Knowing What You Need to Know
16. While Paul waited for them at Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.
17. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18. He also debated with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and the Resurrection, they said, “What is this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he has picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19. Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said.
20. “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it is all about.”
21. (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22. So Paul, standing before the council addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,”
23. “For as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To the Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the One I’m telling you about.”
24. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples.”
25. “And human hands can’t serve His needs – for He has no needs.” “He Himself gives life and breath to everything and He satisfies every need.”
Acts 17:16-25
Some know God as the ‘Unknown God’
Knowledge is a wonderful thing! Yet, knowledge is not an end in itself unless it is applied to one’s life in a positive way. Years ago, I had a college professor that told us prior to graduating, “we have only given you knowledge as a tool that will help you to use your gifts and abilities effectively.” In other words, God had already given to everyone certain gifts and knowledge would be the tool that would help us utilize those gifts. What an incredible truth!
Sadly, some people make the huge mistake of thinking that all they need to know is the plan that will lead them to success. So, they make their goal in life to get all the facts they can and they will be happy. Still others think that perhaps the knowledge will come from other smart people and their goal will be to meet those people and gain insight from those who are in-the-know. These are certainly not new concepts. And whether you believe it or not, this was the atmosphere of Athens, Greece during the first Century Church. Acts 17:21 gives an incredible description of the Athenian view of knowledge. It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas. Without question, Athens was a city that had a zeal for knowledge. They loved it. The question is whether their knowledge was leading them in the right direction and to a relationship with God. Their problem was quite obvious. They did not know what they needed to know for they did not know God Almighty. What good would it do to know all the facts and yet not know God?
The text mentions specifically that Paul encountered some of the Greek philosophers of Epicurus and the Stoics. The Epicureans did not believe that the gods had any control over humans but were only recognized in name only. They believed that the primary goals in life were gratification and pleasure. In the words of the Isley Brothers, “It’s your thing – do what you wanna do.” Just live it up while you can and when its all over you will be happy and blissful. The Stoics were followers of Zeno who believed there were many gods but that fate was the only thing that controlled human outcomes. Ironically, they believed that humans should be free from passion or pain and thus they held that joy, grief, and pain should be ignored. So, the Epicureans were totally given to pleasure while the Stoics were oblivious to any human emotions or experiences. These philosophers were filling Athens with their teachings and then there was the Apostle Paul preaching about being saved by Grace and the Power of Jesus’ Resurrection. No wonder they were shocked at Paul’s “new teaching.” Some dismissed him as a babbler. Others felt that their superior knowledge was certainly above such nonsense, but the fact was that only one teaching revealed the Essence of the True and Living God. Thus Paul was invited to present his doctrine before the main council at Athens.
At this point we must pause and ask ourselves an important question. What is it that we know about God? Is that knowledge true or is it false? Will it help or hinder us?
Moving from Unproductive Knowledge to God’s Knowledge
Have you ever encountered people who knew something about everything and yet what they knew had not really helped them to be productive. That is what I refer to as unproductive knowledge. No one needs to be reminded that we are living in the “information age.” Knowledge is right at your fingertips but the greater question is whether it is making any difference in your life. There are three things that we should know about knowledge itself. First, the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. Second, the tree of knowledge (knowledge alone) is what got mankind into trouble. Third, if knowledge does not help you to make wise decisions, it is of no value.
Forget all those sayings that “knowledge is powerful” if it does not change your life. The Scripture states that Paul was grieved when he saw all the shrines of Athens. He was even more grieved when he realized that the people knew a lot but their accumulation of ideas had not led them to a relationship with Jesus Christ. So, what did he do? He preached to anyone who would listen. He preached on the street corners and in the synagogues, telling people about God. Being led by the Holy Spirit, Paul took his text based on the fact that the Athenians had dedicated an altar to the Unknown God. “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way” … “For as I was walking along I saw your many shrines … And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To the Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the One I’m telling you about.”
