At Gateway Church in Austin, we continued a series looking at the early church in the book of Acts.
What if faith was never meant to be boring, but an adventure? The book of Acts is the story of ordinary people encountering an extraordinary God, and stepping into a life they never expected.
It started with an invitation. To wait. To be filled. To trust God in a new way. And that invitation became an adventure; full of courage, purpose, and impact.
And here’s the best part, that same invitation is still open to you. No matter where you’ve been
or where you’re starting, there’s a place for you in the story.
ACTS: The Invitation… and The Adventure.
Don’t just watch it…step into it.
Digging Deeper:
Video Message from Gateway South Austin:
Audio Message from Gateway South Austin:
Message Notes from Justin McCarty:
Acts 17:16-34 (ESV)
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
This story from Acts picks up on the other side of the planet in Athens, Greece.
Maybe you’re asking: Why does any of this matter to me? Ancient world, ruins, two millennia have past – we live in a different world. Reasons why we should pay closer attention to this story: This was an extremely spiritual culture, highly cosmopolitan/urban, well-educated, culture of idea & innovation (“what happens here changes the world”), high value on arts & entertainment (we have ACL, SXSW, live music, and online platforms; they had philosophers, poets, plays). Feeling familiar yet? The gospel of Jesus encountered this exact culture – so what happened? Many of us believe Jesus but feel really stuck trying to figure out how to share it in our context. Others of us might relate more to the Athenians – “what are these babblers trying to say?” I invite all of us to pay closer attention to this part of the Journey – it may feel closer to home than it looks.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Paul arrives in Athens – a “city full of idols.” Idols are visible focal points for worship. But the really magnetic thing about idols is that they are also access points for control. In the ancient world, deities needed a level of “management”; these beings and forces were spiritual realities, but they weren’t particularly kind or benevolent – you couldn’t trust them; “idol worship” was a kind of hustle – keep ‘em happy and things will go well for you.
But the big problem was: how many gods are there? In a polytheistic culture, different gods could be in charge of every single aspect of existence. You can’t know for sure who is in charge, so you cover your bases. This is why an “Idol to the Unknown God” is just smart work by intelligent Athenians. It’s a kind of ancient “agnostic” approach – no one can know for sure, so the wise move is to cover your bases (diversify your investments).
Paul, a Jew by heritage, now disciple of Jesus and missionary, begins by spending time in Athens, talking and getting to know people, observing. v17: he reasoned with Jews in the synagogue and devout persons. He focused his first efforts on people who might be primed for the good news about Jesus; people who knew the Hebrew Scriptures and might see the connections. Interestingly, he didn’t rush to confrontation with people he didn’t fully understand. This was a culture jump for the gospel and Paul respects it.
Athens was a hotspot for schools of philosophy – thinkers who were trying to reason out the best paths for human flourishing. Intelligent, learned, wise people – we still have to read their work today in our education programs! Notice that the Epicureans & Stoics engaged with him as they became more familiar with his message; he wasn’t “in their face” – he was focused on his task of proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and King, raised from the dead and it caught their attention.
Athenian culture lived with an itch for “something new.” Their media options were limited, but these people would have stuffed themselves with YouTube, podcasts, Reddit & online forums. They lived on information overload with an insatiable appetite for more. “Tickle our ears,” pique our curiosity, give us something we haven’t heard or seen before. Sound familiar, yet?
PAUL’S APPROACH
Let’s look closer at how Paul approaches the Athenians. He is finally asked to present his teachings to them in a formal manner – think “college classroom meets city council.” In v.22, Paul begins by highlighting and complimenting something positive about them – they were “religious” – they took spiritual realities seriously. This is not just flattery; this is a genuine compliment. He’s been paying attention and he commends them for their spiritual curiosity and attentiveness.
“For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’” Acts 17:23 ESV – Paul shares his observation about their idols and altars, including the one “To the unknown god.” They admit they don’t know it all, and this is precisely where he finds an entry point into their mindset as the beginning of his proclamation of the good news about Jesus. You know that you don’t know, so let me “tickle your ears” with some new information – something you’ve known might be out there. Let me make it clear.
Skipping down to v.28: for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” Acts 17:28 Notice that he quotes their own poets, Epimenides and Aratus, to validate their own sources of knowledge and connect with them in their language; this conveys respect – he is a student of their culture. This is like someone quoting Willie Nelson, Gary Clark, Jr., or Matthew McConaughey to an Austinite.
By doing this, Paul imitates Jesus in his efforts to connect with people in a way they could easily understand. Jesus is famous for using parables – simple stories with layered meanings – to circumvent barriers that kept people from God. Paul used Greek poets & philosophers to not only convey respect, but it also helps bridge from ideas that are already present in their cultural mindset to ideas about Jesus that may not have been as intuitive.
PAUL’S MESSAGE
But let’s zoom in a bit more. We’ve seen how he approaches them, but what does he actually tell them? How much does he camouflage the actual message to make it more digestible? Not much! Using “the unknown God” as a jump off point, he immediately outlines key things about the nature of God and humanity that likely disagreed with. He course-corrects their spiritual understanding (he tells a different story than the one they were familiar with).
