Evening star., 1921-09-10
Paul in Athens.-Acts, 17.16-31.
Golden text: In Him we live,
and move. and have our being
Acts, 1i.2S.
BY REV. HUGH It. STEVENSON.

BY REV. HUGH It. STEVENSON.
Paul was lonely after the Berean
brethren and returned home. He eX-
perienced the same loneliness that
many a traveller has felt when walk
ing alone in the streets of a foreign
city. His heart was with the friends
far away. Hes longed for the arrival
of his colleagues, whom he had left
behind when he sailed for Athens. He
found nothing in the beautiful and
curious monuments of the famous
capital of art. philosophy, culture and
religion in the city which divides with
one other all the glory of heather
antiquity that could lift the clouds
of sadness caused by his separation
from his brethren in Christ. From
the time of his landing at Piraeus,
the seaport of Athens. he had seen
magnificent specimens of architecture
and sculpture on every street, square
and open space. but they were all
monuments of idolatry. They re-
vealed the Athenians' craze after the
gods. They had erected their idols
upon the homes and public highways.
Their presence filled Paul with indig
nation at their disobedience of God S
commands. His soul was stirred by
their folly and peril.
In the synagogues, where he
preached according to his custom. he
probably found an agreement with
his views about the idolatry of the
city. but there is no evidence that the
apostle won single convert for
Christ by his synagogue services.
While waiting for his friends to joiS
him. Paul mixed with the philoso-
piers and teachers of the city. He
mingled with the people in the mar
ket place. or ''agora." that was the
civic center of the city. Here he met
polished pagan and cultured philoso-
pher. There was something about the
''stoop-shoulder. wcak-eyed and stam-
mering" Paul that awakened atten-
tion and divided the public sentiment
Some discounted his gospel as folly"
others classed Paul with the seed
pickers." which was an Athenian
slang phrase that was used to de-
scribe the idler in the "agora" who
picked up like bird scraps of infor-
nation from others and tried to OBJ
tain reputation for wisdom by pre-
senting his "babblings" as an original
contribution to knowledge. Others
took him seriously and invited him to
give statement of his views before
the Areopagus. They took hold of
him and by due process of law
brought Paul before the highest court
of Athens, that passed upon all re-
ligious questions. deciding "as to
what gods should be admitted and
what teachings were for the good of
the city"
There was much in the surround
ings. if Paul spoke from Mars HILL
where Demosthenes and Pericles had
delivered their great orations, to in
spire him. The modern traveller,
standing upon the historic site in the
center of the ancient city and in full
view of its greatest monuments, hoary
with age and the traditions of CEN
turies, catches something of the spirit
of the hour. when the apostle to the
gentiles faced the court with his de-
fense of Christianity, as the only sat
isfactory faith. 1.-The temple of Eu-
mendes was Immediately below him:
the Propylea of the Acropolis 'front.'
ing him. and the Parthenon rising
above him, and on his left the bronze
Colossus of Minerva. the champion of
Athens. and the temple of Victory to
the right; behind him was the temple
of Theseus, and a countless multitude
of smaller temples in the agora and
cermicus below him."
A nobler pulpit, more intelligent
audience, for the more serious epi-
cureans and stoics were responsible
for his presence there, no preacher
could desire. PauPs address differed
from all his other sermons because
he adapted himself to the character
of the audience, who probably had no
knowledge or interest in the Jewish
great mind and was worthy of the oc-
casion. 1t was determined largely
by the philosophy of their two lead
ing schools. The apostle appears to
be master of both systems. The
materialistic epicureans. who sought
happiness in q life Of pleasure and the
qualification of every sensual desire,
''were there to taste the flow of words.
or to criticise the style. the choice of
images, the harmony of balanced SEN
tences." The fatalistic stoics. who
extolled virtue, insisting on the sub,
lection of passion to reason, and urged
the importance of becoming inde-
pendent of the ordinary sources of
to hear the new theory of life which
Paul advocated.
He tactfully pointed out their re-
1igious spirit as a people in his open
ing remarks and found such points
of contact in the vital truths SO that
he could present the Christian faith
as the only religion which could sat
isfy the needs of humanity complete
ly. Although he recognized the truths
preached by both systems Of philoso-
derision. without friends to comfort
and cheer him. fearlessly assailed
both philosophical schools and
preached Christ from their own poets
and monuments Paul recognized
what Prof Glover has pointed out,
that under the Roman rule all the
religions of the world had been. with
the exception of Judaism. fused into
Virtually one faith, that was blend
ing Of many religions. This had not
proven satisfactory, for some one In
his search for light in his darkness
had erected a monument among their
shrines to many gods with an in
scription, ITO the Unknown God,
that testified to the longing OF the
human soul to know the true God. In
a mastery way Paul pointed out that
the. God. whom Jesus revealed was
the Father, was the One whom they
did not know yet had in Ignorance
sought to worship.
In his presentation of the true God.
Paul made three points that referred
to His greatness, goodness and gov
ernment. One can easily discover by
reading this unique address OF the
anostIe its outline with the divisions
and subdivisions of the preachers 8
theme. He pointed to Gods creation
of the world and his rulership OF the
universe and men as an evidence OF
His greatness In his assertion of the
personality of an infinite, Independent
and intelligent spiritual God he broke
with both schools of philosophy. He
denied the epicurean view OF deity
OF an ido1-being in human form and
refuted the stoic's faith that deity
Il RrA