In our last lesson from the Book of Acts we watched as some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered Paul in the Athenian market place. Paul must have created quite a stir among these philosophers, because “They took him and brought him to the Areopagus” (Acts 17:19a, NKJV).
“The Areopagus” was the highest court in Athens, which among other things was charged with the responsibility of protecting the worship of the gods, the sanctuaries, and sacred festivals. Anyone preaching or teaching anything in Athens that would disrupt the worship of the gods of Greek mythology, damage any of the city’s religious sanctuaries, or interrupt the sacred festivals would likely find themselves arrested and forcibly brought before this Athenian court.
Paul was attempting to turn the Athenians away from the gods of Greek mythology to the Lord Jesus Christ, and as a result, “They took him [arrested him] and brought him [forcibly] to the Areopagus” (Acts 17:19a, NKJV). The high court’s interrogation began with the question, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?” (Acts 17:19b, NKJV).
The judges then made a very revealing statement, “You are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean” (Acts 17:20, NKJV). Obviously, the “Good News” had never before been preached in Athens, and as a result the judges who sat on the city’s highest court viewed its content as “strange things.” The Greek word translated “strange” in this verse literally means “unfamiliar.” The Athenians were completely “unfamiliar” with the “Good News” about Jesus and His resurrection, which was the theme of Paul’s message. Luke wrote, “He preached to them Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18b, NKJV).
Any “new” religious teaching brought to Athens was carefully investigated by “the Areopagus” to determine, in the view of the judges, whether or not it would hinder the worship of the gods of Greek mythology. That’s why Luke wrote, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21, NKJV).
“The Areopagus” exercised the right of capital punishment. Therefore, were Paul to be convicted of “disrupting the worship of the gods of Greek mythology,” he could very well be executed! It was into this serious scene that Paul stepped when “They took him and brought him to the Areopagus” (Acts 17:19a, NKJV).
