Leon's Message Board

Our previous post referenced the Apostle Paul’s preaching in Athens as recorded in Acts 17:16-34. Up from the Areopagus was the Parthenon. The Parthenon was the temple devoted to the virgin Greek goddess Athena, of Greek mythology, goddess of wisdom and the arts.

The Parthenon in Athens. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

This temple was constructed with eight Doric columns in front and rear, and seventeen along each side. Within the Parthenon stood a thirty-four feet high statue of Athena, built by the sculptor Pheidias. It was made of wood with ivory additions and a plating of gold.

The city of Athens was said to be “full of idols,” (Acts 17:16), but it may well be that Paul had in mind especially the nearby Parthenon when he proclaimed,

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

He went on to say in v. 29,

Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

We plan to continue with more of the sites in Athens.

My friend & fellow-worker Ferrell Jenkins is currently directing a tour in Egypt. To keep up with their travels, and see the photos to be posted, see Ferrell’s Travel Blog. Link is provided to your right under Blogroll.

Remember to click on image for higher resolution.