Bible Studies
Acts 17 opens with Paul reasoning "from the scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead..." Some of the Greeks and leading women were persuaded. The Jews became jealous, however, and formed a mob from wicked men in the market place, and caused a riot in the city. They then began dragging certain followers of Christ before the officials (verses 2-9). Doesn't this have a parallel to what is happening today?
Now beginning in verse 10 we see that Paul and Silas were once again preaching. Nothing stopped them from preaching! Verse 11 says that the people who heard "were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so." This is a very important verse, for it is teaching Christians that we should not take someone's word for what the Bible says, but we should study it for ourselves. How much theological damage is being done today simply because too many Christians are following some Bible teacher, assuming that everything he or she says is true. This especially applies to some of the mega-church pastors or televangelists who have a huge following.
Once again we see however, in verse 13, that some of the jealous Jews "came there...agitating and stirring up the crowds" (vs. 13). This is just like today. We reportedly have groups of people who go from city to city causing trouble.
A new section of the chapter begins with verse 16. It says that Paul's "spirit was provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols." He began reasoning with them. Here we see the same thing in verse 2. As important as it is to share the gospel, we must also give evidence of why we believe it. Some were mocking Paul, calling him an "idle babbler," because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. The resurrection, folks, is THE basic belief of being a Christian. If you don't believe in the bodily and physical resurrection of Jesus, don't call yourself a Christian.
Paul responded by giving them a back-handed compliment, telling them that they were very religious, but they worship in ignorance because he noticed all of their objects of worship and an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god" (vs. 23). He proclaimed to them in verses 24-25 that the true God is very knowable and does not dwell in objects made with human hands. He goes on to explain that God has determined the boundaries of all nations and peoples, and their appointed times. Hopefully they will seek Him, because "he is not far from each one of us." Paul emphasizes in verse 29, "that we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man." But that is exactly what many people are doing today. They are making up in their own minds who God is, and not what scripture teaches. Romans 1 says they are worshipping their creations, instead of the Creator.
God, however, has "overlooked the times of ignorance" (vs. 30). What does this mean? According to BibleHub.com, "God has inflicted no punishment on the sins of the heathen...to show what people would do, and how much necessity there was for a revelation to instruct them in the true knowledge of God." With this said, Paul continues stressing that the time has now come to repent, "because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead" (vs. 31). As a side note, the phrase, "fixed a day," says two things: 1, there is coming a definite time when God will judge the world, and 2, God has a divine timetable.
But once again, some people laughed. Others believed and followed Paul.
Application questions:
1. How equipped are you in biblical apologetics? Could you explain to a skeptic why the Bible is true? Why the resurrection is true?
2. What are the many forms of idol worship, even in America?
3. Why do you think that so many people deny the resurrection, even though it is one of the most well documented events in history?
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