Lesson #22

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Acts

September 21, 2015

Lesson #01

January 14, 2010

Lesson #02

January 14, 2010

RETURN TO THE SYLLABUS

ACTS 17
LESSON #22
REVELATION OF THE UNKNOWN GOD

• MEMORY VERSE: ACT 17:31a

• ACTS 17 CONTINUES PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY IN THE 3 YEARS BETWEEN 51 AND 54 AD. IT IS DURING THESE YEARS THAT OTHER POLITICAL CHANGES ARE OCCURRING.
• 52 AD FELIX BECOMES PROCURATOR (A GOVERNOR) OF JUDEA.
• 53 AD HEROD AGRIPPA II BECOMES KING OVER THE TETRARCHY OF PHILIP AND LYSANIAS.
• 54 AD NERO BECOMES THE NEW ROMAN EMPEROR AFTER CLAUDIUS.
• READ ACT 17:1-9
• THESE CITIES WERE ON A VERY IMPORTANT ROMAN HIGHWAY CALLED THE VIA EGNATIA.
• THIS ROAD WAS THE PRIMARY TRADE ROUTE THROUGH THAT AREA OF THE WORLD.
• THIS ROAD WAS USED BY THE ROMAN ARMY.
• THESSALONICA
• DETAILS ABOUT THE CITY:
• THIS CITY WAS THE LARGEST CITY IN MACEDONIA.
• THIS CITY WAS INLAND BUT STILL A SEAPORT BECAUSE THREE RIVERS RAN THROUGH THE CITY OUT TO A BAY THAT EMPTIED INTO THE SEA.
• ORIGINALLY THE NAME OF THE CITY WAS “THERMA” OR “THERME” BECAUSE NATURAL WARM SPRINGS WERE LOCATED HERE.
• CASSANDER, A GENERAL OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, REBUILT THE CITY IN 315 BC AND CHANGED THE CITY’S NAME TO THESSALONICA AFTER THE STEPSISTER OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

• APPROXIMATELY 200,000 PEOPLE LIVED IN THESSALONICA IN PAUL’S DAY.
• THE CITY CONSISTED OF MANY NATIONALITIES DRAWN THERE BY THE TRADING BUSINESS. THERE WERE GREEKS, ROMANS, ORIENTALS, AND JEWS.
• THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL AT THAT TIME.
• THE CITY OF THESSALONICA STILL EXISTS TODAY, BUT IT IS NOW CALLED SALONICA. THE POPULATION IS NOW ABOUT 300,000.

• PAUL PREACHED IN THESSALONICA FOR 3 WEEKS (3 SABBATHS) IN THE SYNAGOGUE. HOWEVER, FROM PAUL’S WRITINGS IT SEEMS HE STAYED THERE SEVERAL MONTHS.
• PAUL PREACHES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES PROVING THAT JESUS FULFILLED THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES.
• PAUL PREACHED ABOUT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AS A KING. (7) (1 & 2 THESSALONIANS)
• PAUL CONVERTED HUNDREDS TO CHRISTIANITY, ESTABLISHED A CHURCH MADE UP OF JEWS AND GENTILES, AND TAUGHT THE PEOPLE THE BASIC DOCTRINES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN A VERY SHORT TIME.
• PAUL WROTE THE BOOKS OF 1ST AND 2ND THESSALONIANS TO THIS CHURCH.

• PAUL TELLS US THAT THIS CHURCH WAS A MODEL CHURCH. (1THE 1:7 1COR 8:1-5)

• THE MAJORITY OF BELIEVERS IN THESSALONICA:
• MOST OF THE BELIEVERS WERE GREEK GENTILES AND WOMEN. THERE WERE A FEW JEWS, BUT THE MAJORITY OF JEWS REJECTED CHRIST.
• OPPOSITION:
• THE JEWS STIRRED UP OPPOSITION TO THE MISSIONARIES.

