PeacePage
PAUL’S SERMON AT THE AREOPAGUS
RECORDED IN ACTS 17:16-34
(J. Polhill, Acts, NAC, 369-379)
i.
An Outline
of the Sermon:
(1)
22-23 -- Main Theme -- The Ignorance of Pagan
Worship
(a)
“very
religious” -- can be interpreted two
ways:
(i)
very devoted
to religious matters
(ii)
overly
superstitious
(b)
“to an unknown god” -- a play on the word ignorance . . .
(i)
Vs. 23 --
“to an unknown God”
(ii)
Vs. 23 --
“what you worship as unknown, this I . . .”
(iii)
Vs. 30 --
“while God has overlooked the times of human ignorance . . .”
(c)
For the
Stoics, ignorance was the cardinal sin.
(2)
24-25 -- (1) The Object of True Worship: the
Creator God and (2) The Folly of
Idolatrous Worship with Temples and Sacrifices.
(a)
If you
accept the premise that God is Creator then, . . .
(i)
(1) God does
not live in temples built by human hands
(ii)
(2) God is
not served by human hands (as if he needs anything
(3)
26-27 -- The True Relationship of Human Beings to
their Creator.
(a)
The
Providential God: This is
the main part of Paul’s argument.
(i)
(1) God’s
Providence over Humanity.
1)
God created
the earth, humanity; he set the span of our lives and the locations of
inhabitancy.
(ii)
(2) Human
Responsibility to God.
1)
Humanity
must Search for God.
2)
God is not far
off.
(iii)
This is a
call to Gentiles for whom the true God was “unknown.”
(4)
28-29 -- (1) The Culmination of the relationship
between Human Beings and God and (2) A Renewed Attack on Idolatry.
(a)
Here, Paul
attacks Idolatry as he had attacked temples and sacrifices earlier.
(5)
30-31 -- Return to the Main Theme -- The Time of
Ignorance has Ended and God is Calling Them to Repentance.
(a)
Paul used
the resurrection as evidence for the coming Judgment.
ii.
Summary
Remarks about the Passage:
(1)
Notice the Structure
of the Argument A-B-C-B-A. The “C”
section is the “heart” of the argument.
(2)
Paul was
building bridges to Intellectuals in the hope of winning some.
(a)
He used
their language, and
(b)
Quoted their
poets.
(c)
Paul did not
compromise the Christian principles of God as Creator and Judge and the
resurrection of Christ.
(3)
Results:
READ 17:32-34
(a)
Some
rejected what he said.
(b)
Some wanted
to think about it and talk to him again.
(c)
Some
believed.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++ PeacePage Directory +++
Classes | Degree Plans | Ministry Opportunities
Israel/Jordan Photo Collection | oDDs anD enDs
+ + +
Go Eagles!
OUAI
This page maintained by
Robert Lee Foster, rfoster@wbcoll.edu
Last revised: August 5, 2002