The Holy Spirit's Discerning Ministry

Sometime later, Paul and Silas carried on their journey. One of the places they visited was Athens. While walking through the city, Paul was greatly disturbed by the many temples, as we can read in Acts 17:16

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

How did Paul deal with these idols? Did he go into the temples and physically try to destroy them? No, for that would have been of no use. Paul knew that in order for people to give up their idols, they would need a change of heart, and that could only happen if they heard the gospel, so Paul went among the people and preached the good news of Jesus Christ to them, as we can read in Acts 17:17

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.

And Acts 17:22-31

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 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. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built with by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like silver or gold or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. 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 all men by raising Him from the dead.”

And some people did accept his gospel message, as we can read in Acts 17:34

A few men 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.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER

Question 1. Which other city did Paul and Silas visit?                                                     Answer: Paul and Silas visited Athens.

Question 2. What did Paul see when visiting that city?                                                      Answer: Paul saw many temples in Athens.

Question 3. According to Acts 17:16, how did Paul feel about seeing all these temples in

                   Athens with idols in them?                                                                 

Answer: According to Acts 17:16, Paul felt very distressed when he saw these temples in  

             Athens with idols in them.

Question 4. Did Paul physically try to destroy these idols in Athens?                                Answer: No, Paul did not physically try to destroy these idols in Athens.

Question 5. Why did Paul not physically try to destroy these idols in Athens?                  Answer: Paul knew that physically destroying these idols in Athens would be of no use, for

              he knew that for people to give up their idols, they would need a change of heart.

Question 6. What did Paul begin to do in Athens?                                                            Answer: Paul went among the people in Athens and began to preach the good news of Jesus

             Christ to them.

Question 7a. According to Acts 17:17, where did Paul go to preach in Athens?                Answer: Paul went into the synagogue as well as the market-place in Athens.

Question 7b. According to Acts 17:17, who did Paul speak with in Athens?                              Answer: Paul spoke with Jews as well as God-fearing Greeks in the synagogue in Athens

              and he spoke to anyone who happened to be in the marketplace in Athens.

Question 8a. According to Acts 17:22-31, who did Paul speak with as well in Athens?             Answer: Answer Paul spoke with the Areopagus, which is the council of the city elders of

              Athens.

Question 8b. According to Acts 17:22-31, what had Paul observed about these people in

                    Athens?                                                                                              

Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul had observed that these people in Athens were                      very religious.

Question 8c. According to Acts 17:22-31, in what way had Paul noticed that these people in 

                     Athens were very religious?                                                                

Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul had noticed that these people in Athens were very 

             religious because he had looked carefully at their objects of worship and had even

             found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown God.

Question 8d. According to Acts 17:22-31, did Paul proclaim to these people in Athens whothis

                     unknown God is?                                                                                

Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul proclaimed to these people in Athens that the

              unknown God is the God who made the world and everything in it and He is the Lord

              of heaven and earth.

Question 8e. According to Acts 17:22-31, did Paul tell these people in Athens that this God

                     lives in temples built by human hands?                                                 

Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that this God does not

              live in temples built by human hands.

Question 8f. According to Acts 17:22-31, did Paul tell these people in Athens that this God

                    needs anything?                                                                                  

Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that God does not need

              anything.

Question 8g. According to Acts 17:22-31, why did Paul tell these people in Athens that God                           does not need anything?                                                                               Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that God does not need              anything because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 

Question 8h. According to Acts 17:22-31, what did Paul tell these people in Athens about how                      God had made every nation of men?                                                                 Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that from one man God

              had made every nation of men.

Question 8i. According to Acts 17:22-31, what did Paul tell these people in Athens God had                          determined for men? 

Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens God had determined 

               for men that they should inhabit the whole earth.

Question 8j. According to Acts 17:22-31, what did Paul tell these people in Athens God had

                     determined for men who were to inhabit the whole earth?                                    Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people that God had determined the

               times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

Question 8k. According to Acts 17:22-31, what did Paul tell these people in Athens as to why                         God determined the times set for men and the places where they should live?     Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that God determined                    the times set for them and the places where they should live so that men would see                  Him and perhaps reach out to Him and find Him, even though He is not far from any                  one of us.

Question 8l. According to Acts 17:22-31, why did Paul tell these people in Athens that they

                    should not think that the Divine Being is like silver or gold?                         Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that, as God’s offspring,

              they should not think that the Divine Being is like silver or gold because such an                         image is an image made by man’s design or skill.

Question 8m. According to Acts 17:22-31, what did Paul tell these people in Athens God

                      commands all people to do?                                                                       Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that God commands all

              people to repent.

Question 8n. According to Acts 17:22-31, did Paul tell these people in Athens that God has                           set a day when he will judge the world with justice?                                     Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that God has set a day                when He will judge the world with justice.

Question 8o. According to Acts 17:22-31, did Paul tell these people in Athens by Whom the

                     world will be judged?                                                                                       Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that the world will be

              judged by the Man God has appointed.

Question 8p. According to Acts 17:22-31, did Paul tell these people in Athens what kind of                              proof God has given that this Man is the One He has appointed as the Man 

                       who will judge the world?                                                                           Answer: According to Acts 17:22-31, Paul told these people in Athens that God raised this                      Man from the dead as proof that He is the Man God has appointed to judge the                          world.

Question 9. Did anyone in Athens accept Paul’s gospel message?                                      Answer: Some people in Athens believed Pauls’ gospel message.

Question 10. According to Acts 17:34, who were some of the people in Athens who believed? Answer: According to Acts 17:34, Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman

              named Damaris became believers.

Chapter Eighteen