Acts 17 reveals that Athens was a city wholly given to idolatry, with over 30,000 different gods worshipped.
In Acts 17:16, we learn that while Paul waited in Athens, his spirit was stirred within him upon seeing the city completely given over to idol worship. The sheer number of deities—over 30,000—highlighted the depth of the idolatry present in the city. Every street corner seemed to house an idol, which grieved Paul's heart, compelling him to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who were lost in their false beliefs. This context underscores the radical nature of the Christian message, which not only demanded no sacrifices from its followers but offered salvation through grace alone, something utterly foreign to the transactional religion of the Athenians.
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