on introducing gods to athens: an alternative ... - Tyndale House
on introducing gods to athens: an alternative ... - Tyndale House
on introducing gods to athens: an alternative ... - Tyndale House
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
WINTER: On Introducing Gods <strong>to</strong> Athens 87<br />
audience (17:32). In spite of the proverbial attitude of Atheni<strong>an</strong><br />
audiences, Luke wished his readers <strong>to</strong> note that there were c<strong>on</strong>verts,<br />
apart from <strong>an</strong> Areopagite, as a result of the speech.<br />
The presence of more th<strong>an</strong> Areopagites is not surprising.<br />
From at least 487 BC, ‘men of Athens’ had played a role in the<br />
s<strong>an</strong>cti<strong>on</strong>ing of new deities. 56 Any approval of Paul’s teaching would<br />
finally be voted <strong>on</strong> by the Demos in their Ekklesia, if it were ever <strong>to</strong><br />
reach that stage. However, they also had <strong>an</strong> import<strong>an</strong>t preliminary role<br />
in the introducti<strong>on</strong> of new deities. Traditi<strong>on</strong>ally there had <strong>to</strong> be a<br />
ground swell of support for a new cult. Whatever may be said<br />
c<strong>on</strong>cerning the growing role of the Demos in the s<strong>an</strong>cti<strong>on</strong>ing of new<br />
<strong>gods</strong> after 487 BC, 57 it is clear that by Rom<strong>an</strong> times the introducti<strong>on</strong><br />
of imperial <strong>gods</strong> had <strong>to</strong> have their s<strong>an</strong>cti<strong>on</strong> in additi<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong> that of the<br />
Areopagus <strong>an</strong>d the Council of 600.<br />
E. Haenchen’s comment <strong>on</strong> 17:21 includes this claim: ‘That<br />
it appears here as a motive precludes <strong>an</strong>y sort of court proceedings—<br />
even a “merely informal <strong>on</strong>e”.’ 58 However, the above discussi<strong>on</strong> by<br />
no me<strong>an</strong>s excludes a gathering of the Areopagus fulfilling its role by<br />
assessing the claims of Paul. Also in attend<strong>an</strong>ce were interested<br />
Atheni<strong>an</strong>s who were members of the Demos who would subsequently<br />
vote <strong>on</strong> a moti<strong>on</strong> if the matter were <strong>to</strong> find its way <strong>on</strong> the agenda of its<br />
Ekklesia. Al<strong>on</strong>g with some interested resident aliens, they all gave a<br />
hearing <strong>to</strong> this divine ‘herald’ who declared those things which he<br />
maintained <strong>to</strong> be true.<br />
VII. C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
R.W. Wallace, whose m<strong>on</strong>ograph discusses the Council of the<br />
Areopagus <strong>to</strong> 307 BC, sees that its legal competence for religious<br />
56Garl<strong>an</strong>d, Introducing New Gods, 100.<br />
57Garl<strong>an</strong>d, Introducing New Gods, 100.<br />
58 E. Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles (ET: Oxford: Blackwell, 1971) 520. I.H.<br />
Marshall, Acts (Leicester: IVP, 1980) 285 sees it as ‘a rare aside’ by Luke, <strong>an</strong>d<br />
C.J. Hemer, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic His<strong>to</strong>ry (Tübingen:<br />
J.C.B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck], 1989) 389 finds it <strong>to</strong> be the ‘cutting edge of the<br />
rac<strong>on</strong>teur’s comment’.