Agnostic

Monday, February 1, 2010: Acts 17:23

for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

Background: Paul was encouraged by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Athens to speak at the Areopagus. This was part of his speech. The conclusion follows for Tuesday’s reading.

What does ‘Unknown’ really mean? Some Athenians worshipped God as not just unknown to them but unknowable to mankind. The word in Greek is Agnostos, from which we get agnostic.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010: Acts 17:30-31

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

What is a part of the Gospel that some Christians leave out when witnessing? Repentance is the starting point, without which none can sense their need for a Savior.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010: Ephesians 4:17–18

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart

Background: One of the four prison letters written during his first imprisonment in Rome around 61 A. D., Paul writes of the separation of believers from the world and unity among themselves.

Once the believer’s mind is enlightened, how should he walk? His walk should be noticeably different from that of the world around him.

Thursday, February 4, 2010: 1 Peter 2:15–16

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

Background: Peter is addressing the Jewish believers who have been dispersed following persecution and are still suffering.

Do believers silence the opposition by speech? No, a believer silences opposition by doing good in return for the evil done to him.

Friday, February 5, 2010: 1 Corinthians 15:33–34

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Background: Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church in 55 A. D. addressed many problems that had cropped up since the beginnings in 51 A. D.

What does Paul warn against? Paul speaks of the separation of the believer from the world and the increase of knowledge in the fellowship of believers, which drives away ignorance.