The gospel in the Athenian marketplace.

Read Acts 17:16-34

Paul addresses the Athenians and others with a brilliant description of God’s nature and attitude towards people.

• What are some of the points that he makes about who God is? (Don’t be afraid to state the obvious here).

The Roman and Greek gods that the people would be used to were many, each with their own areas of influence and agendas, and it was difficult or impossible to please or appease them all.

• What appeal would following one God (with the attributes you have listed above) have for people used to a pantheon of gods?

Sometimes we can be in the position of being expected to live up to or appease a whole range of different agendas or people groups too.

• How can we navigate some of these worldviews and truth claims where they challenge or contradict the Christian world view?
• Like Pauls’ example of the ‘unknown God’, what are some of the ideas, themes or common ‘stories’ in our culture that we can use as entry points into sharing the good news of Jesus?
• What concerns or modern ‘virtues’ can we use as a gateway to discussing how God is relevant in modern life?

Paul ended his speech by mentioning the resurrection, which was clearly a deal-breaker for some people, but others were intrigued.

• What are some key Christian ideas that challenge our societal values, that may act as a good ‘hook’ for people who want to know more? (for example, I would suggest that true forgiveness would be one!)