PAUL ON MARS HILL

Newsletter 249 June 26, 2011

Acts 17:22-34 King James Version

BEING RELIGIOUS IS NOT ENOUGH

Most religions are the result of human origin. In reality only Christianity and Judaism began with God. God prepared a people for the Messiah through the Law, but it is of Jesus, the fulfillment of the law and prophets, that He gave His church. It is only in Christ, the head of His church, that he promises redemption. It is not through “good deeds,“ and not for sale. It all hinges on our relationship with Christ, God’s Son, that we are saved.

Paul, is speaking to the leading minds of their faith, ranking from that in the “unknown god” to the peak, in their minds, of the goddess of the Parthenon, the ruins of which still stand in Athens. Our bus parked between Mars Hill and that ancient pagan temple. Just below was a view of the Sea. In between, at our feet, was the site of the market where Paul must have been teaching the week before this scripture.

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. (Acts 17:15, Acts 25:19)

He dismissed their religion as being just a superstition. It was not from God.

THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO (2 Thessalonians 2:4, John 4:22)

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; (Isaiah 4:25, Acts 14:15, Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 115:16, Matthew 11:25, 1 Kings 8:27, Acts 7:48)

Can you not see him with a wave his hand indicating each, the altars along the road, the world, the sea, and finally the temple, they held so dearly to?

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; (Job 22:2, Psalm 50:10-12),

RELIGIONS ARE LOCALIZED IN NATURE

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; (MalachI 2:10, Deuteronomy 32:8, Job 12:23)

All religions are localized in nature. They are dominate in certain areas, and usually among certain ethnic groups. This is true, even of Judaism which was meant to pass away with the coming of the Messiah and His followers.

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: (Deuteronomy 4:7, Jeremiah 23:33, Acts 14:17)

IN CHRIST THERE RE NO SUCH LIMITS

In Christ, there re no such limits. God sent him because of His love for the whole world. (John 3:16-17) Christ sent His followers to the World to teach and baptize for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38) Only through Him can we hope to come unto God the Father. “no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

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. (Job 12:10, Daniel 5:23)

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. (Isaiah 40:18, Romans 1:23)

FORGET THE PAST, GOD DOES

The religions of the world often point back to and reverence their human origins. and founders, Mohammed, Confucius, Joseph Smith, and Mary Baker Eddy, are but a sample of the many such persons. Christianity, is forward looking, to eternity with the Lord.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 14:16, Romans 3:25, Acts 17:23, Luke 24:47, Acts 26:20, Titus 2:11)

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. (Matthew 10:15, Psalm 9:8, Psalm 96:13, Psalm 98:9, John 5:22, John 5:27, Acts 10:42, Matthew 24:14, Acts 17:6, Luke 22:22, Acts 2:24)

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. (Acts 17:18, Acts 17:31)

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 17:19Acts 17:22)
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READ THE BIBLE THROUGH AGAIN IN 2011
JUNE

26th. Sunday – 1 Kings 16, 17, Acts 18, Psalm 78:9-20
27th. Monday – 1 Kings 18, Acts 19:1-20, Psalm 78:21-30
28th. Tuesday – 1 Kings 19:1-20:21, Acts 19:21-41, Psalm 78:31-39
29th. Wednesday - 1 Kings 20:22-21:29, Acts 20, Proverbs 15:27-33
30th. Thursday - 1 Kings 22, Acts 21:1-16, Psalm 78:40-55

JULY

1st. Friday – 2 Kings 1, Acts 21:17-40, Psalm 78:56-72
2nd. Saturday - 2 Kings 2, Acts 22, Psalm 79

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THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so,“

Acts 17:11

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