Paul's Sermon on Mars Hill
Teachers
Lesson Summary
The class explored Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill, focusing primarily on Acts 17:23‑25. The teacher read the passage and highlighted how Paul observed the Athenians’ many idols and declared that the true God, who does not live in temples made by hands, was seeking worshipers. The discussion then examined the cultural context of Greek temples—especially the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena—showing how the Greeks built grand, lasting monuments to honor their gods. The conversation moved to Israel’s worship spaces, comparing the portable Tabernacle and Solomon’s magnificent Temple with the Greek shrines, and considered why those ancient structures no longer stand. The teacher emphasized that God does not require a physical temple for His glory; instead, New Testament teaching presents believers’ bodies and the collective church as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Participants reflected on how this truth reshapes modern worship and challenges the pursuit of lasting earthly monuments, concluding that true worship lives within the faithful community. Overall, the lesson connected historical architecture with biblical theology, urging the class to view themselves as living temples and to seek worship that transcends buildings, thereby honoring God in everyday life.
Key Scriptures
And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three months reasoned with them out of the scriptures. And when certain of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him, some said, "This man seems to be a preacher of foreign gods," others said, "He is preaching about the gods, but not the gods at all." And this was the reason that they said, "He is speaking about the gods." And because he was preaching about the resurrection of the dead, there arose much opposition.