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| Roman forum - Not unlike the Agora in Acts 17 |
One of the things I have learned from Paul in the Mars Hill account in Acts 17 is the emphasis of the Resurrection in his discussions. I have often wondered if we have made a mistake by not encouraging others to emphasize the resurrection of Jesus more in their evangelism. We notice this in the passage below:
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (Acts 17:16-21)
Some other things should be noted:
(1) Paul reasoned with those in the agora (marketplace) - v17. It was not manipulative but reasoning and persuasion that Paul engaged in;
(2) The conversation was discussed with Epicureans and Stoics - v18. These were two philosophies with contrasting beliefs, almost directly opposite to one another;
(3) The agora was a place where people would spend their time "in nothing except telling or hearing something new" - v21
We could ask ourselves where is the modern agora - a place where people spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new? Surely it will not take long for a 21st century person to realize that the agora is not dead in concept but has manifested itself in a different form in our age.
By God's strange hand, I recently found myself in this exact same situation, in a discussion with an Epicurean and a Buddhist, which is not too dissimilar from a Greek Stoic. There are of course differences between a Stoic and Buddhist but they share one strong similarity which is the denial of pleasures.
The setting of this discussion was a football forum that I used to frequent and where I was in fact a moderator in the past. (long story)
Taking a cue from Paul, I tried my best to imitate him and emphasized the centrality of the Resurrection to the Christian faith. The discussion can be read here:
http://forum.football.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=94299&start=80
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