Acts 17: 16 - 34

1
Acts 17 16 - 34

• 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he
  was greatly distressed to see that the city was
  full of idols.
• 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews
  and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the
  marketplace day by day with those who happened to
  be there.
• 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers
  began to dispute with him. Some of them asked,
  "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others
  remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign
  gods." They said this because Paul was preaching
  the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
• 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting
  of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we
  know what this new teaching is that you are
  presenting?

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• 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our
  ears, and we want to know what they mean."
• 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived
  there spent their time doing nothing but talking
  about and listening to the latest ideas.)
•  22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the
  Areopagus and said "Men of Athens! I see that in
  every way you are very religious.
• 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at
  your objects of worship, I even found an altar
  with this inscription TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now
  what you worship as something unknown I am going
  to proclaim to you.

3

•  24"The God who made the world and everything in
  it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not
  live in temples built by hands.
• 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he
  needed anything, because he himself gives all men
  life and breath and everything else.
• 26From one man he made every nation of men, that
  they should inhabit the whole earth and he
  determined the times set for them and the exact
  places where they should live.
• 27God did this so that men would seek him and
  perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he
  is not far from each one of us.
• 28'For in him we live and move and have our
  being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We
  are his offspring.'

4

•  29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we
  should not think that the divine being is like
  gold or silver or stonean image made by man's
  design and skill.
• 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but
  now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
• 31For he has set a day when he will judge the
  world with justice by the man he has appointed.
  He has given proof of this to all men by raising
  him from the dead."
•  32When they heard about the resurrection of the
  dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We
  want to hear you again on this subject."
• 33At that, Paul left the Council.
• 34A few men became followers of Paul and
  believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of
  the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a
  number of others.

5
Pauls resolve

• Intro
• Nice picture of Leuven student live?
• Proclaiming the Good news
• Unstoppable!
• e?a??e????µe???, euangelizomenoi
• Do the work of an evangelist
• Matthias chosen on the condition of being eye
  witness

• v 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who
  lived there spent their time doing nothing but
  talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
  
• Acts 542
• Day after day, in the temple courts and from
  house to house, they never stopped teaching and
  proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the
  Christ.
• Act 121
• For one of these must become a witness with us of
  his resurrection."

6
The good news He is risen!

• Peter John
• Seized and put in Jail
• 5000!
• Stephen did not come further than the accusation
  of murdering Jesus

• Acts 42 They were greatly disturbed because the
  apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming
  in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
• Acts 44 But many who heard the message believed,
  and the number of men grew to about
• Five thousand
• Acts 756 Look he said, I see heaven open and
  the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God

7
He lives!

• The message of the resurrection
• Message of victory and Life!
• Resurrection was the affirmation of Jesus Christ
  being the Saviour, the Messiah

• Acts 433 
• With great power the apostles continued to
  testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
  and much grace was upon them all.
• Rom 14 -5
• was declared with power to be the Son of God by
  his resurrection from the dead Jesus Christ our
  Lord.
• 5Through him and for his name's sake, we received
  grace and apostleship to call people from among
  all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from
  faith.

8
Death no more!

• Death challenged
• The last enemy

• Acts 224
• But God raised him from the dead, freeing him
  from the agony of death, because it was
  impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
• 1 Cor 1555
• "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death,
  is your sting?"
• 1 Cor 15 26 
• The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

9
Damascus

• Paul witnessed Stephens death
• His resurrection experience Jesus standing
• Paul's own resurrection experience.
• 1 Corinthians 158 and last of all he appeared to
  me also, as to one abnormally born.
• God seeks the sincere, and the sincere seek God
• No need for further discussion!

• Acts 81 And Saul was there, giving approval to
  his death.
• Acts 93
• As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a
  light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to
  the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul,
  Saul, why do you persecute me?
•  5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.    "I am
  Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
• 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will
  be told what you must do."

10
The resolve (Decision)

• Acts 915-18 
•  15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man
  is my chosen instrument to carry my name before
  the Gentiles and their kings and before the
  people of Israel.
• 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my
  name."
• Suffer?
• Empowered with the Holy Spirit

•  17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered
  it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother
  Saul, the LordJesus, who appeared to you on the
  road as you were coming herehas sent me so that
  you may see again and be filled with the Holy
  Spirit."
• 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from
  Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up
  and was baptized,
• 19 and after taking some food, he regained his
  strength.
• 1 Corinthians 22 
• For I resolved to know nothing while I was with
  you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.