Acts 17 Footnotes

17:22-31 A model apologist, Paul developed an argument based on God’s self-revelation in nature (natural revelation, see Rm 1:19-32) to build bridges—and to challenge prevailing beliefs. He complimented the Athenians’ evident religious inclinations, drew from observable data from the natural world regarding God’s nature, identified this God for them, established a relationship between God and humans, announced the coming judgment of the world by God, and even marshaled evidence from the pagan (Stoic) poets for his analysis (Epimenides; Aratus, who hailed from Paul’s own Cilicia).

17:23 Although no inscription with the singular “To an Unknown God” has been found, Paul likely saw such an inscription in Athens. Many parallels to unknown gods exist in inscriptions and writings lest any gods were overlooked.

17:27 Paul proclaimed in terms understandable to Athenians that God was near to each human, who (through God-given faculties) could get some indication of who God is.

17:34 Though the response to Paul was less dramatic than elsewhere (partly due to the disparity of Paul’s worldview with that of the Athenians) and no church was apparently founded, some of the converts included Dionysius (a member of the prestigious Areopagus) and Damaris (a woman of distinction, being singled out by name). Some charge that Paul’s visit was a dismal failure, prompting him to change his methods. However, this is most likely incorrect both because it’s an argument from silence and since Paul utilized a similar tactic—which appealed to natural revelation—at Lystra (14:15-17). Further, why would Luke have devoted so much space to a failed approach?