Acts 17:16-21 Philosophy of Jesus

Acts 17:16-21

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What could this scavenger of tidbits want to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

The Greek city of Athens has also been popping and no stranger to people would worship the Ancient Greek god, the temple of Zeus, with a colossal statue of his image was inside the Parthenon. Athena has a history of the great philosopher, who would teach what they thought was that many lives. The Epicureans believe the purpose of life is to ‘eat, drink and be merry,’ The Stoics believe in depriving themselves and pursuing the simple harmony of existence. But these students of Greek philosophy, Paul’s teaching of the Words of Jesus and how He defeated death, were completely strange to their eyes. They probably said this follower of Jesus is crazy. But the Holy Bible tells us the message that the things of God are foolish to the natural man or woman, because the Bible says they might be smart in the matters of the world, but they lack the common sense to spiritual life.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Paul’s spirit was troubled because Athens was a very wealthy Greek city of the ancient world, but they were very poor in the real meaning of life. The true meaning of life is, whatever I or you do, eating or drinking, we do it to show God’s glory. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

https://youtu.be/w1J6r_cgmsw