The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany (NT)

Acts 17:16-34

¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

²² So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵ nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶ And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷ that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for

       “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

       “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

²⁹ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ³⁰ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” ³³ So Paul went out from their midst. ³⁴ But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

St Paul on Mars Hill (as some call it) is a very interesting story. Many have parrelleled this account to our current day and age, because we have many people who desire to be spiritual but not religious. The translation could very easily be that the people of Athens a very spiritual but have no understanding of this unknown god. So St Paul describes the unknown god as the one who created all things.

Oh maybe this is really the lesson for us today. I have been reminded that the most racially segregated day of the week is on Sunday mornings. But St Paul tells us, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,” St Paul understands that there is only one human race. We may not all look the same or act the same, but we all have the same forefather, Adam.

St Paul even speaks to our modern technologically advanced world, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.” The world knows this man, Jesus Christ. The world can no longer claim ignorance. It is time for us to repent our sin.

It is time for us to repent of our racial prejudice. It is time for us to repent of our worldly sins. It is time for us to repent of our sexual immorality. It is time for us to prepare for our judgment. God has appointed Jesus Christ to be our judge. The Father sacrificed his only begotten Son so that you may have life. He raised him from the dead to show you this is no joke, or laughing matter (as St Paul indicates). You may think you are very spiritual or religious, but if you do not know Christ you will be condemned.