Something new

[Acts 17:16-21]

What new items have you recently purchased, or what would you like to buy?  Of course, it might be a new car or a new house, but perhaps the most common among young people is a 'cell phone' or 'computer.'  What about the older generation?  In the book ‘What Is Marketing’ by Paul Smith, it is mentioned that when introducing a new product or service, selecting the right target customers is crucial.  Customers are divided into different groups based on their attitude toward 'something new': 'innovators,' 'early adopters,' 'early majority,' 'late majority,' and 'resistant group.'  Innovators, comprising about 2.5% of the total, are consumers who love being the first to use 'something new.'  Early adopters, accounting for approximately 13.5% of customers, are those who observe innovators enjoying new things and make purchases.  In marketing, these are considered 'opinion leaders' and have a significant influence on the success of a new product.  Once innovators and early adopters have embraced 'something new,' the majority of consumers finally start purchasing.  The majority, representing about 34% each, is divided into 'early majority' and 'late majority.'  Of course, some people resist 'something new' (resistant group), comprising about 16%.  The era we live in seems to be constantly flooded with new things.  For example, with advancements in science and technology, new phones and computers continue to be introduced.  As a result, the desire to keep buying and acquiring new things is constantly stimulated.  This phenomenon is referred to as "new-item syndrome," meaning the belief that new things are always better than old ones.

In today's passage from Acts 17:16-21, we can see that when Paul took refuge in Athens after escaping from Berea, he observed that the people of Athens had a great interest in "something new" (v. 21).  More specifically, the Athenians were intrigued by new religious teachings or new gods.  Why were the people of Athens so interested in these new religious teachings or gods?  The reason was their curiosity and thirst for knowledge.  As a result, Athens was a city filled with idols.  When Paul saw the city of Athens filled with idols, he was deeply disturbed (v. 16).  This anger was what we might call righteous indignation. Paul's anger was rooted in God's Word, and it was a righteous anger directed by the Spirit of God (Yoo).  Therefore, Paul could not contain this holy anger, and he engaged in discussions with Jews and devout persons in the synagogue and debated daily with those in the marketplace ("Areopagus") (v. 17).  It is likely that Paul's missionary activity focused on the synagogue centered around the Sabbath, and the debates in the marketplace occurred daily (v. 17).  Among the people Paul debated were philosophers from two different schools of thought: the Epicurean philosophers and the Stoic philosophers.  The Epicureans considered "pleasure" as the highest goal in life and believed that the most valuable aspects of pleasure included freedom from pain, irritating passions, and tranquility free from fear of death.  The Stoics, on the other hand, taught that pleasure and pain were irrelevant to human happiness.  While the Epicureans believed that the gods took little interest in humans, the Stoics believed in the providence of God.  When Paul presented the gospel and testified about the death and resurrection of Jesus, the philosophers had various reactions.  Some dismissed Paul as a "babbler" and others thought he was proclaiming foreign deities (v. 18).  The term "babbler" refers to someone who gathers bits of information like a bird picking up seeds.  In other words, some philosophers considered Paul's message as insignificant information.  Others thought Paul was proclaiming unfamiliar spirits or new gods.  Here, "foreign deities" refers to spirits or gods that were unfamiliar or new to them.  Consequently, some people took hold of Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, the official council of the city, which held significant authority in matters of religion and education, to inquire about this "new teaching" (v. 19).  Look at verse 20: "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears.  We wish to know therefore what these things mean."  The Athenians who heard Paul's preaching referred to his gospel as "strange things."  For them, the message of Jesus Christ was not just one among many gods but a completely new and unfamiliar deity.  Thus, they were eager to learn more about this new teaching.  The surprising reaction was that all the citizens of Athens and the foreigners residing there did not spend their time on anything else but either telling or hearing something new concerning the testimony Paul presented, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 21).  The reason behind this was not necessarily a genuine belief in Jesus but rather a desire for knowledge and curiosity about the new doctrine that Paul was proclaiming (Park).

In our lives, there are indeed various dimensions of desires: appetite, sexual desire, sleep, desire for material possessions, power, affection, honor, knowledge, creative desire, and more.  Recently, human desires are often categorized into five stages: (1) Physiological Desires: such as appetite, sexual desire, and sleep, which are necessary for self-preservation, (2) Possession Desires: including desires for material wealth, domination, and power, (3) Recognition Desires: encompassing affection, display of oneself, and desire for honor, (4) Self-Realization Desires: the stage of desiring a morally valuable life or seeking to fulfill societal values, (5) Transcendent Desires: the higher-level desire for self-transcendence.  Knowledge desire falls under the fourth stage, "Self-Realization Desires."  The knowledge desire observed in the people of Athens indicates a strong desire to pursue things they consider valuable, whether it be acquiring new knowledge or creating something new.  To properly satisfy such desires, the people of Athens would likely need to uproot their lower desires for material wealth, power, or honor.  Pursuing true value in life while simultaneously seeking material wealth, power, or honor would not be an easy task.

We must be cautious of knowledge desire.  Especially in a pluralistic, multi-religious society like ours, we, like the people of Athens, need to be vigilant against new religions, gods, or teachings.  Otherwise, we run the risk of being misled. We should not even look at or listen to various religions, their teachings, etc., if we cannot firmly stand against them. Satan strives to tempt believers and lead them away from faith.  Consider the wisdom of King Solomon, stated in Ecclesiastes 1:16-18: "I said in my heart, 'I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.'  And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly.  I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.  For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow."  Even Solomon, the wisest king in the world, realized that pursuing wisdom and knowledge led to increased vexation and sorrow.  We must exercise restraint and caution in our knowledge desire.  It is crucial not to pursue the teachings or knowledge of various religions just for the sake of interest.  Otherwise, in a pluralistic world, we might end up in religious syncretism and lose the purity of our Christian faith.  The knowledge we should seek is the knowledge of Jesus Christ alone.  The reason is that knowing Jesus Christ is the most noble knowledge (Phil. 3:8).  We need to exert effort in getting to know Jesus Christ and grow in the knowledge of Him (Hos. 6:3, Eph. 4:13).

Desiring to grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ,

James Kim

(Praying to know myself by knowing God)