Many think Paul "blew it" but getting philosophical among philosophers at the Areapogas (Mars Hill), rather than "just preaching the Cross," as he did in the synagogues. In reality, Paul did preach the crucified and risen Messiah on Mars Hill, just with a different starting point.
Thought questions
Did Paul take a different approach with the Thessalonians and Bereans vs. the Athenians?
What does it mean that it was Paul’s “custom” (Strong’s 1486 etho) to meet in synagogues?
How did Paul reach out to the people in Thessalonica?
Who was Iason (Jason)? How did he get his name?
What is a "red herring"? How did the Jews in Thessalonica use politics to obfuscate the issue? Did these Jews truly acknowledge Caesar as the only king?
What is the history of Mars Hill? How did Paul use this to his advantage when preaching there?
Who is a Stoic? Who is an Epicurean, in philosophy and culinary arts? How did these philosophies affect Paul’s strategy in speaking on Mars Hill? What is the range of meanings of the Greek word spermalogos, which is translated as "idle babbler" or just "babbler"?
How might Paul’s method of gospel outreach help those who live in areas where knowledge of church is very low, such as Northern California? Did Paul make a mistake in not mentioning Yeshua by name in his presentation on Mars Hill?
Reader: Joshua Brady. Speaker: Jeff.