The goal is clear. As individuals, we must move from unproductive knowledge to Divine knowledge. If we are to get help for our personal lives, we must place ourselves into a position where God will make His knowledge available for daily living. These verses teach how the knowledge of God leads us into a relationship with Him.
There are four problems that Paul points out in this text that applies to people possessing ‘unproductive knowledge.’ Paul was doing more than simply presenting his views to the philosophers, he was leading them to a ‘saving knowledge’ of God’s Grace.
So, let us look at the first challenge and that is, people think they know everything because they know some things. Much like the Stoics and Epicureans, people think they know everything because they know some things. Here is the warning that we should not allow our cheap knowledge interfere with the superior knowledge of Grace. Both the Stoics and Epicureans had a cheap knowledge that was self-centered and empty. They needed to know about the God who created them and made them for His purpose. This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the One I’m telling you about” … “He is the God who made the world and everything in it.” That declaration of God is clear. Whether we have all the facts about everything else is not important. As the saying goes, “one thing I do know, I once was lost but now I’m found.”
The second thing about moving from the unproductive to Divine knowledge is the fact that people depend on knowledge as their source of empowerment. The people took much pride in the fact that they had nothing better to do than to discuss ideas. The question is, where is the fruit in merely discussing ideas. God created man in His image and rather than discussing thoughts the real goal in life is to imitate God. The empowerment comes when people rely on God’s power rather than leaning to their own understanding or religious perceptions. As Paul stated clearly, God does not need anything so it is useless to build altars thinking we are meeting God’s needs. And human hands can’t serve His needs – for He has no needs. Divine knowledge will remind us of our need for God and how much we need to honor Him by simply seeking His Will.
The third principle that will help us to move from unproductive knowledge to Divine knowledge is to recognize that people assume that knowledge about God is enough. The Athenians thought they had covered all their bases by recognizing the Unknown God. Isn’t that just like man-made religion? The result is that we do things based on a fear of offending God or because we see other people’s actions. Even though it does recognize God, it falls short of really understanding the Creator’s plan. Such actions are no better than drawing a cross on your windshield when a black cat crosses the road ahead of you. Yes, that is superstition and so is praying to God when you really don’t know who He is and what His plans are for your life. Paul used the main point of God as Creator to also demonstrate the tenderness of God’s care and concern for His creation. God wants His creation to know Him. Why? Because we need Him. He Himself gives life and breath to everything and He satisfies every need.
The final point that Paul makes is to address the issue of where people think that God needs them because of what they know. The utter pride of that belief should warn us that it is God who made us, not knowledge. Yet, many people will fall into that same knowledge trap of believing that what they know makes them valuable even to God. We must remember that old Proverb, there is a way that seems right unto mankind, but the end thereof are the ways of death. How wonderful it is on the other hand to have total dependence upon God and His Grace. That is what Paul was sharing with the Athenians and that is the message for us today. This God that many assume is unknown is reaching out to the world and making Himself known through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. That is really Truth that is worth knowing.
I close with the illustration of three birds. As birds will do, they were all trying to see which could sing the best song. The crow gave his best effort. He boasted about how that the song was all about how to get food. That was the main goal of life. With clever calls and clucking sounds the song came forth but was nothing more than the chatter of finding the next meal. Another bird bellowed out its sound. The mockingbird boasted that it could mimic and imitate just about anything. First it sounded like that bird and then another bird thinking that it was singing the best toon of the day. While over in a nearby tree was the small nightingale. It did not boast about what it could be like or what it could sound like. It did not call out for more food or for any other provision. It simply sat on the limb and opened its beak as if to give thanks. Out came the sweetest song of gratitude and peace. It was not trying to be like anything else. It was not desperate to gain anything. It was just grateful to be alive. In your quest for knowledge, which path will you take? What will be your motivation? Will you mimic everyone else and not be yourself? Will you just live for what you can get out of life. Or will you be like the nightingale and sing because you are content with knowing you were made by God? Remember, it is not what you know but who you know that makes your heart sing.