Athens & The Areopagus

Reader: Danita O'Loughlin Preacher: Jonathan Smith Paul in Athens doesn't begin with Abraham or Moses. He begins where his audience is - their religious instinct, their altar to an unknown god, their poets - then moves from what they already sense to what they don't yet know: a God who made everything, needs nothing, and isn't far from any of us. The sermon is contextualisation without compromise. Paul affirms what's true in Athenian culture before announcing what's missing: the God they've been groping toward (v.27) has now spoken clearly, through a man he's raised from the dead. The resurrection divides the room - as it always does. The next question to ask - how do the methods Paul used apply to us in modern life? What idols are we and modern society worshipping instead of the one true God? Red Door is an Anglican Church in Melbourne, Australia. We exist to be a community of people helping people make all of life all about Jesus.