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What do you Believe? (Acts 17:19-31)
A most challenging question - "What do you believe then?" It's not
so much that you don't know what to say as you don't know where
to start. Should you give a list of key doctrines, like a sort of
impromptu catechism or confession - "I believe in God the Father,
maker of heaven and earth..."? Paul faced such a challenge in Athens
when a group of philosophers asked him, "May
we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?" (v.19);
"What do you believe then?" We are told that:
"All the Athenians and the foreigners
who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about
and listening to the latest ideas" (v21)
Nice work if you can get it I am sure. People we meet can be like
that. They want to talk a little religion, 'shoot the breeze', while
away the time in idle chitchat and speculation and go home for tea
and it is easy to get caught up in such talk and find ourselves
quickly removed from our original intention to witness. Paul's answer
shows that he has understood his message, his audience, the pitfalls
and what was required to avoid them.
He begins where they are (vv 22-23) and takes them through a breathtaking
account of God's purpose in creation and redemption.
1. He tells them that God "made the
world and everything in it" and is
"Lord of heaven and earth" (v 24)
2. That he "gives all men life and
breathe and everything else" (v 25)
3. That "from one man he made every
nation of men" (v 26)
4. That this God is intimately and constantly involved in people's
lives (v 26)
5. That he did it for a purpose, "That
men would seek him and find him" (v 27)
6. Because "In him we live and move
and have our being" (v 28)
7. That we didn't create him by our skill but he made us (v 29)
8. That "in the past God overlooked
such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent"
(v 30)
9. That "he has set a day when he
will judge the world by [Jesus]" (v 31)
10. That "he has given proof of this
to all men by raising him from the dead" (v 31)
What do you believe then?
The world we meet every day is very like the world of the Athenians.
Myriad philosophies vie for people's attention and many take pleasure
in speculating about this and that. If someone asked you what you
believe could you be succinct and clear? It is well to have a carefully
thought out presentation for just such occasions and perhaps it
would be a good exercise to take Paul's speech and, in your own
words, compose a brief but full account of what you believe. Who
knows, maybe this week someone will ask? And a brief but intelligent
account of the faith might be the beginning of everything for them.