Tueday (09/22/2026): Gospel Demos & St. Worships with Berkeley/Oakland Neighbors ___THE GOSPEL THAT WALKS BEFORE IT SPEAKS: Proximity, Paul in Athens, and the Witness That Comes Near
Before Paul spoke at the Areopagus,
he walked through Athens.
That detail is easy to pass over.
We remember the sermon. We remember the philosophers.
We remember the altar inscribed “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.”
We remember Paul's declaration that the Creator does not dwell
in temples made with hands.
But before all of this, there was a man walking through a city.
Acts tells us that Paul's spirit was stirred when he saw Athens filled with idols. Later, standing before the Areopagus, he explained:
“For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions…”
— Acts 17:23
Paul had been looking.
He had walked among the people
whose beliefs he would eventually address.
He had observed their altars.
He had listened to their questions.
He had encountered their philosophers.
He had learned enough about their intellectual world
to quote their poets.
Only then did he speak.
This gives us a profound picture of Christian witness:
The Gospel walks before it speaks.
Pastor Steven G. Lee
St. GMC Corps
September 20, 2026
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