Paul, arriving in Athens, was deeply troubled by the multitude of idols he observed throughout the city. Compelled by this sight, he began to proclaim the truth in both the synagogues and the marketplace. The Athenians, known for their fascination with novel ideas, invited Paul to speak at the Areopagus. There, he addressed their religiosity, even quoting one of their own poets, and declared that God had sovereignly placed all people in their respective times and locations so they might seek Him. Paul emphasized that God created all mankind in His image—a divine nature that transcends the material world—and calls humanity to look beyond the temporal to the eternal. Then, Paul proclaimed a message that was utterly astonishing to his audience.
“Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
What a profound declaration! God has raised the Man He appointed—Jesus—from the dead, providing undeniable proof of His authority. This was a radical call to the Athenians, and it remains a powerful summons to us today. Throughout history, God has been at work, orchestrating the movements of peoples and stirring their quest for knowledge, all so they might seek Him. He created us in His image, and though He once overlooked humanity’s ignorance, He now commands all people everywhere to repent and place their faith in the One He raised from the dead. For it is this One—Jesus—who will return to judge the entire world in righteousness.
This teaching was indeed strange to the Athenians. One God, the Creator of all things, who fashioned mankind in His image and directed the migrations of peoples so they might seek Him—this was a foreign concept in a city filled with countless gods. Moreover, the declaration that God raised Jesus from the dead as a testament to His power over life and death, and as a call to repentance, was beyond their comprehension. They, like many today, struggled to handle the truth of a singular, sovereign God who alone holds the authority to judge all humanity.
This message remains strange in our modern world as well. In an age of pluralism, where many falsely believe that all religions are equal and that there are numerous paths to God, the truth of one God who created all things and who will judge the world through the One He raised from the dead is often rejected. The notion that Jesus, having been resurrected, will return to judge the earth challenges the prevailing ideologies of our time. It is a strange teaching, indeed—one that many are unwilling to hear or accept.
