His heathen opponents called his attention to the fate of Socrates, who, because he was a setter forth of strange gods, had been condemned to death, and they counseled Paul not to endanger his life in the same way. But the apostle's discourses riveted the attention of the people, and his unaffected wisdom commanded their respect and admiration. He was not silenced by the science or the irony of the philosophers, and satisfying themselves that he was determined to accomplish his errand among them, and, at all hazards, to tell his story, they decided to give him a fair hearing.

Hans hedenske modstandere mindede ham om den skæbne, der ramte Sokrates, der blev dømt til døden, fordi han forkyndte fremmede guder, og de tilrådede Paulus ikke at sætte sit liv i vove på samme måde. Men apostlens tale fangede folkets opmærksomhed, og hans ukunstlede visdom tiltvang sig deres agtelse og beundring. Han lod sig ikke bringe til tavshed ved filosoffernes videnskab og ironi, og da det stod dem klart, at han var fast besluttet på at udrette sit ærinde iblandt dem og, koste hvad det ville, at fortælle, hvad han ønskede, bestemte de sig til at give ham en retfærdig chance.