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A Study of Acts 17:16-34, and Its Relationship to the Apostle Paul and Athenian History and Religion

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A Study of Acts 17:16-34, and Its Relationship to the Apostle Paul and Athenian History and Religion Digital Commons @ George Fox University Western Evangelical Seminary Theses Western Evangelical Seminary 5-1-1978 A Study of Acts 17:16-34, and Its Relationship to the Apostle Paul and Athenian History and Religion James Allan Conley A STUDY OF ACTS 17:16-34, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE APOSTLE PAUL AND ATHENIAN HISTORY AND RELIGIO N A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of \{estern Evangelical Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Religion by James Allan Conley May 1978 , : ·.-:- i.. · ;: ~ (., ·· ·' -· ' 1 • . ... i\ c 75 !8 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTIO:!'-f. ............... .. .. .. 1 Statement of the Problem •• .. .. .. .. .. 1 Justification of the Problem. .. .. .. .. 1 Definition of Terms.......................... 1 Apostle... 1 Paul. • . • . • . 2 Homeric Pantheon •• .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Athens •••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 r·~1ethod of Procedure •. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Delimitation ••••• .. .. .. .. .. 5 Sources of Data •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 II. AN EXPOSITIOt·! ON ACTS 17:16-34 •••••••• •••••• ••• 6 Introduction •••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 6 A Look At the Greek Text. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 • • • • • 6 Important Phrases. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 6 Stoic Philosophy ••••• . .. .. .. 9 Epicurean Philosophy. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 Exegesis of Acts 17:18-34 •••••••••••••••••••• 11 Summary. • • • • • • • • • . • • . • . • . • • . • . • . • • • • 21 III. THE SECULAR & RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF ATHENS •••• • • 22 Introduction •••••••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 22 A Secular History of Athens. .. .. ~ .. 22 ii iii CHAPTER PAGE Background. • • . • . 22 Important Geographical Sites. .. .. 24 Political Evolution •••••••• • • • • • • • • 0 • • • • • • 29 A Religious History of Athens. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 31 The Homeric Pantheon. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 31 The Gods of Homer •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 35 Cronus and Rhea. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 Zeus. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 37 Hera. .. ·- .. .. .. .. .. .. 39 Poseidon. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 40 Demeter. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 Apollo •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 43 Artemis. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 44 Hephaestus ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 Athene. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 46 Ares •••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 47 Aphrodite. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 49 Hermes. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 50 Hestia. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 51 Summary • •••••••••.••..••.•.••.•.••••.••••.••• 53 IV. THE APOSTLE PAUL AND HIS . ........... 54 Introduction ••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 54 The Apostle Paul. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 54 Personal Details. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 54 Background. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 54 The Martydom of Stephen. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 59 iv CHAPTER PAGE The Conversion of Paul ••••••••••••••••••••••• 60 Background. • • . • . • . • . • . • • . • • 60 Paul 1 s f',1ini s try Begins. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • 61 Summary. • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • . • . • . • . • • • 6 5 v. SUf"'NARY AND CONCLUSIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••• 66 Summary •••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 66 conclusions •• .. .. .. .. 67 Suggestions for Further Study ••••••• • • • • • • • • • 67 BIBLIOGRAPHY. .. • ••••••• 69 APPENDICIES .. .. 