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Acts 17:22-31
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• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Similitude V.7, Shepherd of Hermas. (c.145)
  • III.XII.9, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • I.19, V.11, V.12, VI.18, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • Chapter XVI, Against Praxeas,  Tertullian (c. 213)
  • II.I.3, First Prinicples (De Principiis), Origen. (c.225)
  • VII.XXI, The Refutation of all Heresies (Philosophumena), Hippolytus of Rome. (c. 225)
  • IV.V, Against Celsus, Origen (c. 246)
  • Part 8, Part 42, On the Incarnation of the Word, Athanasius of Alexandria, c. 318.
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "It is a most foolish and vain thing to compare the Creator with the creature, to limit him within a place who can be comprehended in no place, and to think to allure him with gifts, from whom all men have received all things whatever they have: and these are the fountains of all idolatry."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "And are there not many now called Christians, who are zealous in their devotions, yet the great object of their worship is to them an unknown God?"
  • Section X, Evidences of the Christian Religion, Joseph Addison, c. 1715.
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "He is very near us; in us. It is only perverse reason which thinks he is afar off."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious--rather (with most modern interpreters and the ancient Greek ones), 'in all respects extremely reverential' or 'much given to religious worship.'"
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "Let the reader keep in mind that this address was spoken in the literary capital of the ancient world, the most cultured city of the earth to which every Roman who sought a finished education resorted to complete his studies, the home of the philosophers, orators, sculptors, painters and poets, and the great university where many thousands of strangers were gathered for study."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • "Proclaiming the Unknown God," Commented Bible Passages from Taizé, 2010.
  • Commentary, Acts 17:22-31 (Easter 6A), Mikeal C. Parsons, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.
    • "The sermon ends with God as the main actor: God overlooks, commands, sets the day, judges the world and provides proof through the resurrection."
  • "Groping," Michael Coffey, 2014.
  • Pulpit Fiction, plus podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2014.
  • "Interreligious Dialogue or Interreligious Monologue?" John C Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2014.
    • "There can be no real dialogue with those with whom we do not agree unless we can imagine that we have as much to learn from our partners as we have to teach them."
  • "Live Large," Anne Howard, The Beatitudes Society, 2014.
  • "Making the Case," Steve Godfrey, Church in the World, 2014.
  • Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
  • Commentary, Acts 17:22-31 (Easter 6A), Matt Skinner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
    • "The gospel sounds different everyplace it is told. That's because the gospel does not exist in some unadulterated form in isolation from human language, culture, or presuppositions. It's always enfleshed in some way--linguistically, culturally, personally."
  • "In an Open Space," Timothy Wayne Good, The Naked Alien, 2011.
  • "American Idols," Melissa Bane Sevier, Contemplative Viewfinder, 2011.
    • "What if we took Paul’s advice to look for the God who is not far away, but actually close by?"
  • "Jesus is more unknonwn than immediately recognizable," Russell Rathbun, The Hardest Question, 2011.
    • "Is Jesus more unknown God than immediately recognizable Cultural Jesus?"
  • Commentary, Acts 17:22-31, C. Clifton Black, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
    • "This side of paradise, in a world whose redemption is assured though not yet consummated, witnesses to Christ learn to live in unresolved tension."
  • "From Synagogues and Sanctuaries to Bars and Boardrooms: The Apostle Paul at the Areopagus," The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey with Jesus Foundation, 2008.
    • "How and why do Christians become so isolated and ingrown?"
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Loving Our Neighbors, Both Far and Near," study guide, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Immigration," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2008.
  • "Living Under Vacant Skies," study guide, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Heaven and Hell," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2002.
  • "The Areopagus Then and Now," The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey with Jesus Foundation, 2005.
  • "'In him we live and move and have our being, even as some of your poets have said,' (Acts 17:28)," William Loader, Being the Church Then and Now: Issues from the Acts of the Apostles.
    • "The Spirit empowers us to be the Church, to be the kingdom for now, in the world."
  • "The Areopagus Sermon," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  • "The Apostle in Athens Preaching to Philosophers (Acts 17:15-34)" by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
    • "How much of our worship is God-centered, rather than man-centered, and which focuses on pleasing and serving God, rather than on getting God to serve us, to meet our needs?"