Here are a few elements of his gospel to the Athenians, just so we’re clear on what Paul was proclaiming to them:
- There is One God, not many
- This God is the true Creator and Ruler of the cosmos
- Humans cannot box him in or manipulate him
- He has no needs; he is the superabundant Source of all life
- Humanity is his intentional creation; he supervises all of us
- He wants to connect with us and isn’t far away
- He wants us to “feel our way toward him” because we cannot detect or discern him clearly
Paul isn’t pulling punches with the Athenians. He clearly confronts their idolatry – “you’ve made an error in your thinking,” (not something intelligent people like to hear). God is not something visible, elemental, or controllable; you cannot “manage” this God. He is not like you have imagined him. Human thinking about God will always fall short of the real thing; let God’s revelation dictate your thinking
In v.30-31, he gives them good news: they can turn from all this (repent) and put their confidence in “God’s man” – the One who reveals who God really is and is leading the charge in God’s purposes in history. The resurrection of this man is the evidence he offers – no one else has been permanently raised to life and exalted as King; he is the One and you can trust him. Paul hinges the reliability and truth of all this on Jesus’ resurrection, which gives us a clue as to how central it is to the good news. He is implying, “If the resurrection is real, it’s all real” – everything about Jesus is true, validated; which is why the resurrection is an essential part of this gospel.
THREE RESPONSES
Paul, student of the culture, respectful, thoughtful, bold, intelligent, passionate, filled with the Spirit of God, drops the mic. Notice the varying responses he gets, because perhaps we should expect the same?
Mockery: Some literally think he is an idiot and make fun of him
Curiosity: Some are not convinced, but they want to know more
Acceptance and trust: They believe what he is saying (they trust it) and him, going with him
Don’t miss this: these responses were primarily about his message. Those that mocked couldn’t stomach the idea of “resurrection of the dead,” those that were curious said “we will hear you again about this,” and those that went with Paul joined Paul in believing. None of the responses were much about the messenger, the clear issue was the message he proclaimed. Paul wasn’t the focus of their rejection, curiosity, or trust – it was Jesus.
HOW DOES THIS SHAPE OUR APPROACH?
Let’s see what we’ve learned, not only from this story, but also drawing on the entire journey through Acts up to this point. Perhaps you’ve wanted to share Jesus with others, here is this eerily similar culture, but haven’t known where to start or how to best approach them. Here’s a few stakes we can drive into the ground about communicating the gospel:
Rely on the Spirit of Truth.
People need revelation, not just convincing or persuasion. The Holy Spirit leads people into truth; he uses your voice but it’s his work that opens the heart. On a very practical level, what does this mean? Before you speak, pray. Ask God to show up, to do what only he can do. “The most important thing that happens is what God does between your mouth and their ears.” People need revelation from God – you cannot accomplish that on your own.
Lead with Respect.
Approach others with respect & dignity.
If you don’t genuinely value them and respect them, everything will come off condescending or confrontational. This often means, getting to know them and care about them before trying to debate or argue with them.
In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim, writes of his friend, David Wood, who shared Christ with him over several years from within a deepening friendship:
“Even though the gospel was his passion, he did not bombard me with his beliefs straightaway. The discussions arose much more naturally, after we became friends, and in the context of a life lived together. In fact, I was the one who brought it up.”
– Nabeel Qureshi
Speaking with David years later, he reflected on the role their friendship played in his difficult journey in becoming a disciple of Jesus:
“As we love people, like you did with me, I became your friend. We lived life together. You loved God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength while you also loved me. I got to see that. The danger is when people only love their neighbors but don’t proclaim the gospel, or on the flip side, they proclaim the gospel but don’t love their neighbors. You need to do both, in tandem.”
– Nabeel Qureshi
Seek to Understand.
Fear shuts down conversation. You can trust God to talk with someone that is different from you; you don’t have to believe everything they say. And they don’t have to believe everything you say. Disagreement doesn’t prevent relationship! What does this mean practically? Listen while they speak instead of formulating your next move! Follow the lead of Jesus and ask more questions. By most scholars’ count, Jesus asked 307 questions in the gospels; of 183 questions posed to him, he only answered 3! That’s 180 questions in response to questions. Jesus knew that people unlock from the inside through insight; questions unlock insight far more than statements.
Don’t Blend, Be Faithful.
God calls us to a holy life – not a culturally relevant life. We lead with respect and seek to understand, but it doesn’t mean blend in at all costs. You don’t have to tiptoe when it comes to stating what you know to be true – just be honest, respectful and loving. Jesus & Paul both understood the people they ministered to without totally absorbing their culture. Understanding the culture is distinct from embodying it. Most people need to see the difference Jesus makes in your life before they can trust him to make a difference in theirs! We are called to live in the culture of the Kingdom of God first and foremost – where it clashes, it clashes.
Even then, our goal is not to get them looking primarily at us – we point them to Jesus. The message, not the messenger, is the focus. If they are offended or repulsed, let it be about Jesus’ and not your approach or tone.
As we step out into the world this coming week, I wanted to remind you that we are not alone. Not only have people like the Apostle Paul gone before us in reaching across cultures to share Christ, but we are a part of a worldwide movement of people still living this out. At Gateway, we are partners with a church planting organization called M4, dedicated to bringing the gospel to the people of Europe. Miguel Castillo, one of our partners in Madrid, Spain is a fellow disciple of Jesus living out the same mission in Spain that we are called to here in Austin.