73 Chapter I INTRODUCTION I. STATEHENT OF THE PROBLEr·1 It was the purpose of this investigation to de­ termine the significance of Acts 17:16-34, by developing an exposition of this passage and studying the uniqueness of Paul's ministry as it relates to the historical and religious background of the Athenians. II. JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEH This study was taken from Acts 17:16-34 and was found to be most interesting. This area of study has been chosen for several reasons: (1) to study the life of Paul and his ministry; (2) to exegete Acts 17:16-34 in order to study this section in-depth; (3) to investigate the material found within Acts 17:16-34 in order to gain greater insight into these verses; (4) to develop a better understanding of the importance of the Homeric Pantheon. III. DEFINITIONS The following words have been discussed so as to give a greater insight into the nature of this material. Apostle. An apostle is one who is a delegate or a messenger and is sent by God with a special commission 1 2 in mind. This Biblical term often refers to the twelve followers that Jesus Christ selected to be His disciples. Paul proclaimed equality with these apostles, Because through a heavenly intervention, he had been appointed by the ascended Christ Himself to preach the gospel among the Gentiles, and owed His knowledge of the way of salvation not to man's instruction but to direct relevation from Christ Himself, and moreover had evinced His apostolic qualifications by many signal proofs. 1 Paul. Paul was a follower of Christ due to his acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Savior on the road to Damascus. He was born in the Roman city known as Tarsus. This city was at its height at this time. It is evident that through archeological findings, Tarsus was located at the Northeast tip of the Hediterranean Sea. Paul learned the trade of tent making when he was in his youth. This supplied him with an income all the years of his ministry. Born the son of a Pharisee, he also learned Jewish Law and Old Testament Literature under the scholar Gamaliel. Paul was one who could identify vli th the Jews because of his Jewish background and could also identify with the Romans because of his Roman citizenship as received through his father. He learned the rabbinical ways of the scholars and became an active persecutor of Christianity until his conversion on the road to Damascus. As an apostle of the Christ, Paul proclaimed His Deity and J1essiahship. He loved Christ and preached for Him no matter what the 1Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek and English Lexicon of The New Testament, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Pub­ liShing House, 1970) , p. 68. 3 consequences held for him. (This information was secured from an accumulation of the study of the entire book of the Acts.) Homeric Pantheon. The word Homeric is derived from the Greek Poet Homer, who created the Greek religion into an amalgamation of gods. The word pantheon is used in his writings to refer to the many-god system of religion. Many of the gods in this system, as set up by Homer, were created by him but some of the others are older in nature. Homer has given us a lot of information concerning the functions and the characteristics of the Greek gods. Homer expressed to mankind, through poetry and song, man's human existence. He expressed men's attitudes toward the gods as they carne into the life of his heroes. Two writings are expecially attributed to the Greek Poet Horner. These writings are known as The Odyssel and The Iliad. Athens. Athens was a city of great prominence during the Hellenistic civilization of Greece and was the capital of Attica. The city itself was named after the goddess Athene. The city was centered around a rocky hill known as the Acropolis. Athens was about four and one half miles from the sea. Two walls about two hundred and fifty feet apart, connected the city with its harbor known as Peiraeus. The city was first ruled by kings, but was later ruled by hereditary magistrates called archons. 1'hese archons were leaders of the land owning aristocracy. The government of Athens later became the city-state or sometimes it was better known as the polis. 4 IV. f'1ETEOD OF PROCEDURE The method of procedure in this investigation is both inductive and deductive. The writer is convinced that, in an analysis of this type, any evidence of a bias or a predetermined conclusion on the part of the investigator would greatly influence the results of the research. Chapter two deals with an in-depth exposition of Acts 17:16-34. A study is made on this section with an intense study in the Greek text. As a result of this investigation, it is determined that a further study on Paul and the history of Athens should be made. Chapter three deals with the history and the religion of the Athenians. This chapter also deals with a discussion of the Homeric Pantheon. A discussion with separate de­ scriptions of each one of the twelve gods is presented. A number of their descriptions is covered. Also the philosophy and concepts surrounding each god are discussed. In chapter four, the uniqueness of Paul's ministry is dealt with along with a discussion of Paul's call from God and his life experiences as a traveling missionary. A number of personal experiences of Paul is cited. Chapter five deals with an analysis of the gods of the Homeric Pantheon and the One True God that Paul worshiped. Also contained in this chapter is a summary of the entire investigation. 5 V. DELIMITATION The purpose of this investigation is to determine the significance of the life of the apostle Paul and how
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