NothingExceptJesusChristandHimCrucifiedTheBookofActs,part44|Acts17:15–18:1|LonSolomon–SeniorTeachingPastor

–Date=50A.D. –Paul=believerinJesusfor17years.Acts17:1“Now,whentheyhadpassedthroughAmphipolisandApollonia,they(not“we”)cametoThessalonica.”

Acts17:10a“Assoonasitwasnight,thebrethren(inThessalonica)sentPaulandSilasawaytoBerea.”

Acts17:10b–11 “OnarrivinginBerea,PaulwenttotheJewishsynagogue(asalways).BUTtheBereanJewsweremorenoble-mindedthanthoseinThessalonica,inthattheyreceivedtheWordwithallreadinessofmind,andtheySEARCHEDTHESCRIPTURESDAILYtoseeifwhatPaulwassayingwastrue.”AlltheJewishpeopleinBereacaredabout=“whatdoestheBiblesay?”Acts17:12“Therefore,manyofthemBELIEVED,andalsonotafewGentiles,prominentwomenaswellasmen.”CometotheBiblewithanopenheartandreaditwithanopenmind–andyouWILLendupatJesusChrist!John5:39(Jesus)“YousearchtheScriptures,becauseyouthinkthatbythemyoupossesseternallife;yetitisthese(Scriptures)thattestifyaboutMe!”Acts17:13“ButwhentheJewsatThessalonicalearnedthatPaulwaspreachingtheWordofGodatBerea,theycametheretoo,agitatingthecrowdsandstirringthemup.”Acts17:14“AndimmediatelythebrethrensentPaultothecoast;butSilasandTimothystayedatBerea.”Acts17:15“AndthemenwhoescortedPaulbroughthimtoAthens...”

Acts17:15“...andafterreceivingacommandfromPaulforSilasandTimothytocometohimwithallhaste,theydeparted.”

Acts17:16“Now,whilePaulwaswaitingforthem(SilasandTimothy),hewasgreatlydistressedtoseethecity(Athens)wasfullofidols.”Acts17:17“Therefore,daily,PaulreasonedinthesynagoguewiththeJewsandintheAgorawiththosewhohappenedtobethere.”

Acts17:18“ThenagroupofEpicureanandStoicphilosophersbegantoarguewithPaul.Someofthemasked,‘Whatisthisbabblertryingtosay?’Otherssaid,‘Heseemstobeaproclaimerofforeigngods,’becausePaulwaspreachingJesusandtheresurrection.”Acts17:19,21“ThentheytookPaulandbroughthimtoameetingoftheAreopagus,saying‘Mayweknowwhatthisnewdoctrineisofwhichyouspeak?’...FortheAtheniansusedtospendtheirtimedoingnothingbuttalkingaboutandlisteningtonewthings.”“Areopagus”=“HillofAres”“Ares”=GreekgodofWAR “Mars”=Romanequivalentof“Ares” Therefore(insometranslations)=“MarsHill”

ThiswasanunprecedentedopportunityGodhandedtheApostlePaul.IfPaulcouldconvincetheseguystobelieveinJesus–there’snotellingwhattheworldwideimpactmighthavebeen!

PaulpreachesanutterlydifferentsermonthanalltherestofhisNewTestamentsermons.Acts17:22–23 “MenofAthens,Iobservethatyouareveryreligious.ForasIwalkedaround...Ifoundanalterwiththisinscription:‘TOANUNKNOWNGOD.’Now,whatyouworshipasunknown,HimIproclaimtoyou.”Acts17:24–25 “God,whomadetheworldandeverythinginit,HeisLordofheavenandearth,doesnotdwellintemplesmadewithhands,norisHeservedbyhumanhandsasthoughHeneededanything,sinceHeHimselfgiveslifeandbreathtoall.”Acts17:26–27 “Fromoneman,Hehasmadeeverynationofmankindtoliveonthefaceoftheearth,havingdeterminedthetimessetforthemandtheexactplaceswheretheyshouldlive,sothattheyshouldseektheLord,inthehopethattheymightgropeforHimandfindHim,thoughHeisnotfarfromeachofus.”Acts17:28“ForinHimweliveandmoveandhaveourbeing,asalsosomeofyourownpoetshavesaid,‘WeareHisoffspring.’”Acts17:29“Therefore,sinceweareGod’soffspring,weoughtnotthinkthattheDivineBeingislikegoldorsilverorstone–imagesmadebyman’sdesignandskill.”Acts17:30–31a “Inthepast,GodoverlookedsuchignorancebutnowHecommandsallmeneverywheretorepent,forHehasfixedadayinwhichHewilljudgetheworldinrighteousnessbytheManwhomHehasordained(i.e.Jesus).”Acts17:31b“AndGodhasgivenproofofthistoallmenbyraisingHimfromthedead.”Acts17:32“Andwhentheyheardoftheresurrectionofthedead,someofthemmockedPaul,whileotherssaid,‘Perhapsweshallhearfromyouagainonthismatter.’”Acts17:33“SoPaullefttheCouncil,andafewmenbelieved.AmongthemwasDionysius,amemberoftheCouncil;andawomannamedDamaris,andsomeothers.”Acts18:1“Andafterthis,PauldepartedfromAthensandwenttoCorinth.”AthensistheonlycityinwhichPaulpreachedwheretheNewTestamentrecordsthatheleftnochurchbehind.

“WhatwentwronginAthens?”1Corinthians2:1“WhenIcametoyoubrothers,IdidnotcometoyouwitheloquentspeechorwisdomasIproclaimedtoyouthetestimonyofGod.”1Corinthians2:2“ForIdeterminedtoknownothingamongyouexceptJesusChristandHimcrucified.”1Corinthians2:4–5 “Mymessageandmypreachingwerenotinpersuasivewordsof(human)wisdom,butindemonstrationoftheSpiritandofpower,sothatyourfaithwouldnotrestonthewisdomofmen,butonthepowerofGod.”“Ididnotcometoyouwitheloquentspeechorwisdom”–LIKEITRIEDTOUSEONMARSHILL!“Mymessageandpreachingwerenotwithpersuasivewordsofhumanwisdom”–LIKEITRIEDTOUSEONMARSHILL!“IdeterminedtoknownothingamongyouexceptJesusChristandHimcrucified”–WHICHWASNOTWHATMYSERMONONMARSHILLWASBASEDON!InPaul’ssermononMarsHill,henevermentionedtheVirginBirth,thedeityofJesus,thesinlesslifeofJesus,thecrucifixionofJesus,Jesus’bloodpaymentforoursins–andheonlymentionedtheresurrectionofJesusattheveryend!PaulomittedtheseelementstotryandmaketheGospelmoreintellectuallypalatabletothesephilosophicalgiantsonMarsHill.ButPaullearnedthat,intryingtodothis,thereisalimitbeyondwhichwecannotgowithoutsuckingthepoweroutoftheGospel!SOWHAT?“Fromnowon,it’sJesusChristandHimcrucified–whetherI’mwalkingtopeopleattheGospelMissionoronthefacultyofHarvard!”Galatians5:11“...theoffenseofthecross...”Ifyouareheretodayandyouaresavedandheadedforheaven–whatgotyousavedwasnotsomere-packagedGospelthatomitted“theoffenseofthecross”!Ifthiskindofre-packagedGospeldidn’tgetyouandmesaved–thenwhyintheworldwouldweofferittoanybodyelse?“AndwheninscenesofGlory, Isingthenew,newsong; Twillbetheold,oldstory, ThatIhavelovedsolong.”