“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