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Areopagus Sermon of Apostle Saint Paul
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Some background: |
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The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there too, stirring up and inciting the crowds. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. |
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Acts 17:10:15 |
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Saint Paul's Sermon in Athens, atop the Ἄρειος Πάγος – the Ares Rock – the Areopagus – that important judicial forum and meeting place of philosophers, theologians, jurists and those who aspired to number among them, so named the Areopagus Sermon: |
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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. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day with those who chanced to be there. Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, “What would this babbler say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you present? For you bring some strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. |
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So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. |
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And He made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, |
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that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him. Yet He is not far from each one of us, for |
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‘In Him we live and move and have our being’; |
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as even some of your poets have said, |
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‘For we are indeed His offspring.’ |
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Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all men 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, and of this He has given assurance to all men by raising Him from the dead.” |
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Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. |
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Acts 17:16:34 |
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| "Rise, and have no fear." |
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"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." |
the Holy Spirit |
Man proposes, God disposes |
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