• WHAT WERE THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE MISSIONARIES?
• THE ACCUSATION IS THAT THESE MISSIONARIES HAVE TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. (6) WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
• THE RELIGIOUS ATMOSPHERE IN THESSALONICA WAS A STRONG PAGANISM THAT DID NOT BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH.
• REMEMBER THAT THE JEWS WHO WERE SADDUCEES ALSO DID NOT BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH.
• NOTICE THAT PAUL’S MAIN POINT IN HIS SERMON IS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST THAT WAS TOTALLY AGAINST ANYTHING THESE PEOPLE HAD EVER BEEN TAUGHT AS POSSIBLE IN THEIR PAGANISTIC RELIGION.
• CHRIST’S RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCTRINE PREACHED ALL THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• THE ACCUSATION THAT THE MISSIONARIES TEACH ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS AS A KING CONTRARY TO ROMAN LAW WHICH SAID THAT THE ROMAN EMPEROR IS KING AND GOD. (7)

• JASON
• JASON BECAME A BELIEVER AND HOUSED THE MISSIONARIES WHILE THEY WERE IN THESSALONICA.
• A MOB, IN OPPOSITION TO PAUL AND THE MISSIONARIES, ASSAULTS JASON’S HOUSE DEMANDING THAT PAUL AND SILAS BE TURNED OVER TO THE MOB.
• HOWEVER, THE MOB COULD NOT FIND PAUL AND SILAS IN JASON’S HOUSE SO THEY SETTLED FOR ARRESTING JASON AND A FEW BELIEVERS.
• JASON AND ANOTHER BELIEVER POST BOND AND ARE RELEASED. (9)

• READ ACT 17:10-14
• PAUL AND SILAS LEAVE THESSALONICA BY NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE CLIMATE OF OPPOSITION IN THAT CITY. PAUL PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STAYED IN THESSALONICA LONGER IF FELLOW BELIEVERS WHO HOUSED THEM WERE NOT ALSO IN DANGER.
• BEREA
• BEREA WAS 60 MILES FROM THESSALONICA AND OFF THE MAIN ROAD.
• A COMPARISON OF THE THESSALONIAN GENTILE BELIEVERS WITH THE BEREAN JEWISH BELIEVERS:
• OF ALL THE CHURCHES PAUL STARTED, THE BEREAN CHURCH IS NOTED FOR ITS PRINCIPLE OF WISDOM.
• THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY TO SEE IF WHAT THEY HEARD AND WHAT THEY DID CONFORMED TO THE WORD OF GOD.
• MANY CHURCHES AND BELIEVERS TODAY FIRST ESTABLISH THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM ON TRADITION AND/OR EXPERIENCE. THEN THEY FIND SCRIPTURES THAT CONFORM TO THAT BELIEF SYSTEM.
• THIS PRACTICE IS GETTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
• WE SHOULD BE MORE LIKE THE BEREANS WHO FIRST SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES, AND THEN THEY CONFORMED THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM AND THEIR RELIGIOUS PRACTICE TO THE WORD OF GOD. THE HORSE (THE WORD OF GOD) SHOULD PULL THE CART (YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM).
• IT IS INTERESTING THAT, OF THE MANY CHURCHES THAT PAUL ESTABLISHED, THIS CHURCH HAS NO LETTER THAT PAUL WROTE ADDRESSING THIS CHURCH.
• PAUL PROBABLY DID NOT HAVE TO WRITE TO THIS CHURCH BECAUSE THEY DID NOT NEED THE APOSTLE TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THEIR DOCTRINE. THEY STRAIGHTENED OUT THEIR OWN DOCTRINE USING THE WORD OF GOD.
• PAUL IS MADE TO LEAVE BEREA BECAUSE OF THE JEWS FROM THESSALONICA WHO FOLLOWED HIM TO BEREA. (13)
• PAUL CONTINUES HIS MISSIONARY JOURNEY TO ATHENS ALONE BECAUSE SILAS AND TIMOTHY STAY AWHILE IN BEREA AND THEN RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS CITIES TO CHECK UP ON THE NEWLY PLANTED CHURCHES BEFORE GOING TO ATHENS.
• IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR PAUL TO GO WITH THEM BACK INTO THESE SAME CITIES. BUT EVIDENTLY SILAS AND TIMOTHY WERE NOT NEARLY AS VISIBLE AS PAUL WAS.
• PAUL, SILAS, AND TIMOTHY MEET LATER IN ATHENS.

