Institute for Creation Research

Acts 17:15

And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

16

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

17

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily ° ° with them that met with him.

18

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will ° this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19

And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

20

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. °

21

(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) °

22

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.

23

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, ° TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33

So ° Paul departed from among them.

34

Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Acts 17:18

17:18 philosophers. This is one of the only two specific references in the Bible to “philosophy,” the other being Colossians 2:8. Both have strongly negative emphases, warning against philosophy—that is, the love of human wisdom.

Acts 17:18

17:18 Stoicks. Like all other Greek and Roman philosophies of the day, Epicureanism and Stoicism were based on an evolutionary worldview. The Epicureans were essentially atheists, like modern Darwinists, whereas the Stoics were pantheists, much like modern New Age evolutionists. Both believed in an infinitely old space/time/matter universe, and both rejected the concept of an omnipotent transcendent Creator. On the popular level, both were expressed in terms of polytheism, astrology and spiritism, with the many gods and goddesses essentially being personifications of natural forces and systems. Both would naturally be strongly opposed to Biblical creationist Christianity.

Acts 17:21

17:21 some new thing. This proclivity of ancient intellectual philosophers is still characteristic of modern evolutionists, especially those espousing so-called New Age concepts.

Acts 17:22

17:22 Mars’ hill. Same as “Areopagus” in Acts 17:19. This hill near the Acropolis was probably used in Paul’s day by a council that formally evaluated new religious or moral philosophies. “Ares” was the Greek god of war, corresponding to “Mars” in Rome.

Acts 17:22

17:22 too superstitious. The Athenians were notorious for venerating a great number of gods and goddesses. What may have been religious to the Greeks was superstitious to Paul, since they attributed powers to these personified forces of nature which were only possessed by God.

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