Day 262: Acts 17:24–34

Some began to ridicule him. But others said, “We will hear you about this again.” So Paul went out from their presence (vv. 32–33).

Paul never mentions a church resulting from his work in Athens. Only a few people became believers there, and he never made contact with them again as far as we know. Based on the information in Scripture, the few believers never multiplied into more.

And yet notice that he was not persecuted in Athens, nor was he forced to leave the city. Acts 18:1 tells us he simply left. Glance back over the previous chapters of the book of Acts. Compare this trip to the many others in Paul’s ministry. Count the times he ran into very little opposition or persecution. You will search in vain to find another experience exactly like the one he had in Athens.

Why didn’t they lift a hand to persecute him? Because they were too cold to care. Paul’s experience in Athens is a perfect example of a situation in which people were open-minded to a fault. Their motto was “anything goes.” Everyone was welcome to his own philosophy. Live and let live! If it works for you, go for it! Athens was the birthplace of the tolerance movement.

Often persecution is not nearly the enemy that indifference is. The Athenians did not care if Paul stayed or left. They believed virtually everyone was entitled to his god. A few sneered. Others were polite enough to say they would be willing to listen to his strange teachings again. But most never realized Paul was escorted into town by the one true God. And most never cared.

Acts 17 has changed the way I pray about the nations. I cannot count the times I’ve asked God to crumble the spirit of opposition and persecution in many nations where Christians are a small fighting force. I will still continue to ask God to strengthen and protect those facing opposition and persecution. However, I now find my heart drawn across the map to places where a quieter dragon of perhaps equal force has made its den—the spirit of indifference. Christianity can grow and flourish under some of the most difficult opposition, but it will prosper very little where people refuse to be changed by it. Paul’s experience in Athens proves that the best of sermons will never change an unwilling person’s heart.