What was the Areopagus?

Response

To the northwest of the city of Athens, Greece, lies a small hill covered in stone seats. This area served as a forum for the rulers of Athens to conduct trials, debates, and discussions on important matters. Known as Areopagus, a blend of the Greek words for “god of war” and “stone,” the Areopagus is literally “Ares’ Rock.” In Roman mythology, the equivalent of Ares is Mars. During Paul and the early Christian church’s time, this site was under Roman authority, hence referred to as Mars Hill.

The ancient Greek term, Areopagus, remained in use during Paul’s era, mainly in relation to the council that convened there. When Paul delivered his renowned speech on Mars Hill, one could say it took place both “at” the Areopagus and “in front of” the Areopagus. Nevertheless, in Acts chapter 17, the term Areopagus generally denotes the assembly of Athenian leaders and intellectuals who gathered on the hill.

The Athenian Areopagus shared a similar purpose with the Jewish Sanhedrin. Both were assemblies of esteemed local men tasked with exploring spiritual or philosophical concepts. They comprised distinct factions with differing beliefs in certain areas and were viewed as “conservative” for the most part, defending the existing order. Both functioned somewhat like a court to resolve disputes and adjudicate specific cases. Unlike the Sanhedrin, the Athenian Areopagus was primarily concerned with upholding a Greek understanding of “the gods.”

Paul was summoned to address the Areopagus when news of his teachings in Athens started to attract attention. While this council handled criminal trials, it appears that prosecuting Paul was not their intention. Instead, Paul was asked to present ideas that the Athenians considered “new” «(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.

», (Acts 17:21). Whether the entire council was present or not, Paul’s attendance was due to interest, not hostility on their part. Paul seized this opportunity at the Areopagus to deliver one of the most impactful moments of evangelism in the New Testament. By speaking about an “Unknown God,” he connected the Athenians’ quest for truth with the truth of the gospel.

As expected, not everyone at the Areopagus who listened to Paul embraced his message. Some actually found his teaching on the resurrection to be amusing «And when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some ridiculed him: while others said, We will listen to you about this again. », (Acts 17:32). However, a few individuals present, including a man named Dionysius, believed in Paul’s message «However, some men joined him and believed, among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, along with others.», (Acts 17:34). Just as some members of the Jewish Sanhedrin accepted the truth after hearing it (Mark 15:43;John 19:38-39), some of the pagan Areopagus attendees also believed upon hearing the Word.