There is no question that Jesus had the distant future in mind when He chose Paul to become an apostle. Paul is probably the only one of the group equipped and able to address the philosophers in Athens, Greece, when he received the invitation to address the ancient philosophical club known as the Areopagus. During that occasion, the apostle Paul may not have converted many people, but his brilliant defense of the Gospel is as informative today as the day he delivered it.
Waiting for his traveling companions, Silas and Timothy, to arrive in Athens, Paul was doing what he always did engaging people in the marketplace about Jesus and salvation. A group of philosophers questioned what Paul was saying and decided to test his knowledge with some well-seasoned thinkers and debaters at the Areopagus. The Areopagus was the premiere venue in Athens for sharing new ideas with the intellectual world in the region. Here, Paul would share his zeal for the Gospel with men who spent their days listening, sharing, and debating new ideas.
Paul’s knowledge of Jewish law and scripture were expert, as well as having great knowledge of the world at large. His Roman upbringing allowed him a deeper understanding of the beliefs, practices, and the history of Greece and its people. While the philosophers that participated in the Areopagus were primarily interested in the mental exercise of sharing new ideas this day they would be introduced to a philosophy that would change the world more than any other single philosophy in history, the message of Christ and him crucified. This Sunday we will explore what Paul recognized as essential information about the Unknown God.
