Focal Passage: Acts 17:22-34
Idolatry is something we don’t think about often, but it is very real and it’s all around us. Most people are not even aware of its presence would tell you they do not idolize anything. But if we were honest and looked closer, we might discover that we do.
Some might discover we value having money and self-sufficiency. Others might value recreational enjoyment. Still others might value relationship and acceptance. The list goes on and on. While there is nothing wrong with any of these things, it is how we approach them that will determine whether it is sinful idolatry or not.
For example, Scriptures say that the love of money is the root of all evil. Scriptures do not say that money is evil or that having money is evil. It says the desire to obtain it at all costs can cause us to do things we should not do — like selling drugs, which destroys other people’s lives or stealing and robbing which destroys other people’s livelihood.
These are just two things that most people would understand as being evil and sinful. But, what about the little sins committed to satisfy our love for money, like cheating on our tax returns and things of a more subtle nature. We as believers must always examine our motives and attitudes to avoid idols being established in our lives that we are unaware of.
In today’s lesson, Paul is in Athens because some Jews from Thessalonica had found out that Paul was preaching the Good News in Berea and had come there to stir up trouble.
Nimmo
The believers in Berea, fearing Paul’s harm, escorted him out of town and took him to Athens. Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea to finish the work there and then were going to join Paul in Athens.
While waiting for their arrival, Paul began to take in the sights of the city. He noted all the idols around the city and became very disturbed by what he saw. As was his general motif, he sought out the synagogue and began to preach and teach the Jews and God-fearers about Jesus. He then moved to the marketplace and preached Christ to whomever would listen.
There were a great many philosophers living in this city of about 30,000 people. Soon, Paul’s teaching caught the attention of some of these philosophers who loved to debate new ideas and teachings. They invited Paul to come to the Areopagus, where they met to discuss ideologies, so they could hear what Paul was teaching.
Paul begins by pointing out the fact that they were very religious because of the many idols seen in the city. He focuses on one idol in particular — the idol to “an unknown God”. He uses this doorway to introduce the one true God whom they did not know. Not everyone accepted Paul’s preaching, but there were others who did.
Believers should always look for opportunities to share our faith in Christ. Sometimes those opportunities will be found in unorthodox ways as was the case for Paul. He took one of their false Athenian gods and used it to share the one true God. We also need to be on guard so that we don’t let an “unknown god” to become an idol in our lives that we don’t see. B&R
