The Very Religious Athenians by W. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 28, 1916

The Very Religious Athenians

By W. A. S.

IN the works of the ancient Greek writer, Pausanias, there occurs a paragraph that supplies an interesting comment on Paul's words to the Athenians, as recorded in Acts 17. The apostle opened his speech with the words: “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”

The Revised Version certainly gives the preferable rendering, in harmony with our knowledge of the apostle's unvarying tactfulness and courtesy. According to this, Paul's first words to the men of Athens were: “Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious.”

About a hundred years later, Pausanias, evidently a Greek of Asia Minor, made a tour of Greece, and wrote a voluminous account of his travels. Of the distinguished religiousness of the Athenians, Pausanias wrote:—

“In the market place of Athens, amongst other objects which are not universally known, there is an altar of Mercy, to whom, though he is of all gods the most helpful in human life and in the vicissitudes of fortune, the Athenians are the only Greeks who pay honor. Humanity is not the only characteristic of the Athenians; they are also more pious than other people.”—“Description of Greece,” book 1, chap. 17.

Thus, out of the ancient secular writer, comes an echo of the story told by Inspiration.

W. A. S.