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| Apostle Paul discussed with Athenians |
Acts 17:16-34
The sermon takes reflections on how apostle Paul's journey on preaching the Gospel to citizens of Athens. They believes in various mythology gods: Zeus, Artemis, Athena, etc. However, actually they are confused about the truth, and does not having any hobby but to know something new. In their altar's banner carved: To The Unknown God. The Holy Spirit enlighten Paul's senses, understanding, and emotion to see things behind Athen's culture that needs restoration from God's Word.
Paul's perspective contains essential parts of Christianity that brings effective evangelizing of Jesus Christ; which is delightfully good to meditate upon as layman's rejection towards Christianity often comes from radical, inaccurate understanding about Christianity, with such response:
Christianity? That self-righteous, arrogant religion? Sorry, dude, I do not take it. Let they feed themselves up about their religion.
The preacher mentions four actions of Paul's in Athens:
1. Where he went: marketplace
Paul went towards the "marketplace" of Athenians. The current resemblance to "marketplace" in Athens are "shopping malls", the place where people observe, enjoy, and buy life's goods and needs, from foods, clothes, houses, contracts, and educations. Imagine a multifunctional mall where you can attend study courses, shop, attend fairs, and buying house credits. For Athens, the marketplace was even more significant as there are governments discuss, philosophers teaching, merchants selling, etc; the center point of urban life. Paul went there, discussed Jesus Christ at the public.
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| Ancient Athens Marketplace |
Other religions may seems adequate by enjoying private worship or meditation. Christianity serves different takes; The argument lies on the character of God as Creator of all things, then His Wisdom must be heard all over the place.
Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand?
- Proverbs 8:1-2, ESV -
2. How he feels: distressed
The feeling is addressed as "holy jealousy", being compassionate and indignant towards people around you, the people you love. Most people understands love as simply being kind, and jealousy is form of irrational possessive complex. Briefly, love in Christianity includes both elements: kindness and anger, if someone you love farther away from you. The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference, where people does not put in care anymore.
This form of love also understood towards the Cross [1] , crucifixation of Jesus Christ. God The Father punishes Jesus Christ furiously with dead-sin-separation, for redeeming human sins [2] and transgressions. Jesus Christ pay the price and rise from the dead, giving access for humans to reunite with God by being faithful to Jesus.
3. What he saw: idols
Idols are the things or objects you like and feel you cannot live without. The sign of idol is on who/what we build our identity upon and admires the most. Idols appear in ancient times through idol worships in form of statues and mythology gods, that resembles human characters and nature, like god of sex, god of war, etc. In modern times, it may comes subtly through hobbies or careers. Every holics, from workaholic, shopaholic, etc. or other things could be the example. Does those things bring us closer to the real satisfaction? Or is it like addiction, the things we like first, but later bored, and cannot help but to do it [3]?
4. What he did: preach the Gospel
In short, it is all about sharing and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ [4] to humans, general calling to all Christians. Changing times shows increased thirst towards spirituality to find sense of meaning, purpose of life, or peace. One thing to consider, one human cannot live true life if they seek wisdoms and pleasures within themselves, their goals, or their own agenda. Rather, seek God as He is indeed our Creator and design us for a purpose.
Knowing Yourself begins with Knowing God
- John Calvin -
And Christianity may became the start.
End Notes
[1] What is sin?
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