Dionysius and Damaris A Joyful Failure

Paul was a very successful evangelist and missionary. When he traveled throughout Asia Minor, crowds flocked to hear him, many were healed by God through him, and the huge number of churches raised up are attested to in his New Testament letters.

But one time, his work was a dismal failure. Or was it? The faithful apostle of Christ was passing through the famous pagan city of Athens in Greece, when he noticed many idols, hundreds of statues to all sorts of gods. Seeing all the false forms of worship, “his spirit was provoked within him” (Acts 17:16) and led him to witness to the Jews and some Gentile worshipers in the

local synagogue.

Paul ventured into the marketplace to witness to others, including “certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers” (v. 18). They decided to hear out the strange teacher and invited Paul to speak at the Areopagus, also known as Mars’ Hill, which was the city council of Athens. He grabbed at this interesting opportunity to reach more people for Christ.

After affirming the religious devotion of his listeners, he explains that he would like to speak about “THE UNKNOWN GOD,” words he saw on some altar in Athens. Paul then tells about the Creator who made all things and the impossibility of humans being able to make gods to worship. After quoting some of their own Greek poets, he ended with an appeal to prepare for God’s appointed day of judgment through Christ who was raised from the dead.

Abruptly, interest in Paul’s eloquent evangelistic sermon ended for the Athenians. “When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter’” (v. 32). Before Luke concluded the story of Paul’s departure from Athens, he added, “However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them” (v. 34).

Admittedly, preaching to a crowd of philosophers was a tough assignment. Yet we must remember that Jesus’ favorite audience was just one person, such as the woman at the well. By the baptismal numbers, this probably wasn’t a report we’d rush to print in church papers. But the conversion of this handful of believers in Athens gives us hope that God isn’t interested in numbers alone, but in even just one person, like you.

Reflect: Have you ever attended an evangelistic campaign where very few were baptized? Let’s remember that heaven rejoices over just one convert!

Key Bible Texts

So Paul departed from among them. (Acts 17:33 KJV)