Paul’s Distress in Athens
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
Acts 17:16
Paul, having escaped stoning in Lystra and endured imprisonment in Philippi, was forced to flee from Thessalonica and Berea, and was thus led to Athens, where he awaited Silas and Timothy. His most famous speech did not arise from a missionary strategy, nor from a grand invitation to the Areopagus, but from an inner turmoil. Luke uses a very strong verb that does not indicate a mild sadness or disappointment, but an acute crisis, a churning in his gut. The same verb is used to describe the heated argument between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:39). It is an inner conflict, sparked by seeing the city filled with idols, which keeps him awake at night. Athens was completely submerged, suffocated by idols: there were more than 30,000 statues. Petronius wrote that in Athens it was easier to encounter a statue than a man. For a tourist, it was a marvelous sight; for a visitor, it was the world’s largest museum. Paul knows the living God, and he cannot remain indifferent to that sight. Today we have learned to live alongside idols: we call them culture, art, tradition, spirituality, and personal freedom. Athens, on the other hand, is a marketplace of well-being, full of altars dedicated to the perfect body, to success, and to performance. And in the midst of all this, instead of being “outraged,” we take a selfie in front of the idols.
Paul’s distress was not fanaticism, nor was it aversion to the Athenians. It was precisely love—just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem—because those who truly love people are distressed to see them deceived. If you do not love, idols (that which corrupts or enslaves people) do not trouble you; on the contrary, you tolerate them. Paul knew that behind every false representation of spirituality (or, if you prefer, an idol) lies a false promise of well-being and abundant life. Yet he did not start shouting in the streets, toppling statues, or simply posting a message of condemnation. His inner distress was the work of the Spirit within his human spirit—the compassion of God making its way into his heart. This is the difference between judgment and discernment. Judgment is outwardly distressed and condemns. Discernment is inwardly distressed and intercedes. Paul perceives the “spiritual” wounds of Athens, and his troubled spirit does not turn into bitterness—which is fruitless and paralyzing—but becomes ministry. In fact, it drives him. He does not complain, but engages in daily dialogue with the Jews—who know the Scriptures—in the synagogue, and with the Greeks—who do not know them—in the streets. If something is troubling you, a snarky social media comment isn’t enough to make you feel right. You need to go out into the public square and engage in dialogue, driven by love.
Faced with the idols that surround us, Christianity faces two temptations. The first is to admire them, becoming a trendy community that erects an altar alongside the others so as not to look out of place. The second is to hate them, to wage war on everyone, to denigrate even those who “use” God’s name. There is a third way—that of Paul, who allows himself to be deeply moved, to the point that his speech at the Areopagus becomes a plea of love. When he says, “I see that you are very religious,” it is not a rhetorical tactic, but the truth. That reference to the “unknown god” reveals their lack of knowledge. Perhaps in our evangelism we should set aside the techniques and rediscover that sense of distress—that is, a heart broken for the city. We pray for the church, for its needs, but when was the last time our spirit was stirred within us upon seeing our city filled with “idols” that cannot save? God does not seek indignant people; He seeks troubled people. For only a troubled heart seeks God for its city, and only a troubled heart can God use to touch that city. Paul was alone, weary, in a foreign city. Humanly speaking, it was the worst possible time to start a revival. But he had the most powerful tool: a spirit that had not grown accustomed to idols. Lord, restore this sense of distress to us.
Weekly Bible Reading Plan #39
September 21, Ecclesiastes 7–9; 2 Corinthians 13
September 22, Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1
September 23, Song of Songs 1–3; Galatians 2
September 24, Song of Songs 4–5; Galatians 3
September 25, Song of Songs 6–8; Galatians 4
September 26, Isaiah 1–2; Galatians 5
September 27, Isaiah 3–4; Galatians 6
Comments