How do we witness to non-believers? Paul gives us some guidelines in Acts 17 when he preaches in Athens. At the time Paul arrived in Athens, they may have worshipped as many as 30,000 gods. The ancient historian Petronius is quoted as saying that it was easier to find a god in Athens than a human. The Athenians so desperately wanted to 'get it right' that they had even erected a statue to the unknown god.
Paul Was Provoked
When Paul saw all of the idols in Athens, the Bible says that he was provoked in his spirit (Acts 17:16). The word provoked here can mean that his spirit was stirred into action. What are these people doing? Why are they so far from God, even though they seemed to be seeking Him? Paul is stirred to reason with them (Acts 17:17).
It is safe to say, that today, we also have idols. Today our idols aren't usually gold and silver fashioned with hands, but our idols are the things we place our trust and hope in. The things that mean more to us than anything else. Our idols could be ourselves, our children, our career, our money and any number of things. I think if Paul were here today he would be very "provoked in the spirit" just as he was almost 2,000 years ago.
Paul Preaches In The Synagogue
As Paul usually did, he began his preaching in the synagogue among the Jews and the devout gentiles. When Acts 17:17 talks of reasoning, it comes from the Greek word, dialegomai, which means to thoughtfully discuss and to use persuasive arguments. All of Paul's preaching was scriptural. Since at this point in time there was no Bible as we know it, he was using scripture from the Old Testament.
Preaching In The Agora
After preaching in the synagogue, Paul began to preach in the market, literally known as the Agora. This was the meeting place where politics, business and the arts were all represented. Everything in the Agora revolved around religion and it was considered a sacred place. While Paul preached, certain philosophers, Epicureans and Stoics, heard him preaching the good news of Jesus and the Resurrection (Acts 17:18). For the Epicureans, death was annihilation- both body and mind would be completely destroyed; and the Stoics believed the soul simply went back to be part of the universe. Neither believed in a resurrection.
Epicureans And Stoics
So who were these philosophers? Epicureans lived for pleasure. They believed happiness in life came from doing what made you feel good. Today we would call them hedonistic. As far as the gods were considered, Epicureans believed they lived far off and didn't interfere with man. For the Epicurean, nothing you did could gain the attention of the gods in a good or a bad way. Stoic philosophers, on the other hand, believed that living a virtuous life would bring happiness. They believed in fate and that a person should just accept their fate as an unchangeable fact. They were pantheists, which means that they believed that god and the universe are the same thing. They believed that god was in all things and all things were in god.
Neither philosophy offered hope. Neither philosophy spoke of loving others as yourself. Neither philosophy believed in a loving God capable of sacrificing Himself for a human being. The Epicureans thought Paul was just "babbling" about nothing of value; and the Stoics were intrigued, in an intellectual sense, because he seemed to be talking about a "foreign god" that they were not aware of. So to learn more about what Paul was preaching they invited him to the Areopagus (Acts 17:19-21).
Preaching In The Areopagus
The Areopagus was a council in Athens that was tasked with administrative, judicial, and religious education functions. They had trials, debates, and important discussions, a little like the Jewish Sanhedrin. They wanted to understand more about Paul's new teaching because as Acts tells us, all they spent their time doing was, "telling or hearing something new." Sounds like the social media of the ancient world!
In Acts 17:22, Paul gives a slight compliment to his audience. He tells them they seem to be very religious in all they do. When we speak to others about Christ we shouldn't insult them. We see no name calling or condemning here by Paul. Paul knows they are so religious that they have even included the statue to the "unknown god". This Paul says, is the God he wants to tell them about. In verses 24-31 he proceeds to tell them about the God that they are really seeking and had not found.
Paul informs them that his God made the world and everything in it. People don't create things for Him, He created the universe. Life comes from Him, He needs nothing - certainly not statues made by human hands. He created man and determines history. God did these things to show man His glory and help them find Him. Paul's God loves His creation.
Paul Quotes The Stoics
Then Paul quotes their own philosophers. Paul says that "in Him we live and move and have our being." When Paul said this he was quoting a Stoic philosopher, Epimenides. Where the Stoic philosopher meant it in a pantheistic way, Paul uses it to teach a personal relationship with God. All joy comes from the blessings of God.
He then quotes another Stoic philosopher, Aratus, when Paul says, "for we are also His children." He turns these philosophic statements on their heads. Indeed we are the children of God, adopted into His family through Christ, even though the Stoic philosopher certainly didn't mean it this way.
These quotes would have made them realize that Paul was no ignorant, itinerant preacher, no, Paul even knew of the teachings of some of their lesser known philosophers. This would have caused them to be more interested in what Paul had to say. As Paul says, "I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some"(I Corinthians 9:22). Paul didn't compromise his beliefs, but he was sensitive to the culture of his audience in Athens.
Paul Preaches Repentance
Most importantly, Paul preached repentance. Why was it necessary? Because Jesus will judge us all and we know this is true because Jesus has been raised from the dead. Paul says we have been given "proof" of this. The resurrection is real! As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14, if Jesus wasn't raised from the dead then his preaching is useless and so is your faith. If Jesus wasn't raised then we would still be in our sin (1 Corinthians 15:17). And finally, in 1 Corinthians 15:19, Paul tells us,
"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."
How Did They Respond?
What were the people's responses from this "reasoning" of Paul's? One of two reactions, some laughed and mocked, while others wanted to learn more. Some became followers and believed, like Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, plus others not named.
Paul's Model For Witnessing To Unbelievers - Acts 17
Acts 17 teaches us several things about witnessing to unbelievers. As much as possible we need to know what they really believe. We need to know why they believe it. We need to approach people without condemnation or belittling. We need to speak to the heart of what is important to them. We can even quote from other belief systems that they may respect; but in doing so we don't do it to support that belief system; we do it to show them what it means in view of Christ and His gift to us. Finally, we mustn't leave out the most important aspects of our faith. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!
In the same way that Paul approached the Athenians with respect and an understanding of their beliefs, we can look at how we respond to modern challenges. Take, for example, the controversy over the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics. How should we respond? Should we call names, tell people they are hell-bound, or jump on social media to proclaim how offended we are? That was certainly not Paul's approach. Paul says "we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:23).
Anytime we as Christians are blocked, banned or silenced by unbelievers for speaking the truth of Christ; anytime we are confronted by a coworker, for example, that challenges our faith; it is our responsibility to stand and continue to speak truth. We have to be sure though, that we do this in a way that is not obnoxious, unloving, or unwise. If people respond with animosity, it has to be because we spoke truth, and not that we spoke it in an un-Christian way.
The Holy Spirit Convicts
Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who moves and convicts people. All of our nice arguments, facts and knowledge may be good, but people are only changed by the movement of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. It is the Holy Spirit who brings about transformation, who gives faith, who helps us put on the "new man".
Paul's Example
When we witness to others we certainly won't convert them all. Even the great apostle Paul didn't do that. Many will believe the preaching of the cross is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). Our greatest witness will be the love we show for others. Paul's example in Acts 17 is a model for us today. When we tell others about God we are being obedient to the Lord in reaching out to share the greatest blessing that we have - His Son, Jesus.
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