Why did Paul reason from the Scriptures in the synagogue? Study Acts 17 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · Acts 17
Paul reasoned from the Scriptures because the Jews accepted the Scriptures as authoritative. He showed them that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that Jesus is that Messiah. He did not rely on his own authority; he appealed to the Word of God. The King is revealed in the Scriptures.
The Bereans were more noble because they received the word with all eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. They did not blindly accept Paul's teaching; they tested it against the Word of God. The King honors those who search the Scriptures.
Paul was provoked because the city was full of idols. The Greek word kateidōlos means "full of idols." Athens was a city of temples, statues, and altars. The people were worshiping created things instead of the Creator. Paul's spirit was stirred within him. The King is jealous for His glory.
Paul connected with the Greek philosophers by acknowledging their religiosity and using the altar to the unknown god as a point of contact. He quoted their own poets. He did not begin with the Scriptures, which they did not accept. He began with creation and reason. The King uses different approaches for different audiences.
The altar to the unknown god was a monument to a deity the Athenians did not know. Paul used it as a bridge to proclaim the true God. He said, "What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you." The King uses the seeking heart as a point of contact.
No. Paul taught that God commands all people everywhere to repent. He also taught that God has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness. The resurrection is the assurance of judgment. Salvation is for those who repent and believe. The King calls all to repentance, but not all will respond.
Some mocked because the idea of resurrection was foolishness to them. The Greeks believed in the immortality of the soul, but not the resurrection of the body. Some delayed because they were curious but not convinced. Some believed because the Spirit opened their hearts. The King draws His elect.
Chapter 16 ended with Paul and Silas released from prison in Philippi and encouraging the church at Lydia's house before departing. The second missionary journey continues. The setting moves from Philippi through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, then to Berea, and finally to Athens. The chapter presents three very different responses to the gospel: a Jewish synagogue where some believe and some oppose, a Jewish community in Berea that searches the Scriptures daily, and a pagan philosophical audience in Athens that mocks, delays, or believes. The King is proclaimed in every context, and the message is the same: Jesus is the risen Lord.
Some critics argue that Paul's sermon at the Areopagus is a later composition and not an authentic account. But the sermon is deeply rooted in the historical and cultural context of Athens. The altar to the unknown god, the quotations from Epimenides and Aratus, the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, and the Areopagus council are all historically plausible. The most plausible explanation is that it preserves genuine historical memory. The account of the Bereans is also historically significant. The synagogue at Berea, the daily examination of the Scriptures, and the opposition from Thessalonica are vivid and specific. The most plausible explanation is that it preserves genuine historical memory.
This study preserves the hard questions, explanations, context, apologetic note, and references from Dr. Shallua's Commentary.