• READ ACT 17:15-21
• ATHENS
• ATHENS WAS THE CULTURAL CENTER OF THE WORLD IN PAUL’S DAY.
• THE CITY WAS KNOWN FOR AIRING NEW THOUGHT AND ENTERTAINING NEW AND STRANGE DOCTRINES. DIALOGUES AND DISCUSSION GROUPS WERE POPULAR.
• THE AREOPAGUS (19)
• THIS IS A VERY LARGE ROCK FORMATION ON A MOUNTAINTOP. THE PARTHENON STANDS ON THIS ROCK FORMATION.
• IT WAS A NATURAL PLATFORM FROM WHICH A SPEAKER COULD GATHER A CROWD AND AIR HIS PHILOSOPHY.
• IT WAS ALSO THE NAME OF A 12-MEMBER COUNCIL THAT MET ON THIS MOUNTAINTOP FOR THE PURPOSES OF MAKING DECISIONS REGARDING RELIGION AND MORALS.
• ATHENS WAS OPEN TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION AS LONG AS THAT RELIGION DID NOT COME FROM THE EAST.
• THE EPICUREANS AND THE STOICS (18):
• THESE TWO GROUPS WERE SECTS OF GNOSTICISM. WHAT IS GNOSTICISM?
• GNOSTICISM WAS A COMBINATION OF EASTERN MYSTICISM AND GREEK PHILOSOPHY.
• LATER THEY ADDED JUST ENOUGH CHRISTIANITY MIXED IN TO MAKE IT A DECEPTIVE COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY.
• GNOSTIC BELIEF:
• THE WORD, “GNOSTICISM”, COMES FROM A GREEK WORK “GNOSIS” WHICH MEANS = KNOWLEDGE.
• SECRET KNOWLEDGE WAS THE ONE CONDITION FOR SALVATION AND THE TEST OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF KNOWLEDGE WAS TO PURSUE IT TO ITS END, WHICH BROUGHT YOU SALVATION, PURIFICATION, AND IMMORTALITY.
• EVERYTHING THAT WAS MATERIAL OR MATTER WAS EVIL. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS GOOD WAS SPIRIT IMPRISONED INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY MADE OF EVIL MATTER. IF THAT TINY SEED OF SPIRIT WOULD GROW, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY GET RID OF THE EVIL OF THE HUMAN BODY. THERE WERE TWO METHODS OF CAUSING THIS GOOD SEED OF THE SPIRIT TO GROW THAT RESULTED IN TWO MAJOR SECTS OF GNOSTICISM:
• #1 STOICISM: THE KEEPING OF RIGID RULES AND SELF-DISCIPLINE. THEY BELIEVED IN PANTHEISM THAT GOD WAS IN EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE.
• THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT WAS FOUNDED BY ZENO IN ATHENS ABOUT 270 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST.
• #2 EPICUREANISM: THE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE WAS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE. THIS WAS WHAT THE GREEK OLYMPIC GODS DID. BECAUSE THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT WERE SEPARATE, IT DID NOT MATTER WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR BODY BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT AFFECT YOUR GOOD SPIRIT THAT WOULD GROW THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXPERIENCE.
• THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT WAS FOUNDED BY EPICURUS IN ATHENS 270 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST.
• ATHENS WAS THE CENTER OF GREEK PAGANISM.
• GREEK MYTHOLOGY:
• IF YOU STUDIED ANYTHING ABOUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY IN SCHOOL, YOU LEARNED THAT THE GREEKS HAD GODS FOR EVERY PART OF CREATION. THESE GODS FOUGHT AMONG THEMSELVES AND EXHIBITED BOTH GOOD AND EVIL CHARACTERISTICS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THE LIVES OF MEN AND GAIN POWER OVER OTHER GREEK GODS WHILE THEY PURSUED PLEASURE.
• PAUL NOTICED THIS GREEK IDOLATRY ALL AROUND HIM. (16)
• THERE WERE MORE IDOLS IN ATHENS THAN IN ALL THE REST OF GREECE. THERE WERE 3000 PUBLIC STATUES. IDOLS LINED THE STREETS. HOMES HAD THEIR OWN IDOLS. EVERY CITY SQUARE WAS DEDICATED TO A PAGAN GOD.

