Paul in Athens

Paul debates Greek philosophers and delivers his famous 'unknown god' speech on Mars Hill.

Early ChurchNew Testament

What Happened

Walking through Athens, Paul is distressed by the city's countless idols. He reasons in the synagogue and the marketplace until Epicurean and Stoic philosophers bring him to the Areopagus to explain his ideas. Paul spots an altar inscribed 'To an Unknown God' and uses it as his starting point, declaring that the God who made everything doesn't live in temples built by hands. Some sneer, some want to hear more, and a few believe.

Read It

Acts

The God You Already Sense Is There

Paul moves through three cities with three very different receptions — riots in Thessalonica, eager Bible-checkers in Berea, and elite philosophers in Athens. Then he delivers a speech that starts where his audience already is — quoting their own poets — and ends with the resurrection.

Key People

Paul

Key Places

Athens

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