Title: Paul's Mission in Athens
Contents
Paul's Mission in Athens
Acts 17:26-34
We know that last time, Paul preached to Jews in a synagogue in the area of Athens, and at that time, the philosophical school of Ebigureo, or Epicurus, was founded by Ebigreus from the island of Samos, and they live a pleasure life. It is a school that insists that human beings and Gods are separate because they seek peace of mind rather than physical pleasure, and have a religious tendency toward naturalism.
And it was founded by the Stoic philosopher, Zeno from Cydium, the Stoic school, and they were opposed to the Epicurians because they insisted on strict asceticism.
They were serving the gods without the right priests. If we look at Greek and Roman mythology, we can see how human it is.
The gods love, jealous, revenge, hate, and fight just like humans. These are the gods that the Athenians worship. The Athenians built temples to these gods and offered sacrifices there and bowed down. It had a priest who made it by humans and worshiped it as a god.
So Paul preached with a biblical view. I learned five things from the sermon.
We meditate once again on verses 24-25, where Paul preached a very important doctrine.
Look at verses 24-25.
(1) It means that God is the Creator God who made all things in the universe.
(2) God is sovereign over the heavens and the earth, that is, He created life, the universe, and history, and governed and provided for them.
He is the one who rules.
(3) God does not dwell in places made by hands.
(4) Because God lacks something, He is not served by human hands.
(5) God Himself gives life, breath, and all things to all people.
I learned last time that the Apostle Paul preached a sermon to properly inform the pantheistic and atheistic Athenians about their false doctrine.
Dear saints,
Paul explained precisely who God is.
Do you know exactly who God is? And I hope that you too will become saints who can accurately introduce God to others like Paul.
Paul then goes on to specifically explain who God is in verses 26-27.
(1) God made all the tribes of mankind from one blood. There are now many lineages and tribes.
The first humans had one language and one culture.
However, because of human sin, there were many languages, cultures, tribes, and lineages.
But why did people create in this way? There are things that ask God and blame God instead of doing it. Many people do not want to have God in their hearts.
Not knowing God is a sin. Look at Hosea 4:6.
This is what the Bible calls sin.
(2) God put the human beings he made to dwell on the earth.
God created Adam and Eve and created the Garden of Eden for them. Look at Genesis 1:28. He blesses you with so many things.
The current environmental problems are the result of human sin. The way to solve this environmental pollution problem is for us to repent and return to God.
(3) Look at verse 26 again. The interesting thing here is that you set our age and set the boundaries of the curse.
It is said. Just as parents did not give birth to their children and let them grow on their own terms, so God created human beings and did not let them live according to their own heart, but decided everything and let them live there.
The God who works in history transcends history and transcends time and space.
History and time for humans are there with humans. Of course, God is not of the same essence as man, but he does exist with man. It is about coexisting with humans.
There is no man without God, and there is no God without man. Therefore, when talking about the nature of man or all the problems facing man, we cannot talk without God.
Man cannot be happy with a philosophy or an idea except for God. Because human beings are created in the image of God as the words of Genesis 1:27 say, there is no true happiness if we forsake God.
(4) Look at verse 27. It means that God is close to man.
God does not need the denoting pronouns here and there. He is the One who transcends space and time. Those who fear and fear God cannot sing praises.
He is worthy to be lifted up.
Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.