• READ ACT 17:22-31
• PAUL’S MAR’S HILL SERMON IN ATHENS:
• IT SAYS PAUL PREACHED IN THE MARKETPLACE. (17)
• THIS IS A MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS NOT A MARKETPLACE OF SHOPS.
• IN WHAT UNIQUE WAY DID PAUL GET THE ATTENTION OF THE PEOPLE IN ATHENS?
• “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious” (22)
• THE GREEK WORD, “SUPERSTITIOUS”, MEANS = SCRUPULOUSLY RELIGIOUS.
• PAUL MEANS THAT THEY HAVE A GOD FOR EVERYTHING INCLUDING AN ALTAR TO AN UNKNOWN GOD THEY DID NOT KNOW. (23)
• THESE PEOPLE WERE COVERING ALL THE BASES TO MAKE SURE THEY DID NOT OFFEND, TO THEIR OWN DETRIMENT, ANY GOD OF WHOM THEY WERE UNAWARE.
• PAUL NOTICED THEIR TEMPLES, THEIR ROADSIDE IDOLS AND ALTARS
• THE HIGHLIGHTS OF PAUL’S SERMON (22-31)
• GOD, THE CREATOR
• JESUS CHRIST,  THE CREATOR (24)
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE CREATOR GOD
• READ COL 1:14-17
• A GOD WHO DOES NOT LIVE IN TEMPLES (24) OR IN IDOLS (29)
• READ 1KIN 8:27
• A GOD WHO DOES NOT NEED ANYTHING FROM MAN SUCH AS FOOD AND DRINK OFFERINGS GIVEN TO IDOLS. (25)
• YES, GOD IS PLEASED WITH OUR WORSHIP, BUT HE DOES NOT NEED IT TO EXIST. INSTEAD GOD IS ON THE GIVING END.
• THIS POINT IS TOTALLY OPPOSITE THAT OF THE GODS OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY WHO DID EVERYTHING TO GET FOR THEMSELVES.
• A GOD WHO IS CREATOR OF ALL MANKIND. (26)
• ALL HUMANS ARE PART OF GOD’S CREATION, BUT ALL HUMANS ARE NOT CHILDREN OF GOD. ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE INVITED JESUS CHRIST INTO THE HEART ARE PART OF GOD’S FAMILY AND ARE BROTHERS IN CHRIST.
• PAUL QUOTES THE GREEK POET, EPIMENIDES, WHO SAID, “IN THEE (ZEUS) WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING”
• PAUL DID NOT USE THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES BECAUSE THE GREEKS DID NOT KNOW THE OLD TESTAMENT. INSTEAD HE USES WRITINGS FROM THEIR OWN BACKGROUND.
• PAUL CALLS ALL HUMANS GOD’S “OFFSPRING” (28) BUT NOT “GOD’S CHILDREN”.
• IN USING THIS WORD, “OFFSPRING”, PAUL QUOTES THE GREEK POET, ARASTUS (270 BC), A STOIC, WHO SAID, “WE TOO ARE HIS OFFSPRING”. ANOTHER GREEK POET, CLEANTHES (300 BC) REPEATED THE PHRASE. (28)
• GOD HAS DESIGNATED GEOGRAPHICAL ETHNIC LOCATIONS.
• A GOD WHO IS CLOSE AND AVAILABLE TO ALL. (27)
• “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him,” (27)
• READ ROM 3:11
• PAUL TELLS US IN ROMANS THAT NO UNBELIEVER EVER SEEKS GOD, BUT IF MAN DID SEEK GOD, HE WOULD FIND HIM CLOSE BY.
• MAN SEEKS TO FILL THE GOD-SHAPED VACUUM IN ONE’S SPIRIT. IF GOD DOES NOT FILL THAT VACUUM, MAN FILLS IT WITH THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS.
• THE PHRASE, “FEEL AFTER HIM” MEANS = GROPE AFTER GOD WITH THE PHYSICAL SENSES.
• GOD, THE REDEEMER (30)
• “AND THE TIMES OF THIS IGNORANCE GOD WINKED AT” (30)
• FOR A LONG TIME, GOD OVERLOOKED PAGANISM, BUT PAUL SAYS THAT NOW THAT GOD REVEALED JESUS CHRIST TO THE WORLD, GOD CAN NO LONGER OVERLOOK PAGANISM.
• THE REVEALING OF LIGHT DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY.
• ALL MUST REPENT.
• BY WHAT CRITERIA WILL GOD JUDGE MANKIND?
• GOD WILL JUDGE THE WORLD “BY THAT MAN WHOM HE HATH ORDAINED” (31)
• GOD WILL JUDGE EVERY HUMAN ACCORDING TO WHAT HE BELIEVES ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND HIS RESURRECTION.
• IN OTHER WORDS, ALL HUMANS CAN KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A FINAL JUDGMENT BECAUSE JESUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. IF JESUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD SO ALL HUMANS WILL BE RESURRECTED TO JUDGMENT.
• READ REV 20:11-15

