Acts 17 - The Good News - Part 2

We want to hear you again on this subject...

Still on the Good News - Continuation (Part 2)

Acts 17 verse 22 illustrates the message proclaimed by Paul and I will be doing an exegesis of this passage accordingly.

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So, you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

So, we see a group of people who gave their time and energy to something they knew to be valuable but not beneficial in the sight of God – it's just a waste of time.

The interesting thing is that we see this in everyday around us, in our local environment and in the world today where people serve and almost worship money, sports, idols and worthless things that doesn’t add any value to their lives– these are becoming unknown gods and we need to be careful about them, we need to guard our heart and give ourselves to things that are beneficial. I’m not saying don’t do sports or don’t make some money or don’t do music but what I’m saying we must bring these things under the obedience of Christ and above.

[1 Cor 10:23] “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

Paul portrays how powerful God is, how great He is – The Lord of Heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in temple built by human hands but lives in us as the Holy Spirit. He has come to serve and not be served as Jesus says. Our God is a life giver, he gives us life more abundantly and doesn’t want us to perish. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. All things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made and he did this so that we can reach out to him, to have a relationship with Him. And the most powerful statement of all. In Him we live (i.e. we must align our lifestyle with Jesus’s lifestyle, we must learn from him and how he lived his life) we move (i.e that we become his eyes, hands, legs and taking action and continuing the movement and spreading of the gospel everywhere) – and have our being (knowing our identity in Christ, as he is in heaven so are we on earth)

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

[John 1:12] But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Most importantly our savior is coming back and we will all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ [2 Cor 5:9-11] and will repay each one according to his deeds. [Romans 2:6] and for this cause God raised Christ from the dead. [Romans 8:11]

In Conclusion,

As we see in verse 32, the power of the Gospel is tremendous. It is the Good News. No wonder Paul said he is not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. [Romans 1:16] and immediately we see some people said “we want to hear you again on this subject” Amazing! – A good number of people became his followers while some sneered.

Please note verse 33, Even after some people show interest to want in listening again, Paul left the place – he allowed the people to make their decision knowing God will take care of the rest. When we share the good news to a friend or anyone, it is not our job to convince or enforce the word of God on people, that is the work of the Holy Spirit – He knows how to stir up and soften people’s heart to receive the gospel.

It’s a lesson for us not to feel burdened or pressurized when we shared the gospel, our responsibility is to share the good news to everyone we come around in words, deeds, lifestyle, music and anywhere we find ourselves. Its what we do as Christians, that’s our nature, our default mode. It’s a primary purpose. If it’s important to God that he had to send his son to come show us then we need to partake in the Christ Mission as well which is saving lives, not as the world use the word today with popular slogan as isolating or washing of hands or using nose mask but saving lives from destruction and giving them a chance to hear the gospel so they can have the opportunity to be with Lord eternally even when they leave the earth.

This is our default purpose in life and When your purpose becomes your pursuit, the provision for the fulfilment of that purpose also makes you its own pursuit i.e the resources to fulfil that mission which is your purpose now begins to chase after you as we see in Psalm 23 – Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Seek first kingdom of God and his righteousness and he will give you everything you need [Matt 6:33].

Thanks, and God bless

Editor: @o_segunfunmi