Questions
Day 514, Wednesday, Jan. 7
Acts 17:16-34
In Athens, the center of Greek worship and culture, Paul takes a dual approach from the beginning, preaching in both the synagogue and the marketplace. The people in Athens enjoyed discussing and debating. Verse 21 explains, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.”
The Greeks—and the Romans after them—worshiped many gods. Rather than directly condemning them for that, Paul uses it as a starting point for his evangelism. When they ask, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?” he responds with “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 an unknown God.’ So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”
Verse 34 tells us that some of the Greeks become followers of Paul and believe in Jesus. This is not Greek God-fearers who already followed the Jewish God, but those who had previously followed Greek or Roman beliefs.

Rev. Mark Fleming

Wednesday meditation

Psalms 57:1-11
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves.
My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Prayer focus
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.