Paul vs. The Philosophers

Passion Creek Church

In Acts 17, Paul finds himself in a city very different than what he’s used to. Grand temples, pagan altars, and false idols fill the great city of Athens. When he begins sharing the good news of Jesus with the people of the city, he’s mostly ridiculed. But eventually, he’s invited to share his beliefs in front of a small crowd in the Areopagus court. As Paul explains who the true God really is, he confronts and dismantles the pagan idolatry that fills that city. He proclaims the good news that God is bigger than any temple, can’t be contained in any statue, but is also nearer to us than our very breath. Today, our world is the same as Athens. We can be tempted, like the Athenians, to share devotion that solely belongs to God with other worldviews, religions, and ideologies that oppose the way of Jesus. But to truly seek first the Kingdom means we too must confront and dismantle the idols in our lives and give all of our worship and devotion to the King.