REASON Saves You-Acts 17

Acts of the Apostles, New Testament, Sermons

“As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said” (Ac 17:2-3).
  1. Reason from the Scriptures/Bible [Thessalonica] (Ac 17:3, 1-9).
  2. Examine the Scriptures every day [Berea] (Ac 17:11, 10-15). Analyze. Memorize. Personalize. [Recall, Repeat, Remember, Reflect, Repent.]
  3. Preaching Scripture without using Scripture [Athens] (Ac 17:24-25, 28, 16-34). “The God who made the world and everything in it … gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (Ac 17:24-25).

Questions:

  1. In the synagogue at Thessalonica what and how did Paul teach the Bible (Ac 17:1-3)?
    • Can you reason, explain, prove and proclaim Christ from Scripture (1 Th 1:5, 7-8)?
    • How did some of the Jews and Gentiles respond (Ac 17:4-5)? Why such strong opposite responses to the gospel of Christ?
    • Should there be any wiggle room in proclaiming Christ (Ac 17:3)?
  2. How did the Jews stir up the city against Paul and Silas (Ac 17:5-6b)? What did they accuse them of (Ac 17:6-7)?
    • Do you cause “trouble all over the world” [“turn the world upside down”] (Ac 17:6) as a Christian? Should you? Is this a complaint or a compliment?
    • Why is it serious and dangerous of being accused of saying, “there is another king” (Ac 17:7)?
    • What did the city officials do in response to the accusations against Paul and Silas (Ac 17:8-9)?
  3. In the synagogue at Berea how did the Jews there respond to Paul’s teaching (Ac 17:10-12)?
    • Memorize Acts 17:11. How often should you examine the Scriptures? How noble are you?
    • Who opposed them (Ac 17:13) and what did the believers do (Ac 17:14-15)?
  4. Was Paul awed by the glory and beauty of Athens, the cradle of western civilization and the birthplace of philosophy? What “greatly distressed” him (Ac 17:16)? Why (Mt 23:37; 24:1-2)? Are you impressed or distressed by cultural and technological advancement? Are you interested in sights or souls?
    • How did he engage them (Ac 17:17, 2)? How did he confront the religious culture (Ac 17:17a)? The civic culture (Ac 17:17b)? The political culture (Ac 17:19-21)?
    • What did the “Epicurean and Stoic philosophers” think of Paul and why (Ac 17:18)? Who are they? What did they do (Ac 17:19-21)?
  5. What did Paul teach the Athenians about God (Ac 17:22-31)?
    • What did he see (Ac 17:16)? How did he feel (Ac 17:16)? Where did he go (Ac 17:17)? What did he say?
    • What was their response (Ac 17:32-34)?
  6. How did Paul’s message in Athens compare to his synagogue message in Thessalonica (Ac 17:2-4, 22-23)? What can we learn from Paul here?

To the Jew first (Rom 1:16). By the Spirit, the promise of Acts 1:8 continues on Paul’s 2nd missionary journey (Acts 16-19). It shows how the gospel impacted the Greco-Roman world, as the team [Paul, Silus, Timothy] preached in Macedonia, Achia and then Asia [Turkey]. As usual, Paul’s custom is to preach to the Jews [in the synagogue] first (17:1-15), with contrasting responses to the gospel in Thessalonica and Berea. [Thessalonica is 100 miles from Philippi and the capital of Macedonia, a city of 50K.] Even in Athens, though provoked by their idolatry, “he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks,” and talking to people “in the marketplace” (Ac 17:17). His synagogue ministry was similarly the starting point in Corinth (Ac 18:4-5) and Ephesus (Ac 18:19-21; 19:8-10).

