Athens is the capital city of Greece. It is located on a plain near the southern coastline. Greeks first occupied Athens around 1900 B.C. The earliest settlements began on the large, flat-topped hill of Acropolis, which was protected by steep slopes on all sides except the west. The city eventually grew around the fortified hill. Athens was one of the first city – states, an independent region including a main city which governed itself. In Athens developed the first democratic government.
The people of Athens first tried to build their society on their city-state. Their city and its government was supposed to give their lives meaning. This failed since the city was not adequate to be a base for their society.
The Athenians worshiped many gods. They believed that these gods had human forms and made mistakes, were limited in power, but supposedly lived forever. Some Athenians realized that their gods were childish and unworthy of worship. So, they turned to philosophy and tried to discover the meaning of life.
Paul came to Athens on one of his missionary journeys. He fled from Berea when Jews came to persecute him. As he waited for Silas and Timothy, he saw that the city was “wholly given to idolatry.” Paul debated and argued with Jews in their synagogues and idol worshippers in their temples, in the market, or wherever he was.
Athens was one of the first Gentile cities to hear the Gospel preached. Paul was encountered by Epicureans and Stoics, philosophers who were searching for happiness and the meaning of life. The Bible explains, “For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or hear some new thing.” This shows what a great hold philosophy had on the people of Athens. Then Paul stood up on Mars Hill and began to preach. He rebuked the Athenians for their superstitions. He eloquently explained who God is and how to worship Him. God was now commanding all men everywhere to repent. Some thought he was introducing a new, strange god because he spoke of Jesus. They questioned him further about this “new doctrine”. When the people heard of the resurrection, many mocked and did not believe. But God had His people here, too. A few followed Paul.
Many of the ideas and thoughts of the world today can be traced back to Athens. Like the Greeks in Bible times people today are searching for life’s meaning and the way to happiness. They search for something to trust in: no longer do they put their hope in images but in things like money, health and youth. As in ancient Athens, today’s world worships man in humanism as well as worshiping the human body and the human mind. We as God’s people not only reject the many gods set forth by the Athenians, but we also reject the confidence of today’s man in man and the passing things of this world. We know that Christ is our only comfort in life and in death because He has given us a new spiritual life and mind.