Inspiration has given us this glance at the life of the Athenians, with all their knowledge, refinement, and art, yet sunken in vice, that it might be seen how God, through his servant, rebuked idolatry, and the sins of a proud, self-sufficient people. The words of Paul become a memorial of the occasion, and give a treasure of knowledge to the church. He was in a position where he might easily have spoken that which would irritate his proud listeners, and bring himself into difficulty. Had his oration been a direct attack upon their gods, and the great men of the city who were before him, he would have been in danger of meeting the fate of Socrates. But he carefully drew their minds away from heathen deities, by revealing to them the true God, whom they were endeavoring to worship, but who was to them unknown, as they themselves confessed by a public inscription. {3SP 403.1}

Inspirationen har givet os dette glimt af athenernes liv, med al deres kundskab, finkultur og kunst, alligevel er de sunket i umoralitet, så det kan ses hvordan Gud, ved sin tjener, irettesatte afgudsdyrkelse, og et stolt og selvtilstrækkeligt folks synder. Paulus ord bliver husket ved den lejlighed, og giver en kundskabsrigdom til kirken. Han var i en position hvor han nemt kunne have talt om det som ville irritere hans stolte tilhørere, og bringe sig selv i vanskeligheder. Var hans tale et direkte angreb på deres guder, og byens store mænd som stod foran han, ville han være i fare for at møde Sokrates’ skæbne. Men han førte forsigtigt deres tanker væk fra de hedenske guder, ved at åbenbare den sande Gud til dem, som de vovede at tilbede, men som var ukendt for dem, idet de selv bekendte sig til en offentlig inskription.