regarded as the jewel upon the girdle of the earth, an architectural marvel. The visitor to the British Museum should

not fail to examine the collection known as the `Elgin marbles' where portions of this and other temples from the

Acropolis may be seen.

In the Agora, the apostle encountered `certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics'. With regard to

the Epicureans, Dr. Churton observes:

`They allowed that the world was made, but maintained that it came together by chance, "a fortuitous concourse

of atoms", and that the Deity took no part in its administration'.

Cicero reports that Epicurus said `Death is nothing to us, for what is dissolved is insensible', while Tertullian

writes: Nihil esse post mortem, Epicuri schola est: `After death is nothing is the teaching of Epicurus'.

The Stoics, on the other hand, were pantheists and fatalists. They taught that the Deity pervades the matter of the

world, just as honey fills the comb of the hive. They undermined the doctrines of Providence, and personal

responsibility, and judgment to come, and also believed that under the One God, Who ruled above, were divine

beings, called demons, who acted as mediators. The doctrines of the two schools have been summed up in the

words `Pleasure' and `Pride'.

It is interesting to note that Seneca, who was a Stoic, speaks as follows:

`It is usual to teach men how to worship the gods. We should forbid men to light lamps on the Sabbath, because

the gods have no need of light, and men take no pleasure in smoke. He that knows God serves and honours him.

We should forbid men to bring sheets and bathingcombs to Jove, or to hold a glass before Juno, for God seeks no

ministers. Why not? He ministers to mankind; He is everywhere and ready to assist all'.

The apostle's words in Acts 17:24,25 become even more pointed in the light of this Stoic's remarks.

Some of the philosophers that heard Paul speak said: `What will this babbler say?' The word `babbler' here is

spermologos, primarily a small bird like a sparrow, a `seedpicker'. It was later applied to beggars who picked up

what food they could in the Agora, and then to those who, like parasites, lived by flattery.

Others who heard Paul said:

`He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection'

(Acts 17:18).

The word `gods' here is daimonion, and it is practically impossible for Luke to have written this word without

thinking of Socrates, who had been charged with kaino daimonia eispheron, `bringing in new demons'. As we have

noted earlier, to the Athenian a `demon' was not a `devil', but a lesser divinity; and the emphasis which the apostle

placed on `Jesus and the resurrection' made them think that he was introducing another of the many `demons' with

which the pagan world abounded. There are some, even, who think that they imagined `Jesus and Anastasis' to be

two gods, and it is certainly true that there were altars at Athens to such qualities as Fame and Modesty, Impetuosity

and Persuasion.

We next read (verse 19) that `they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this

new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?' The magnetic word here was the word `new', for Luke adds:

`All the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear

something NEWER (kainoteron)' (Acts 17:21).

Demosthenes noted this characteristic of the Athenians, and another writer gave them the nickname kechenaioi,

or `gapers'. Demades suggested that the crest of Athens ought to have been a great tongue.

And so the apostle standing in the midst of Mars' Hill, surrounded by men for whom any reference to the Old

Testament Scriptures would have been useless, seizes upon the presence of an altar to the unknown god, to preach to

these philosophers a wonderful gospel appeal - an appeal, however, which cannot be rightly appreciated without

some understanding of the Stoic and Epicurean philosophies.