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The Acts of the Apostles
those who hear He will hold responsible for the way in which they
treat the words of His servants. Those who are sincerely seeking for
truth will make a careful investigation, in the light of God’s word, of
the doctrines presented to them.
The unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica, filled with jealousy and
hatred of the apostles, and not content with having driven them from
their own city, followed them to Berea and aroused against them the
excitable passions of the lower class. Fearing that violence would be
done to Paul if he remained there, the brethren sent him to Athens,
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accompanied by some of the Bereans who had newly accepted the
faith.
Thus persecution followed the teachers of truth from city to city.
The enemies of Christ could not prevent the advancement of the gospel,
but they succeeded in making the work of the apostles exceedingly
hard. Yet in the face of opposition and conflict, Paul pressed steadily
forward, determined to carry out the purpose of God as revealed to
him in the vision at Jerusalem: “I will send thee far hence unto the
Gentiles.”
Acts 22:21
.
Paul’s hasty departure from Berea deprived him of the opportunity
he had anticipated of visiting the brethren at Thessalonica.
On arriving at Athens, the apostle sent the Berean brethren back
with a message to Silas and Timothy to join him immediately. Tim-
othy had come to Berea prior to Paul’s departure, and with Silas had
remained to carry on the work so well begun there, and to instruct the
new converts in the principles of the faith.
The city of Athens was the metropolis of heathendom. Here Paul
did not meet with an ignorant, credulous populace, as at Lystra, but
with a people famous for their intelligence and culture. Everywhere
statues of their gods and of the deified heroes of history and poetry met
the eye, while magnificent architecture and paintings represented the
national glory and the popular worship of heathen deities. The senses
of the people were entranced by the beauty and splendor of art. On
every hand sanctuaries and temples, involving untold expense, reared
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their massive forms. Victories of arms and deeds of celebrated men
were commemorated by sculpture, shrines, and tablets. All these made
Athens a vast gallery of art.
As Paul looked upon the beauty and grandeur surrounding him,
and saw the city wholly given to idolatry, his spirit was stirred with