“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything…”
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The fact is, all the people we might talk with about the Gospel have a worldview, and every worldview is grounded in a series of faith convictions. That is, people believe things about the world, themselves, and how they ought to live, which they can’t prove but have to take on “good faith.” People think, talk, and act the way they do because, in their heart of hearts, they believe this is what’s in their best interest. They probably wouldn’t try to foist their views on you; but that just suggests that their views aren’t all that certain and reliable. Urging others to embrace your ultimate convictions in life, after all, isn’t like yelling, “Your house is on fire!” And they don’t want you to foist your views on them. After all, each of us has to reach our own convictions about the way things ought to be, without undue pressure from others.
Or so, at least, most people believe. The Greeks in Athens didn’t have to be persuaded of this; they knew all about believing and trusting and trying to line up your life with your convictions. Paul’s foray out onto the bridge of religion, which he had entered with affirmation, may have been a little easier than ours – given the disenchantment of our age – but it was no different.
Note carefully what Paul did in this verse. Having established that he was familiar with their religious practices and even affirming toward them for these, he at once invited them to consider just how reasonable their views really were. Athens was cluttered with little temples, roadside kiosks, and images of every kind, representing the various gods that pervaded the whole of their lives. These had to be cared for – temples and shelters, daily offerings of food or flowers, dusting and polishing, and whatnot. But these gods were supposed to have great powers. They could affect everything from your daily welfare to the harvests of the city to the security of the entire nation.
Why, Paul wanted to know, should we think that such all-powerful gods would require the help or attention of puny people? I mean, how important can a deity be who requires me to dust him off, supply him with a fresh garland of flowers, and make sure he gets put back on the mantle in just the right place? And as for the Athenians’ “unknown god,” he was considered to be so mysterious and powerful that no one knew anything about him, except that he was “unknown.” Think about that for a moment.
Is it not the same with the beliefs and convictions of the people around us? Once we have erected a bridge of affirmation, we may want to make bold to press further on one or more of our friend’s ultimate convictions. For example, we might say, “It seems to me you’ve pretty much figured out how you want your life to go. May I ask a question: How can you know, and how can you be sure that what you’ve determined is what’s best for you, or that the manner in which you’ve come to that determination is at all reliable?” What you will be doing at that point, as you begin to turn the focus of your conversation on the ultimate faith convictions of your friend, is to begin leading him to discover where the real strange truth lies between you.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Strange Truth
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