The Gospel goes to Mars! Mars’ hill, that is… Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. (Acts 17:22, KJV) Persecution is following Paul everywhere he goes. In our reading today, Paul has been in Thessalonica, Berea, and now is in Athens. Athens is deeply pagan and choked with philosophy, which troubled Paul. How does he communicate the Gospel to pagan philosophers who have set up shrines to every religion, god, and philosophy known to them at the time?
Notice what Paul says as he stands on Mars’ hill amid such a culture. …for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. (Acts 17:23–25, NLT) What stood out to me in these verses is that all their gods and philosophies could not meet their needs. Only the Lord God satisfies needs. At the bottom of philosophy and paganism is vanity.
Believers, let us rejoice that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has made us right with the God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth and gave life to everything that breathes. Let us be unashamed to stand on the Mars hill of our pagan and philosophical culture and proclaim Jesus Christ, for He alone is the only one who can satisfy every need. At the bottom of everything else is vanity.
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Acts 17-18:18.