The definition of idolatry, is “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” An idol is anything that stands alongside or above the One true God. Today’s idols are many; holidays, wealth, power, and self (me) are just a few. Idols have ungodly spirits connected with them and those ungodly spirits will consume and possess you as you indulge yourselves in idolatry.
Paul encountered a city filled with idols and people who worship them. He argued with the Jews in synagogues and the Gentiles in the market places. The people had statues to many different gods, even an altar for the “unknown god”. Now, with even more religions, sects and cults do people know what or who they worship?
The city’s leaders and philosophers called him a “babbler’’ but wanted to hear more about his God and Jesus. Paul delivers his message denouncing idols while declaring the truth about God. It was large audience of other religions and those who practiced idolatry. It took place in a outdoor auditorium called Areopagus or (Mars hill).
Acts 17:22-33 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens!, I see that in every way, you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription; “to the unknown god”. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship. I am going to proclaim God to you. “
Who what and why God?
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man, He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Not about religion but a Relationship
God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said; ‘we are his offspring.’ “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.
For He has set a day when He will judge the world with righteousness by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them mocked. But others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some men joined Paul and became followers of Paul and believed on Jesus.
