Be Still And Know

Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days while he waited for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him. The threats to his safety had got too serious in Berea and so he had been escorted down south to the relative safety of Athens. He needed a good break after the dangers and pressures of the recent months of ministry. But Paul wasn’t one for holidays and so he spent his time walking round the city reflecting on all that he was seeing. Politically Athens had become far less significant than it had been in the past, but it was still a leading centre of culture. It was famous for its sculpture, literature and philosophy and Paul was clearly fascinated by all that he saw, but was also deeply troubled. The city was full of temples and images of pagan gods and Paul, who had been brought up as a very strict Jew, was distresse