Paul‘s Areopagus speech is a model of proclaiming Jesus and his resurrection to Gentiles with no relation to Judaism. Without quoting Scripture, it confronts people with the God of the Bible and his claim on their lives, and points them to the resurrected Jesus as the one in whom they can find a ture and lasting relationship with God.
  1. Paul ministers in Thessalonica (17:1-9). Another king (Ac 17:3). Turning the world upside down/causing “trouble all over the world” (Ac 17:6). The mission in Thessalonica. The gospel provokes jealousy and turmoil.
    • Through Bible study you “get fat” (1 Th 1:5) and then “get slim and lean” again (1 Th 1:7-8).
    • 2 strong opposite responses: “Go for it” (Ac 17:4). “Go home” (Ac 17:5).
    • Opponents complained (Ac 17:6), yet it’s a compliment.
    • What the world calls upside down is really right side up, and vice versa.
  2. Paul ministers in Berea (17:10-15). The mission in Berea. The gospel provokes an eager searching of the Scriptures.
  3. Paul ministers in Athens (17:16-34). Paul among the philosophers. Proclaiming the Unknown at Athens. The Word in Athens.
    1. Setting in the synagogue and marketplace (17:16-17). What Paul saw, felt and did. Responding to idolatry.
      • Athens (cosmopolitan cities) are looked over by millions of visitors [“Wow!”] but overlooked by millions of believers [not saying “Woe“].
      • Paul was after souls, not sights. Paul would confront the
        • religious culture (Ac 17:17a).
        • civic culture (Ac 17b).
        • political culture (Ac 19-21).
      • Epicurians [enjoy all things]. Stoics [endure all things].
    2. Debates with philosophers and the Areopagus [means “the hill {pagos} of Ares”–the Greek equivalent of Mars] (17:18-21).
    3. The brilliantly conceived Areopagus address (17:22-31) establishes God’s claim on all people. It reveals the comprehensiveness of Paul’s message. He proclaimed God in his fullness as Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, Father and Judge. He took in the whole of nature and of history from creation to consummation. He emphasized the greatness of God, not only as the beginning and the end of all things, but as the One to whom we owe our being and to whom we must give account. He argues that human beings already know these things by natural or general revelation, and therefore their ignorance and idolatry are inexcusable. So he called on them with great solemnity, to repent before it was too late. He begins from where they’re at: The God you do not know is the God you need to know.
      1. The truth about God (17:24-25), the Creator God who is the Lord [sovereign] over everything and gives breath to all living things (Ac 17:24) has no needs (Ac 17:25).
      2. The truth about humanity (17:26-29). God is not the aloof god of the Greeks but the covenant God of the Jews and Christians, reaching out so humankind can find him (Ac 17:26-27). This would indeed be a foreign idea to the Greeks. Now Paul uses 2 quotations to prove his point (Ac 17:28-29).
        1. From Epimenides of Crete he proves that humankind finds God in the very process of moving through life, as he is an integral part of our very existence.
        2. Then from Aratus of Cilicia he establishes the truth that we are actually related to him as kin, being part of God’s family. There is thus no need for idols of wood or stone, for we relate to God directly.
      3. The truth about divine judgment (17:30-31). Paul’s conclusion would have been startling, calling for repentance on the part of every listener in light of the fact that judgment is coming. Judgment was not part of Greek thinking, and the idea of Jesus physically rising from the dead would have been even more foreign.
        • God is the Creator, Ruler, Sustainer, Judge and we man have obligations and responsibility to Him.
    4. Reaction and aftermath (17:32-34). Founding a church. The results of Paul’s speech were positive, and the 2 distinguished followers and positive tone in general likely means Paul was allowed to stay, and that there was at least a house church stationed there. But it is strange that Athens is not mentioned again. The responses were:
      1. rejection (Ac 17:32a). Some rejected.
      2. reflection (Ac 17:32b). Some reflected. They thought about it.
      3. reception (Ac 17:33). Some received.
  1. “Reason and faith are not antagonistic, but complementary.” – Pope John Paul II
  2. “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth.” – Pope John Paul II
  3. “Reason can only be fully exercised when it is illuminated by faith.” – Thomas Aquinas, Italian theologian and philosopher
  4. “Reason can in no way produce faith, but it can make faith more intelligent.” – Thomas Aquinas
  5. “Faith is not contrary to reason, but above it.” – Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, and theologian
  6. “Reason is the foundation of all certitude, and the one thing that lifts man above the beasts.” – Fulton J. Sheen, American bishop and theologian
  7. “Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all.” – G.K. Chesterton, English writer and theologian
  8. “Reason should be the servant of faith, not its master.” – J.I. Packer
  9. “Faith is not opposed to reason, it is opposed to sight.” – Oswald Chambers.
  10. “Reason is the light, faith the assurance; reason is the path, faith the goal; reason is the means, faith the end.” – George Trumbull Ladd
  11. “Reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” – C.S. Lewis, British writer and theologian.
  12. “Reason is the enemy of faith only when faith is defined as irrational belief.” – R.C. Sproul
  13. “Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but—more frequently than not—struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.” – Martin Luther
  14. “Reason is the foundation of all progress, and faith is the foundation of all meaning.” – Rick Warren
References:
  1. Osborne, Grant. Acts. Verse by Verse. 2019.  Mission in Macedonia and Achaia, Part 2 (17:1-34).
  2. Witherington III, Ben. The Acts of the Apostles. A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. 1998. Proclaiming the Unknown at Athens (17:16-34).
  3. Stott, John. The Message of Acts. 1990. Through the Bible through the year, Daily reflections from Genesis to Revelation. 2006. The Apostle to the Gentiles (13:1-21:17). Mission in Macedonia (16:6-17:15).
  4. Peterson, David G. The Acts of the Apostles. The Pillar NT commentary. 2009. 
  5. Marshall, I. Howard. Acts. Tyndale NT commentaries (TNTC). 1980. 
  6. Wright, N.T. Acts for Everyone, Part 2. Chapters 13-28. 2008.
  1. What was Paul’s custom in each city that he went to (Ac 17:1-2; 13:14; 14:1; 18:4-5, 19-21; 19:8-10)?
ChatGPT: Acts 17 teaches us several important lessons.
  1. The gospel message is for all people, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or religion. Paul preached the same message to Jews and Gentiles, emphasizing that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
  2. Preaching the gospel can be challenging and even dangerous. Paul faced opposition, persecution, and even death for his faith and his message. Yet, he remained faithful and obedient to God, trusting in His protection and guidance.
  3. The importance of studying the Scriptures and examining our beliefs in light of them. The Bereans were commended for their openness and willingness to test what they heard against the Scriptures. We too must be diligent in studying and applying the Bible to our lives, seeking the truth and rejecting falsehood.
  4. The power of the gospel to transform lives and communities. Through Paul’s preaching, many came to faith and experienced the forgiveness, love, and hope that come from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

So, let’s be challenged to share the gospel boldly and faithfully, even in the face of opposition or rejection. Let’s also be encouraged to study the Scriptures diligently and apply them to our lives, seeking the truth and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Finally, let’s be grateful for the gift of salvation that we have received through faith in Jesus Christ, and let us live our lives in a manner worthy of His calling.

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