Some thought he was a proclaimer of strange deities because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection

  Good morning. Many of the people of Berea believed; but when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul there, they came also, agitating and stirring up the crowds. They weren’t content keeping their city “safe“ from what they considered to be heresy, they went to a town nearby to also “protect” it. The brethren sent Paul to the sea while Silas and Timothy remained there. We haven’t heard anything about Timothy since he joined Paul and Silas a number of verses ago. Those who were with Paul took him to Athens, where he gave them a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. While Paul was waiting for them, he was agitated within as he observed all of the idols. He was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. Paul did not let all of the conflict he had endured in the other cities deter him from proclaiming the gospel wherever he was. While Athens was no longer at the height of its glory in art and other areas, it was still a bastion of philosophical debate. Some thought he was a proclaimer of strange deities because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. They brought him to a popular venue to listen to what he had to say, because that is what they like to do – discuss new and different philosophies. We will find out next time what he had to say to them. Father help us to follow after You with all of our heart. Help us to discover Your will.

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