an understanding of God that contradicts idolatry. However, Paul then points out that the philosophers don’t go far enough. Here Paul introduces a new understanding of God and his purpose, and calls on his listeners to abandon their ignorance, and to repent.
Paul immediately takes the side of his listeners by saying, "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious" (17:22). Other people in antiquity are also impressed by the devoutness of the Athenians (Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.17.1; Strabo,Geography 9.1.16; Livy, History 45.27). Josephus says the Athenians are considered to be "the most religious" (Against Apion 2.130).
Paul doesn't accuse the Athenians of idolatry or any sin, but acknowledges their interest in the divine. Paul builds on their piety, he doesn't condemn it. Privately, of course, he is very distressed by the fact that their worship is directed toward idols (17:16). The word for "religious" used here is ambiguous. It can mean either "superstitious" or "devout." "Perhaps Paul deliberately chose the word with kindly ambiguity so as not to offend his hearers while, at the same time, expressing to his own satisfaction what he thought of their religion" (David J. Williams, page 304).


Athenian intellectuals refused to accept the Good News about Jesus and that He has conquered death, that Jesus is the only one true God (Acts 17:18, 32).


http://www.gci.org/bible/acts17
Stoics and Epicureans (17:18)


Paul soon finds himself confronted by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who apparently teach in the agora as well. Athens is a home base for these rival schools of philosophy.
Epicurus (341-270 B.C.) said that pleasure is the chief goal of life. "Pleasure," in his view, is the enjoyment of life that comes with freedom from pain, distressing emotions, superstitions, fears, and anxiety about death. To him the greatest pleasure is the absence of pain, suffering and fear.
Today, epicureanism is sometimes confused with hedonism, indulging in physical pleasures without restraint. But that is not what the Epicureans teach in Paul’s day. While they consider pleasure the highest good, it is more of an intellectual detachment from the cares of this life than attachment to physical desire. They know that physical desires can lead to addiction and unhappiness; one of the "pleasures" they seek is simply friendship.


Epicurus and those who followed him do not deny the existence of the gods, but they say the notions held by the multitudes are wrong. The Epicureans argue that the gods are "far off," with little or no interest in the ordinary lives of people. Epicureans have little motivation to seek after God or to fear his judgments.


The Stoic school of philosophy was founded by Zeno (340-265 B.C.), from Citium in Cyprus. Stoics emphasize human rational abilities, individual self-sufficiency, moral worth and duty. They stress reason and logic as principles that should govern the lives of people. The gods of popular mythology are said to be expressions of this universal Reason. The Stoics are pantheists in that they think of the divine as a kind of "world-soul."


This babbler (17:18)


It’s clear why the Epicureans and Stoics disagree with the gospel of salvation Paul is teaching in the agora. Thoughtful people rely on these two philosophies to explain the nature of human existence to help them cope with a world of suffering. These two philosophies try to explain the plight of humanity apart from any revelation of God’s purpose. In that sense, the gospel message is a great challenge to them. It brings truth and light regarding humanity’s purpose, and calls into question the usefulness of these philosophies.


To believers in Epicureanism and Stoicism, Paul’s "philosophy" sounds alien and foolish — perhaps even dangerous. It’s not strange, then, that upon hearing Paul speak, some of these philosophers say, "What is this babbler trying to say?" (17:18). The Greek word for "babbler" is spermologos. The word originally described the action of birds picking up grain. It was then applied to scrap collectors searching for junk. Finally, it came to refer to people who sell the ideas of other people without understanding them. The word spermologos describes teachers who have only bits and pieces of learning, but who are trying to sound learned. Or it might refer to busybodies or gossips. Luke Timothy Johnson’s phrase — "the peddler of second-rate religious opinions" — seems to sum up the sense of "babbler" quite nicely here (The Acts of the Apostles, page 313).


Paul is contemptuously dismissed by the Stoics and Epicureans as ignorant (1 Corinthians 2:23). Others are less derisive but more perplexed, saying, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods" (17:18). They say this because Paul is "preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection" (17:18). The philosophers seem to misunderstand what he is talking about — the "foreign gods" may refer to a new god (Jesus) and a goddess (Resurrection, or anastasis in Greek). Perhaps these philosophers think that Paul wants to have these "new" deities added to the Athenian pantheon.


Foundations of Christianity revealed in Paul's speech:


- God is a living person (Acts 17:24-25)


- God is not in everything but created everything (Acts 17:24-26)


- God is not distant from His creation but near to each person (Acts 17:27)


- God controls the universe (Acts 17:24)


- God controls geographical boundaries (Acts 17:26)


- God overrules historical events (Acts 17:26)


- God can never be worshiped through statues or images (Acts 17:29)


- God commands sinners to repent (Acts 17:30)


- God will judge the world through Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31) 




Acts 18:1–22
In response to the Jews' false claims that brought Paul into court, Gallio showed no concern for what was right or wrong whatsoever. He behaved as if the problem was the Jews personal problems that should not have been brought to court.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Acts 18:12 Gallio. The brother of Seneca, the philosopher, who was the tutor of Nero. Gallio was admired as a man of exceptional fairness and calmness.