Paul Preaches at Athens
A Sermon on Acts 17:21
Scripture
21(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
Sermon Description
No one can turn the gospel into something ordinary; it is extraordinary! Look at the confusion of Corinth and the church today. Why do modern people not like the miraculous and supernatural? They are more concerned about this world than the next. Take heed, for one is temporal and one is eternal. In this sermon on Acts 17:21 titled “Paul Preaches at Athens,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones preaches on the essential truth of Christ’s resurrection from the dead to Heath Evangelical Church in 1977. If Christ was only a man who taught moral principles, there can be no assurance in the gospel. Christ’s resurrection announced that He had satisfied everything the Father required of humanity. One day His people will be perfected not only in spirit, but also in body. Jesus’s teaching alone only serves to condemn; no one can even keep their own standards. People often fail to keep a New Year’s resolution, so how do they think they can achieve their own righteousness? The world is as it is because of sin. One cannot fight the devil; Christ alone has conquered every enemy and can clothe people in righteousness. Christ builds His kingdom through individual conversions.
Sermon Breakdown
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by introducing the passage from Acts 17 where Paul preaches in Athens. He notes that this encounter is important because it shows the conflict between Christianity and human culture/civilization.
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He then gives an overview of the great achievements of Greek civilization at the time, focusing on philosophy, politics, art, architecture, and science. However, he argues that this civilization was already declining and unsatisfying by Paul's time. The Athenians were always seeking some "new thing" to give them meaning.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones says human civilization goes through periods of ascendancy and decline. We are currently in a period of decline and crisis. Many secular authorities like Henry Kissinger also recognize this. Civilization cannot provide ultimate meaning or purpose.
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The key characteristics of human civilization are that it starts from man, trusts in human reason and achievement, and looks down on ordinary people. But it ultimately leads to a lack of purpose, dissatisfaction, and even despair. The suicide rate was high even among philosophers.
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Although the Greeks had a magnificent civilization, Athens was full of idols and temples. This shows that human reason and philosophy were not enough - they still sought meaning in idolatry and superstition. "Where human learning most flourished, idolatry most abounded."
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The moral condition of Athens was extremely corrupt, as Paul points out in Romans 1. Their civilization led to moral decay and purposelessness. All civilizations eventually decline and fall.
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In contrast, Christianity starts with God, not man. It is based on God's revelation, not human reason. Paul preaches with certainty and authority because of this revelation. Christianity provides meaning, purpose and moral direction.
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Paul preaches that God created the world, but men have rebelled against him. God has appointed a day of judgment for the world, and he has given assurance of this by raising Jesus from the dead. People must repent and believe in Jesus to be reconciled to God.
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Christianity provides new life through the resurrection of Jesus. It gives ultimate meaning, purpose and hope - not through some new philosophy or idea, but through a new creation.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by asking whether we trust in human civilization and reason, or in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Civilization ends in despair, but the gospel provides eternal hope.
Sermon Q&A
What Key Insights Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Share About the Failure of Human Civilization?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones delivered a powerful sermon examining the contrast between human civilization and Christianity. His message offers important insights that remain highly relevant today.
What did Lloyd-Jones identify as the key limitation of human civilization?
Lloyd-Jones pointed out that human civilization, despite its impressive achievements, ultimately fails to satisfy our deepest needs. He used Athens as his primary example, noting: "For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing." This constant seeking for novelty revealed their profound dissatisfaction with what they already possessed.
"People who are always waiting for something new are confessing that they're not satisfied with what they've got," Lloyd-Jones explained. This perpetual seeking characterizes civilizations that have reached the limits of human wisdom but still feel an emptiness.
How did Lloyd-Jones describe the current state of civilization?
Lloyd-Jones described our modern civilization as being at a watershed moment, quoting Dr. Henry Kissinger: "We are at a period which in retrospect is either going to be seen as a period of extraordinary creativity or a period when really the international order came apart, politically, economically and morally."
He observed that our world shows the same signs of decline that characterized Athens when Paul visited - intellectual confusion, moral failure, and spiritual emptiness, despite unprecedented knowledge and technological advancement.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the fundamental flaw in human civilization?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the fundamental flaw is that civilization "always starts with man. Man is the center." This human-centered approach leads to pride and ultimately failure because it refuses to acknowledge God as creator and sustainer.
"You don't understand the world. You can't understand history, you can't understand men, you can't understand yourself unless you start with God," he insisted. Civilization's attempt to find meaning without reference to God leads to its inevitable collapse.
What is the Christian alternative Lloyd-Jones presents?
Lloyd-Jones presented Christianity not as a philosophy or theory but as divine revelation centered on facts. The Christian message begins with God, not man, and offers certainty rather than endless seeking.
He emphasized: "Christianity is not a quest for truth. The Christian is a man who has found it." The gospel message presents Jesus Christ as God's solution to our fundamental problem - our separation from God - and offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life.
How did Lloyd-Jones contrast the end results of trusting in civilization versus trusting in Christ?
Lloyd-Jones contrasted the hopelessness of those who trust in civilization with the confident hope of Christians. He quoted Professor G.M. Trevelyan, a renowned historian and humanist who wrote before his death: "I do not understand the age we live in, and what I do understand, I do not like... I am 86 and it is time I was off."
In stark contrast, he quoted Paul's triumphant words: "I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
Lloyd-Jones concluded by urging his listeners to choose which side they were on - the ultimately failing civilization of man or the eternal kingdom of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.