So Paul departed from among them closes his labors in Athens, his teaching cut short as he left the people and went on to Corinth. At the Areopagus he had proclaimed Christ to philosophers and sages devoted to art and idol worship, with noble firmness and winning power that astonished and silenced proud philosophy, yet with tact born of divine love that revealed the true God rather than directly attacking their gods. His work was not wholly in vain, for Dionysius and several others accepted the gospel, yet comparatively few received it and the fruit was limited because pride of intellect counted it foolishness. Inspiration preserved the account as a treasure of knowledge for all coming generations, bearing witness of unshaken confidence in loneliness and of victory gained for Christianity in the very heart of paganism. Disappointed that meeting eloquence with eloquence and logic with logic had no real effect, he determined on an entirely different course in Corinth, centering his teaching in veriest simplicity on salvation through Christ and Him crucified.
Paul's Work in Athens
So Paul departed from among them closes his labors in Athens, his teaching there cut short as he left the people and went on to Corinth. The setting was his public proclamation at the Areopagus to Greek philosophers and sages, among a people devoted to art and the worship of idols. With all their knowledge, refinement, and art they were yet proud, self-sufficient, and sunken in vice.
He proclaimed the faith of Christ with noble firmness and winning power, rising before the sages of Greece to forcefully answer proud philosophy and give evidence for the faith. By knowledge and eloquence he astonished his hearers and put to silence their arguments. His course showed tact born of divine love, for instead of directly attacking their gods and great men he carefully drew their minds away from heathen deities by revealing to them the true God who was to them unknown. A direct attack might easily have irritated his proud listeners and brought himself into difficulty and even danger of meeting the fate of Socrates.
His labors there were not wholly in vain, for Dionysius, one of the most prominent citizens, and some others, several in all, accepted the gospel message and united themselves fully with the believers and joined themselves to him. Yet comparatively few received the gospel and the fruit was limited, because the people cherished pride of intellect and worldly wisdom and counted the gospel of Christ foolishness. Inspiration preserved this glance into the life of the Athenians, with his words and the description of his attitude and surroundings traced to be handed down through all coming generations as a treasure of knowledge for the church. It bears witness of his unshaken confidence and his courage in loneliness and adversity, and of the victory he gained for Christianity even in the very heart of paganism, that it might be seen how God through His servant rebuked idolatry and the sins of a proud, self-sufficient people.
This time belongs to his former years of free public labor with open opportunity to stand before philosophers and before kings and governors and reason of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. That stands in contrast to his later confinement to his own dwelling in Rome, where he could proclaim truth only to those who sought him there and had no command like Moses and Aaron to go and rebuke the king.
Beyond Human Wisdom
Paul was fitted to speak before kings and the great and learned men, and intellectual acquirements often prepared the way for the gospel, yet in Athens he tried meeting false philosophy with true philosophy, eloquence with eloquence, logic with logic and oratory with oratory, displaying his learning, ability and smartness upon his hearers. The learned effort disappointed him and failed to bring the success he hoped for, having no real effect. Looking back he saw that something above even the wisdom of learned men is needed, that intellectual development must be sanctified by the Spirit of God in order to convict and convert sinners, and that power must be received from a higher source by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, which gives eternal life.
Because of that disappointment he determined on an entirely different course in Corinth, avoiding elaborate arguments and worldly wisdom and centering his teaching in veriest simplicity on salvation through Christ, especially Christ crucified, as Saviour of sinners, presenting plain simple truth about Christ and His mission to the world. Though his reasoning in Athens had astonished and silenced his hearers, the effort led few to accept the gospel, and afterward he pointed people simply to Christ as the Saviour of sinners. The lesson is to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, because a short lifetime leaves time for nothing else.
So Paul departed from among them closes his labors in Athens, his teaching cut short as he left the people and went on to Corinth. At the Areopagus he had proclaimed Christ to philosophers and sages devoted to art and idol worship, with noble firmness and winning power that astonished and silenced proud philosophy, yet with tact born of divine love that revealed the true God rather than directly attacking their gods. His work was not wholly in vain, for Dionysius and several others accepted the gospel, yet comparatively few received it and the fruit was limited because pride of intellect counted it foolishness. Inspiration preserved the account as a treasure of knowledge for all coming generations, bearing witness of unshaken confidence in loneliness and of victory gained for Christianity in the very heart of paganism. Disappointed that meeting eloquence with eloquence and logic with logic had no real effect, he determined on an entirely different course in Corinth, centering his teaching in veriest simplicity on salvation through Christ and Him crucified.
Paul's Work in Athens
So Paul departed from among them closes his labors in Athens, his teaching there cut short as he left the people and went on to Corinth. The setting was his public proclamation at the Areopagus to Greek philosophers and sages, among a people devoted to art and the worship of idols. With all their knowledge, refinement, and art they were yet proud, self-sufficient, and sunken in vice.
He proclaimed the faith of Christ with noble firmness and winning power, rising before the sages of Greece to forcefully answer proud philosophy and give evidence for the faith. By knowledge and eloquence he astonished his hearers and put to silence their arguments. His course showed tact born of divine love, for instead of directly attacking their gods and great men he carefully drew their minds away from heathen deities by revealing to them the true God who was to them unknown. A direct attack might easily have irritated his proud listeners and brought himself into difficulty and even danger of meeting the fate of Socrates.
His labors there were not wholly in vain, for Dionysius, one of the most prominent citizens, and some others, several in all, accepted the gospel message and united themselves fully with the believers and joined themselves to him. Yet comparatively few received the gospel and the fruit was limited, because the people cherished pride of intellect and worldly wisdom and counted the gospel of Christ foolishness. Inspiration preserved this glance into the life of the Athenians, with his words and the description of his attitude and surroundings traced to be handed down through all coming generations as a treasure of knowledge for the church. It bears witness of his unshaken confidence and his courage in loneliness and adversity, and of the victory he gained for Christianity even in the very heart of paganism, that it might be seen how God through His servant rebuked idolatry and the sins of a proud, self-sufficient people.
This time belongs to his former years of free public labor with open opportunity to stand before philosophers and before kings and governors and reason of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. That stands in contrast to his later confinement to his own dwelling in Rome, where he could proclaim truth only to those who sought him there and had no command like Moses and Aaron to go and rebuke the king.
Beyond Human Wisdom
Paul was fitted to speak before kings and the great and learned men, and intellectual acquirements often prepared the way for the gospel, yet in Athens he tried meeting false philosophy with true philosophy, eloquence with eloquence, logic with logic and oratory with oratory, displaying his learning, ability and smartness upon his hearers. The learned effort disappointed him and failed to bring the success he hoped for, having no real effect. Looking back he saw that something above even the wisdom of learned men is needed, that intellectual development must be sanctified by the Spirit of God in order to convict and convert sinners, and that power must be received from a higher source by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, which gives eternal life.
Because of that disappointment he determined on an entirely different course in Corinth, avoiding elaborate arguments and worldly wisdom and centering his teaching in veriest simplicity on salvation through Christ, especially Christ crucified, as Saviour of sinners, presenting plain simple truth about Christ and His mission to the world. Though his reasoning in Athens had astonished and silenced his hearers, the effort led few to accept the gospel, and afterward he pointed people simply to Christ as the Saviour of sinners. The lesson is to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, because a short lifetime leaves time for nothing else.