  • Indiana University's virtual tour of the Ancient City of Athens.
  • "How We Imagine God Matters," Marcus Borg. beliefnet.
    • "It's normal to personify God in worship and devotion. But we shouldn't take these personifications literally."
  • "Israel's Prophets Meet Athens' Philosophers: Scriptural Echoes in Acts 17:22-31," Kenneth D. Litwak, Biblica 85 (2004).
  • "Acts 17, Epicureans and Theodicy: A Study in Stereotypes." Jerome H. Neyrey, n Greeks, Romans, and Christians: Essays Honor of Abraham J. Malherbe, 118-34. D. L. Balch and W. A. Meeks. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.
    • "Paul's speech in Athens is the clearest place in the New Testament where Christian theodicy is explained to Epicureans and their reaction to it recorded. Whether Acts 17 record an actual address by Paul to these very people or a creation of the author, Luke sees Christian doctrine being compared and contrasted with an alternate doctrine, Epicureanism. It is the hypothesis of this study that Christian preaching about theodicy seems regularly to have come in conflict with denials of it, denials which are typically and even specifically characteristic of Epicureans."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Bader-Saye, Scott, "To See and Not to See," The Christian Century, 2002.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Bailey, Raymond H., "Acts 17:16-34," Review & Expositor, 1990.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Culpepper, R. Alan, "Paul's Mission to the Gentile World: Acts 13-19," Review & Expositor, 1974.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Dahle, Lars, "Acts 17:16-34: An Apologetic Model Then and Now?" Tyndale Bulletin, 2002.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Davis, D. Mark, "Between Text and Sermon, Acts 17:16-34," Interpretation, 2003.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Dunham, Robert E., "Between Text and Sermon, Acts 17:16-34," Interpretation, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Flemming, Dean, "Contextualizing the Gospel in Athens: Paul's Areopagus Address as a Paradigm for Missionary Communication," Missiology, 2002.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Gangel, Kenneth O., "Paul's Areopagus Speech," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1970.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Gaventa, Beverly R., "Life Comes from God," The Christian Century, 1993.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Gray, Patrick, "Implied Audiences in the Areopagus Narrative," Tyndale Bulletin, 2004.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Marty, Peter W., "Scrupulosity," The Christian Century, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Mbuvi, Andrew M., "Missionary Acts, Things Fall Apart: Modeling Mission in Acts 17:15-34 and a Concern for Dialogue in Chinua Acebe's Things Fall Apart," Ex Auditu, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
    • Love, Velda, "Response to Mbuvi," Ex Auditu, 2008.
        EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
        EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Moessner, David P., "'The Christ Must Suffer': New Light on the Jesus -- Peter, Stephen, Paul Parallels in Luke-Acts," Novum Testamentum, 1986.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Pathrapankal, Joseph, "From Aeropagus to Corinth (Acts 17:22-31; 1 Cor 2:15) A Study on the Transition from the Power of Knowledge to the Power of the Spirit," Mission Studies, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Rogness, Michael, "Proclaiming the Gospel on Mars Hill," Word & World, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Sandnes, Karl Olav, "Paul and Socrates: The Aim of Paul's Areopagus Speech," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1993.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Tiede, David L., "The God Who Made the World," Currents in Theology in Mission, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • van Minnen, Peter, "Paul the Roman Citizen," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1994.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Williams, Jenny, "Idol Behavior," The Christian Century, 2004.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "Street Preaching," The Rev. Dr. Davis Campbell, Day 1, 2012.
  • Proclaiming Christ in the New Areopagus, the Rev. Hardy Kim, Day 1, 2011.
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Easter 6A, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2014. 2011.
  • "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," May 25, 2014, Union Presbyterian Seminary.
  • "To The Unknown God," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
  • Acts 16 - 18 Crossword, Don Crownover's Bible Puzzles.
• Drama:
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Acts 17:27, Heartlight - Free Christian PowerPoint Backgrounds.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Acts 17:26, 28. The Cyber Hymnal.
  • Hymnal Scripture References, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
  • "His Spirit Dwells in Me," Brenton Prigge, NewHymn, a new, relevant hymn set to traditional tunes.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
    • O Zion, Haste
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Acts

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