Parthenon, Shmarthenon: Paul’s Speech in Athens

By Leslie Ann Jones

Putting archaeology to use in our Bible study doesn’t have to be difficult or earth shattering. Sometimes we just need to stop and think about what we’re reading on the page. The Bible wasn’t born in a culture-free sphere. It emerged out of the same history that we learned about in school, and reading the Bible in that context helps us understand and appreciate It even more than we already do.

Most of us know that the Greek Empire was famous for its spectacular architecture and intricate system of mythology. Even if we don’t know the details of the religion, we at least know that Zeus was top dog and Hercules was ridiculously strong. When I think of Greece, I think of gods, goddesses, philosophy, the Olympics, and the Parthenon. The problem is that when I read the Bible, I don’t always bring this knowledge with me. If you’re anything like me, you check it at the door. Yet keeping in mind what you already know about Greek culture when you read the New Testament makes a huge difference in understanding the events.

For example, in Acts 17, Paul had been in Athens (Could there be a more Greek city?) for a few days, sharing the gospel wherever he could. He’d been to the synagogue to reason with the Jews, and he’d conversed with people in the market. He even talked to some philosophers who brought him to the Areopagus (sometimes called Mars Hill) to address the Athenian court. For most of my life, I’ve skimmed over “Areopagus” because I didn’t know how to pronounce it, didn’t know anything about it, and didn’t realize its significance. But taking a few minutes to check out the footnotes in a study Bible and searching for images of the Areopagus online told me two very important things.

First, the court that met at the Areopagus ruled over civil and religious affairs in Athens, and second, the Acropolis, home of the famous Parthenon, rose above it. Taking it one step further, a little research on the Parthenon revealed that it housed a towering 40-foot golden statue of Athena. The Parthenon may stand in ruins now, but when Paul was in Athens, it would have been awe-inspiring.

Imagine what it must have been like for Paul. He had spent days wandering around a city dedicated to the goddess Athena, and he had seen countless temples and shrines where people paid homage to the inanimate gods of Greece. Acts tells us that Paul “was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16 NIV); but that didn’t stop him from speaking out in God’s name. There he stood at the Areopagus, literally in the shadow of the Parthenon, talking about the greatness of the God he served. Hearing his words in this setting brings them to life and gives them depth:

“Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:22–25 NIV).

Paul’s words about idolatry weren’t spoken in a vacuum. He was looking right at the Parthenon when he talked about temples built with human hands, and still he proclaimed the superiority of God. He wasn’t impressed by the architectural magnificence of the Parthenon or the shiny statue inside. The court he stood before didn’t intimidate him, and he didn’t stand in awe of his surroundings. No, to the contrary, his passion for the Creator of the universe drove him to remind the Athenians that their spectacular temple was nothing compared to the world that God built, and while their beautiful goddess lived in a building made by human hands, his God could not be contained by a mere building.

Wow. I’d like to think that I could have been so eloquent standing on Mars Hill, but I'm afraid that all I could do is stand speechless in wonder of the building rising above me. If I hadn’t stopped to take the time to consider Athens and the Areopagus, I would have missed out on the significance of Paul’s sermon. Maybe you would have, too.

Leslie Ann is a graduate of Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School and lives in Iuka, Mississippi, with her husband, Dennis. She’s looking forward to the arrival of a baby girl in September and blogs at leslieannjones.com.