Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.

Saturday, August 19, 2023


Psalms 110; 111

2 Samuel 19:41-20:13

Acts 17:22-34


Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.


This portion of Acts – the speech Paul gave at the Areopagus – is one of the best pieces of Biblical text we have in both understanding better the Christian faith for ourselves, as well as how to explain it to unbelievers. In a few short sentences, Paul outlines what is of primary importance; how to explain it; and what to expect in return.


His tone is excellent. So often today we hear Christians bickering with each other over the tone we should be using to communicate the faith to the unbelieving world. On one side, there are those who would throw out the truth of the gospel with no consideration for the listener, while at the other extreme, there are those so twisted up in trying to meet people where they are they distil all the power out of the message. Enter Saint Paul: he finds the point of meeting; “the unknown God”. So far, so good for our Stoic and Epicurean friends. Yet as he goes on, he pulls no punches: this universe is a creation, not an accident; God is a Spirit, both omniscient and omnipresent; all humans are equal by virtue of a common ancestor, Adam; God now calls all people to repent, or turn away, from their evil; and the dead will rise. Perfect truth, and perfect manners: the ideal ambassador of the Lord.


Note also the fact that Paul thinks these points are what are most important to include in his speech. These are the things that people like the ancient Greeks think about, and the post-modern Western world thinks in a way eerily similar to ancient Greece. Everything on this list punctures a hole in every important part of the secular Western worldview.


Finally, look at what causes scoffing: the resurrection of the dead. This is where things get serious. Everything leading up to this point can be syncretised. The airy-fairy partial-Buddhists who do a bit of yoga, recycle correctly and wear badges with slogans can just as easily incorporate those things into their existing beliefs as those who see the world as logical and predictable as the crease on their trousers. But as soon as you talk about Christ’s victory over death, everything becomes real. This is what Paul refers to in another place as the cross being the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). What joy, what peace, what blessed assurance Christ’s death and resurrection gives to the believer! It is the turning point of history, the hinge of humanity’s future. The death of death in the death of Christ, His subsequent resurrection and ascension into glory: everything comes back to the cross.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday, September 12, 2022

  Monday, September 12, 2022 Psalm 33 Habakkuk 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:1-14 In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. The lectionary has taken us from the beloved disciple to one of the most beloved of Paul's epistles: Ephesians. Paul must have loved this church very much: we get a sense of his fondness for them and their shared sense of purpose and worship just from the introduction. In what is likely just an introduction to a letter in the style of the ancient Roman world, Paul has managed to squeeze in the entire, wondrous story of God's work of redemption. Paul has framed it the way it ought to be framed: in a pastoral, encouraging tone. He has three main points here (remember, Paul proceeds logically to build up an argument, unlike John who circles around his main point). First: God intended to save us before the world was formed. Think back to the first l
Read more

“Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.”

  Monday, September 11, 2023 Psalms 28; 29 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 Acts 26:19-32 Observance: Deiniol, bishop (d. 384) “ Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.” The great many blessings of being under the protection of the blood of the Lamb fill our hearts with joy and peace. To have the Almighty Creator of the universe, the One who sits above the flood, filling the temple of our being with the cloud of His presence is what it truly means to be human. Every day is filled with adventure; every night turns to the rest of the victor. Certainly there are chains: sometimes they are physical chains, the suffering of being a Christian among people who do not love the Lord. Sometimes they are spiritual; the attacks of the powers of the air who try to distract us from the One we love. But they always fall away. Our Rock of Ages always frees us; always brings us out of the pit of despair. A won
Read more

Monday, September 19

  Monday, September 19 Psalm 45 Nahum 1:15-2:9 Ephesians 4:17-28 ...be renewed in the spirit of your minds... It is far too easy to read some of these Pauline lists of virtues and vices and feel like we have gone back to the dark days before the Reformation. The idea that if we behave ourselves then we can call ourselves “good people” is pagan, not Christian. Paul feels very strongly about how Christians behave, he “affirms and insists” upon it. But it is because of what has already happened that we should mind our step, not because of where we are going. Christ's resurrection is many things, but one aspect relevant for Paul's teaching this morning is that it demonstrates to us the radical new reality in which we now live. We too have passed (spiritually) from death to life; therefore, we experience a “renewal of our minds”. Instead of treading water until we die, we live lives. Everything now makes sense: God has spoken, so we have logic. God made us in His im
Read more