Head knowledge or heart commitment? Acts 17
Acts 17 outlines a part of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey.
Thessalonica: Paul spoke in the synagogue V4, ‘where some of the Jews were persuaded….as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women’. Paul had a grace on his life to speak to the Gentiles and lead them to faith. It’s worth thinking about where God blesses our work! Are there things that we enjoy doing in the Kingdom? If we enjoy doing it and we’re seeing fruit then that is a good indication of where God is blessing.
Paul functioned as a true apostle, he never remained long in one place, usually the religious drove him on.
Berea: V11,12 ‘Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message(the Gospel is a message from Heaven) with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day…Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men’. This time Jews and Greeks believed the message.
Athens(tough place to minister, ‘a city full of idols’ v16) He spoke in the synagogue and then in the Areopagus, to the Greek philosophers, literally lovers of knowledge).
V21 All…who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. This reminds me very much of the media today, endless discussions, often about very little and of no lasting value. How much time do we spend with the media and how much with the Lord? Derek Prince said if we’d swap the time we spend watching TV/internet and give it to the Lord we would benefit greatly.
Paul made an impassioned plea for the Gospel, but the result was, ‘A few men became followers…. and believed’. The stronghold of the mind in Athens made it difficult for people to accept the message. They questioned the message, rather than receiving it(head knowledge, their hearts were not moved). Paul saw some fruit, some new believers, but he eventually moved on.
What we receive and retain in OUR MINDS TODAY, will affect what the Lord is trying to say to us. We too can be like the Bereans, or like the people of Athens. The Bereans eagerly listened and checked it from the word.
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