• READ ACT 17:32-34 THE RESPONSE TO PAUL’S SERMON
• THE MOCKERS
• WHY WOULD THE GREEKS MOCK THE RESURRECTION?
• THE GREEKS STRONGLY BELIEVED IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLATO WHO DENIED ANY PHYSICAL RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
• INSTEAD THEY BELIEVED THAT ANY TALK OF RESURRECTION WAS A SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION.
• THE BELIEVERS
• MANY IN ATHENS BELIEVED IN JESUS CHRIST.
• DIONYSIUS WAS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF THE AREOPAGUS.

• APPLICATION:
• IN THIS CHAPTER WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH GOD’S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING “KNOWLEDGE”.
• THE GREEKS BELIEVED YOU COULD BE SAVED BY THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE. THEY WERE PROUD OF THEIR VARIOUS PHILOSOPHIES AND THEIR VARIED PURSUITS OF KNOWLEDGE.
• THE BELIEVERS IN BEREA SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES TO DISCOVER GOD’S KNOWLEDGE.
• READ HEB 1:1-2
• THE ENTIRE BIBLE REVEALS THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.
• THEREFORE, IF THE UNBELIEVER WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNKNOWN GOD, HE MUST COME TO JESUS CHRIST REVEALED IN HIS WORD.

HOMEWORK
ACTS 18
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ACT 17
• HOW HAVE YOU DETERMINED YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM?
• BY TRADITION
• BY WHAT YOU WERE TAUGHT GROWING UP
• BY THE BIBLE
• BY THE DOCTRINE OF YOUR CHURCH
• BY WHAT YOUR PASTOR OR OTHER BELIEVERS TELL YOU
• HOW SHOULD YOU DETERMINE YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM?
• READ 2 TIM 3:16-17

• PREPARATION FOR ACT 18
• READ ACT 18:1-28
• HOW DID PAUL MAKE A LIVING?

• WHAT CHANGE IS MADE TO PAUL’S MINISTRY? (5-11) WHY?

• HOW LONG DID PAUL STAY IN CORINTH? WHY SO LONG?

• WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER ABOUT AQUILA AND PRISCILLA?

• WHAT WAS WRONG WITH APOLLOS?

• WHAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE STRENGTHENING MINISTRY?

• MEMORY VERSE: ACT 18:28