“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” (1 Cor. 1:23). 

Negative critics who will not be persuaded by the evidence will always seek to justify their views with inflammatory terms.  Such assertions do not change the facts.  It has always been a tactic of unbelief to defame truth to make self and self-righteousness look good.  In spite of attacks Christians must “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15-16).  Consider three false assertions concerning the gospel found among unbelievers recorded in the book of Acts.

1.  Speech of Drunkards.  When those on the day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ heard the inspired word being spoken by the apostles, certain ones mocking said, “These men are full of new wine” (Acts 2:13).  If Peter and the apostles had let such a charge go unchallenged it would leave the door open to the words about to be spoken as the babbling of drunken men never to be taken seriously.  Some words are to be left unchallenged; for example, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him” (Prov. 26:4).  However, some are to be challenged; for example, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit” (Prov. 26:5).  There is an old adage that basically says that silence can often be interpreted as consent or admission of defeat.  Paul told Festus, “I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness” (Acts 26:25).  All scripture is inspired of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16), not the words of intoxicated men.

2.  Seditious Heresy.  Paul’s critics charged him with being “a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5).  Paul will later say in his defense, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14).  Whenever religious unbelief is challenged by the truth of the gospel, attacking the truth and those who uphold it soon follows.  Followers of truth are called divisive, dogmatic, etc.  Certain Jews from Rome said to Paul when they first met him, “But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against” (Acts 28:22).  Negative public opinions should never determine truth as seen here.

3.  Superstition.  Festus told Agrippa of accusations toward Paul, “But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive” (Acts 25:19).  Attackers of all religious teaching, including the gospel, hold that religion is merely the cults of masses who find it their way to cope.  In other words, it is the opiate of the people.  The gospel is the truth (cf. Acts 26:25) and should never be made parallel to any false devotion.  The message and implications of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ are established upon facts revealed by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Peter 1:19-21).  The truth in Christ is nowhere to be compared with any superstition (cf. Acts 17:18-31). 

Jimmy Clark

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18-19). 

Here is an example in the book of Acts where the truth was set forth among people who had an entirely different world view.  They are interested in hearing his words yet are still holding on to their own.  Paul did not back away from controversial matters.  Consider three things that he set forth of the proper world view from a Biblical perspective.

1.  One God.  Athens, Greece of the first century was filled with images to many gods (cf. Acts 17:16).  Paul’s initial beginning point of the discourse is the God whom they “ignorantly worship” (Acts 17:23).  He starts with God the Creator and Sustainer (cf. Acts 17:24-28).  He ultimately moves to God the Caller to repentance and ultimate Judge of the world (cf. Acts 17:29-31).  Not one time does the Holy Spirit through Paul refer to God as being like their world view.  When Paul wrote to the Ephesians where the temple of Diana stood, he wrote, “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:6).  How would the advocates of the philosophies of atheism and agnosticism hear Paul’s words?  How would the religious world of Buddhism, Hinduism, and the like hear Paul’s words?  Faith that pleases God “must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

2.  One Gospel.  Luke recorded that Paul “preached unto them Jesus” (Acts 17:18).  Philip preached the same to the eunuch (cf. Acts 8:35) and led him to obey the gospel of Christ (cf. Acts 8:36-39).  Paul wrote of the gospel to the Galatians, saying, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8-9).  Paul would not preach in Athens anything different from what he preached anywhere else.  He wrote to the Roman brethren, “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:15-16).  Paul stressed to Philippi that they should “with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).

3.  One Goal.  When Paul preached “Jesus, and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18), he closed his discourse with the words “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).  The resurrection of Jesus points to another day in which mankind will be judged.  This points to life and accountability after death.  Paul stated of his goal in life, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11).  Eternal life is the world view of the Bible.   

Jimmy Clark