The Areopagus Rock is a low rocky hill located just below the Acropolis. In Ancient Greece, the Council of Nobles and the Judicial Court met on the hill. Many years later, St Paul preached from this sacred location. Areopagus Rock is also called Mars Hill or Aries Hill.
Acts 17:22-31 (Lesson for Easter 6: Sunday, May 29, 2011)
22-23So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.
24-29"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
30-31"God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead." (The Message)
Paul has gone into Athens to proclaim Christ. There he is astonished at the variety of shrines to various gods, even one shrine “to a god nobody knows,” as though to cover all the bases and make sure no god is left out and angered. The city fathers are concerned about this foreigner who has come stirring the pot, creating a fuss about someone nobody ever heard of. So they ask Paul to come explain what he’s about. This piece from Acts is Paul’s speech to the city council, called the Areopagus because that’s where they meet.
Some members of the council scoff. Some are interested and want to hear more and then accept Christ. Luke (who wrote Acts) names a couple of the new believers, Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. Tradition has it that Damaris was the wife of Dionysius, a prominent judge and member of the council, who later was Bishop of Athens.
The Message translation above is a bit too modern for my taste, in part because it clouds over the wonderful verse at Acts 17:28 where Paul speaks of God in whom "we live and move and have our being.”
Mittwoch. Pax.
TW+