19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
Nothing true is new. People make millions of dollars off the new. Christians are not immune to this disease. Look at all the books that are sold that claim to contain a formula for success in the Christian life. No matter what area you can think of in our walk with the Lord there is a book out there with some secret to success. I can think of huge churches that are growing because they are pushing something new. One in Texas fills a stadium every week teaching a new, improved gospel. No sin, no repentance, no sacrifice, just blessing and love. Paul and Silas have presented the radical message of Jesus and His resurrection and the implications for life to this crowd of philosophers. They have done this in an informal setting. Now, these philosophers what a formal presentation of the facts. They want to be able to enter into a debate, alternately arguing each side, and seeing where they can find fallacies in Paul’s logic. They don’t really want Truth, they just want to occupy their minds for a few moments. It sounds like some of the talk/news/commentary shows of today. They never really come to a resolution of any issue. They just throw out arguments as though all arguments were of equal value. They are in essence saying, “It doesn’t matter which one you pick, just pick one. They are all as good as any other.” But that is ridiculous. There are some things that are just wrong, no matter the circumstance. Rape is one of those wrongs. There is no circumstance where it is right. So to have a debate and argue both sides and say that whatever you want to do is OK is ridiculous. This same logic can be applied to so many things that get debated. But Paul’s audience isn’t interested in the Truth. Are you interested in the Truth or in just occupying your mind for a few moments a week? I hope it is in Truth. Truth will last and carry you through the most difficult of circumstances. Seek Truth.
The Arnold Journey 