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Acts 17:16-18
New Catholic Bible
Acts 17:16-18
New Catholic Bible
16 Paul in Athens.[a] While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was outraged to note that the city was full of idols. 17 Therefore, he debated in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and also in the city square with whoever chanced to be there. 18 Even a few Epicurean and Stoic philosophers[b] argued with him. Some asked, “What is this man babbling about?” Others said, “Apparently, he is here to promote foreign deities,” because he was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.
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- Acts 17:16 Paul reaches Athens, which some 500 years before had been at the height of its glory in philosophy, literature, and art. In the twilight of its fame, it still housed a highly regarded university and was a force in philosophical thinking, as evidenced by the Epicureans and Stoics who engage Paul in discussion. He is led to the Areopagus—before a body that functioned in matters pertaining to religion, culture, and education. They evaluate him as the promoter of a new religion.
- Acts 17:18 Epicurean and Stoic philosophers: followers of the two prevailing philosophical systems. The Epicureans follow Epicurus (342–271 B.C.) in abandoning the search for pure truth by reason as hopeless and giving themselves over to present pleasures. The Stoics follow Zeno and Chrysippius (3rd century B.C.) and embrace a philosophy of self-repression because of human self-sufficiency. What is this man babbling about?: it seems to be a way of saying that the speaker is an eclectic, gathering ideas from all sources. Jesus and the resurrection: the Athenians misconstrue Paul’s words, thinking that he is speaking about Jesus and the goddess Anastasis, which means resurrection.
