SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 21 March 5, 2006

Paul Witnesses in Athens
Theme: Living by Faith in Christ Alone
Theme Verse: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 NIV
Readings: Acts 17:16-34
Memory Verse: From one man he made every nation of men. Acts 17:26a

      Once again persecution spreads the Good News of Jesus to a new place -- Athens. God has prepared some hearts. Paul is by himself, waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him, and he walks around and checks out the city. He sees all the idols, argues and debates with Jews and God-fearers in the synagogue and philosophers and others in the marketplace (Agora).

      Paul is not in "tourist mode". His spirit (that part of us that has a relationship to God) was "grieved and roused to anger" (Amplified Bible) as he saw that the city was full of idols. A word received: Are your spirits "provoked" by the idolatry around you?
Does that remind you of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and the blindness of its people? Do I also become distressed when I see modern idols (wrong ideas of God, substituting some thing else for God, putting themselves and their ideas in God's place)? Prayer: Lord, give me a heart for my friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, everyone who doesn't know you. Give me your heart and your mind toward them, Lord. Amen. A word received: Because Paul was close to me, I could speak to his spirit. I want to speak to your spirit too. Yield to me, come close to me and you will hear me speak to you.


      Pay attention if you feel uncomfortable. Look at what Paul did with his concern for the people. (Acts 17:17) "So he reasoned..." He reasoned, argued, debated with people he encountered. He followed through with an action that was constructive. A word received: I want you to follow through with action and sensitivity as Paul did.


      Paul's response to the Jews and God-fearing Greeks in the synagogue seems different from what we have heard before. "He reasoned" with them. Were they complacent about what was happening around them? Are we?

      Day after day Paul "reasoned", "disputed", "preached" in the marketplace day by day with whoever happened to be there. Paul clearly has a tender heart for these Gentile people -- so cultured, so intellectually curious -- so lost in idolatry. He has Jesus' heart for the lost. Do we? He is willing to debate the Greek philosophers even though they despise him. He gets their curiosity going though and they take him up to Mars Hill (Ar/e/op'/a/gus, this is either a meeting place there or a Council of the Areopagus, the supreme Court of Athens, custodians of teachings that introduced new religions and foreign gods -- from J. Thayer, "A Greek-English lexicon"). Acts 17:34 about Dionysius suggests it was an official meeting.

      What is the equivalent of the "marketplace" for us? Look at how willing Paul was to be engaged in discussion. A word received: Look at Jeri's (Jeri Ottaviano) bravery with her philosophy teacher. If she can do it so can you. You too can endure contempt for my sake.


      What was Paul's approach? He walked around and closely observed their objects of worship. He doesn't insult them; he begins with their hunger to satisfy God. He starts with a statement about their being "very religious" in having an altar "To An Unknown God". He starts from where they are -- common ground -- what they could understand. These are full-fledged, cultured pagans and he uses their curiosity about talking about the "latest ideas" to start a conversation. Paul is well-equipped for these conversations by his religious training and his education. He could quote some Greek poets. Do you know people who are always listening to the "latest" (ideas, fashions, sports, news, etc.)? Ask the Lord, who is relevant to every part of life, how to relate his good news to your friend. We should look carefully at what is important to our non-Christian friends and keep asking the Lord how to relate him to our friend's interests, hopes, fears as Paul did. Paul saw the inscription "To An Unknown God" as an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus.

      Paul had earlier aroused their curiosity by talking about Jesus and the resurrection. They thought he was talking about another god and his wife "Anastasis". Paul starts by proclaiming to them who this unknown god is. He identifies this unknown god with the God of Israel though he doesn't say it explicitly. He starts with creation by God who made (creator) and rules (Lord) everything. God doesn't need men's temples or offerings. But God provides everything for us and desires that people seek after him, reach out to him and find him. [The Greek for "seek after" is to feel after, verify by touching, grope -- as in the dark.] He challenges their prejudices by saying that "of one blood" God made every nation of people. [This also challenges any ideas of ours about superiority or inferiority (one group over another).] "He is not far from each one of us." This is a radical difference from the behavior and attitudes of the Greek gods and goddesses. Paul suggests the idea of people made in the "image", "likeness" of God by saying, "we are his offspring." The God Paul is talking about is a Personal God -- not a "Force" of "Idea", but one that we as people are like and One who wants a relationship with us.

      Then Paul rejects the idea of God being like idols that people make and says in the past God overlooked this ignorance and wants people to repent (turn away from that and to him) because God is going to judge the world someday. This was a startling idea. Then Paul ties this to Jesus as the man God has appointed by raising Jesus from the dead. This was too much for them. Some mocked. Others said, "tell us more later." But a few believed. Note the centrality of Resurrection and Judgment in Paul's teaching. Paul is able to found a small church. God rejoices over even one sinner that repents (Luke 15). Paul is persistent in telling people about Jesus and God's Good News. He is obedient and leaves the results to God. So can we.
* Do we, like Paul, have hearts that are tender toward those who do not know God?
* Do we know God personally or only know about God?
* Are we willing to have God put us in places outside our comfort zone?
* Do we expect to give account of ourselves God someday?
* Do we recognize a call to maturity from God or are we content to remain baby-Christians?

How to teach word for SS teachers: Acts 17:28c "…for in Him we live and move and have our being." That is how close I want you to be in step with Me.


Teaching Ideas for Lesson 21
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.

      Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.

      Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.

Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
      1.God wants everyone to know Him and His love.
      2. God wants everyone to seek Him.
      3. Jesus wants us to be willing to introduce our friends to Jesus. Sometimes this can be asking them if you can pray for them if they are sick or need something.
      4. The Bible Fund buys Bibles to send around the world to people who don't have money to buy a Bible or can't get one in their own language. When they read the Bible they can get to know God and His love.