Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 11-20-15 Edition

Sunday School
The Gospel Is So Powerful, Even The Prominent Can Be Saved (Acts 17:1–4, 10–12, 22–25, 28)
the Old Testament. This happened for three Sab- baths. Acts 17:1-4
The method worked. Jews and Gentiles were persuaded and quite a few prominent women responded. The word for prominent is “first.”
Paul’s Thessalonian min- istry was cut short by perse- cution. A man named Jason took the hit for Paul and Silas, who had been ushered out of town in the dead of night. The missionaries went to Berea.
The Berea’s were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica. They had eagerness to examine the Scriptures to see if Paul was telling the truth. Paul’s min- istry quickly ended in Berea with similar success between both genders of prominent people, as well as similar op- position from the Jews in Thessalonica. Silas and Tim- othy stayed for more min- istry, but Paul was sent to Athens. When Paul arrived in Athens, the city was living
on past laurels. But it was the city of the three great philosophers (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle).
Financially and demo- graphically Thessalonica was more prominent. But philo- sophically Athens was still the most prominent. Paul was deeply troubled in the idolatrous city (Acts 17:16). Even though they referred to him as a babbler (seed picker, v. 18), Paul pro- ceeded to undercut the major presuppositions of the Stoic and Epicurean philoso- phers. Acts 17:22-25, 28
With the great Parthenon in the background, Paul stood up at the Areopagus (a large rock formation) and did more than occupy their attention with something new (v. 21) — he scratched where they itched. He ad- mitted that they were very religious (the word almost means superstitious or de- monic), but they needed knowledge of the Creator God and his Son, Jesus
Christ. So Paul laid it out straight. Acts 17:10-12
Paul found his starting point by an idol with the in- scription, to an unknown god. Normally in the syna- gogue Paul would start with Genesis 12. This time he started with Genesis 1.
God made the world, so he cannot be served by human hands. God is the life giver—not some “dumb” idol. Again Paul gave evi- dence of his great learning by quoting one of their an- cient poets: “We are his off- spring.” Paul is laying it out straight to them on their own turf.
Paul literally went from Genesis 1 to Revelation 20— the great white throne of judgment (Acts 17:30, 31). Some suggest that Paul’s ap- proach did not meet with success, but try telling that to Dionysius and Damaris and others (v. 34). The gospel is so powerful that even the prominent can be saved.
Acts 16 set the stage for the gospel going up and down the social ladder. In Acts 17 the gospel goes up the social ladder to the prominent. In Acts 18, 19 the gospel goes down the so- cial ladder to the corrupt in Corinth and Ephesus.
Paul and Silas left Philippi under duress yet with dig- nity. They had been impris- oned for the gospel, but received an apology from the city officials that would en- sure the church’s safety for the time being (Acts 16:35- 40). They journeyed south
through the military posts of Amphipolis and Appolonia toward Thessalonica. This was the capital city in Paul’s day and still flourishes today as a favorite resort city with 200,000 residents.
This apostle to the Gen- tiles went first to the Jews in the synagogue. Paul rea- soned with them from the Scriptures. This dialogue took the form of explaining and proving that the Mes- siah had to suffer and rise from the dead. Paul’s method of explaining and proving seemed to line up
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