Sermon in Acts series. Paul before the Athenians. Acts 17:16-33
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SEEKING SKEPTICS
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I. “Know your enemy.”
II. Paul’s confrontation with the modern world.
A. Ancient Athens was the intellectual center of the world.
B. Epicureans. “Eat, drink and be merry.”
C. Stoics. “If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
III. These popular philosophies summed up how ancients coped with life.
A. There has been little change to this day.
B. The pursuit of pleasure and knowledge still dissatisfy.
C. Paul was labeled a babbler.
IV. “Unknown gods.”
A. Paul preached to the people on their level.
1) God is the Creator.
2) All humans have a common ancestor.
B. We are morally responsible before God, and must change our ways.
V. All truth is God’s truth.
A. Paul quotes two Greek poets, Epimenides and Aratus, for support.
B. God’s truth can be found in other cultures.
VI. What do Christians have to say to their world?
A. Evangelicalism is tagged as anti-intellectual.
B. We should challenge our society on its level.
C. The gospel still stands.
#2542
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