Steven A. Bush - October 18, 2015
Mission to Mars
The Apostle Paul's second missionary journey eventually takes him to Athens Greece. Grieved within by the statues of alien gods, Paul eagerly looks to share the Gospel. Epicurean and Stoic philosophers invite him to speak to them at the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill. Paul begins artfully, even quoting Greek poets rather than OT texts. But like all of Paul's sermons, Jesus is at the core center of each message. Acts 17:29-31 says: "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. 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 (Jesus) whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.” (ESV) While they sneer at the notion of the resurrection, Paul commands repentance and warns of judgment. So much for being seeker-sensitive! There was no mass revival among the Athenians and only a handful believed. No church was established there. The majority of the Epicureans and Stoics kept on with their wayward philosophies. Those who worshiped their favorite Greek and Roman deities kept right on doing so. That said, no one worships those deities today. While marble statues and pagan temples turn to dust, the Message of Jesus echoes strong and the command to obey stands. As for Mars Hill, it still pales in comparison to the hill called Calvary.