Areopagus

Acts 17:19 ESV

19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

Areopagus or Mars Hill is not far from the Acropolis. The people there were into the latest thing. Maybe that is the spiritual home of Madison Avenue, the advertising energy behind our consumer frenzy. 

Pagen worship was commonly done in the hills, or high places.  It was there idols were erected. We are more subtle these days for the most part, or maybe we just don't take them to the hills anymore. 

Ἄρειος Πάγος * Areios Pagos * ar'-i-os pag'-os * From Ἄρης Arēs (the name of the Greek deity of war) and a derivative of G4078[G4078 πήγνυμι * pēgnumi * payg'-noo-mee * A prolonged form of a primary verb (which in its simpler form occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); to fix ("peg"), that is, (specifically) to set up (a tent): - pitch.

Times Of Ignorance

Acts 17:30 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

The choice is ever before us. Ignorance is no excuse. In ignorance, Adam and Eve disobeyed God even as they reached for their own knowledge. 

In doing so, they forfeited intimate knowledge of God. Don't make that same mistake. 

He has made a way back. 

Did Not Recognize Him

Matthew 17:9-13 ESV

9   As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “ Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

They had just seen Elijah talking with Jesus. Jesus tells them that Elijah did come as John the Baptist. No one recognized him then, but the these disciples saw him with Jesus. 

Interesting to note that the three men transfigured left earth with no body to be found. 

Satan looked for the bones of Moses. 

Elijah was taken by chariot into heaven. 

Jesus rose from the tomb. 

Healed Instantly

Matthew 17:16-20 ESV

16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

The word translated here as heal could be used to speak of worship. The disciples could not heal the boy because they lacked faith. They could not heal because they were not fully healed themselves. This happened when the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost. They then became true worshippers of God, for it is in spirit that worship takes place.  

θεραπεύω * therapeuō * ther-ap-yoo'-o * From the same as G2324; to wait upon menially, that is, (figuratively) to adore (God), or (specifically) to relieve (of disease): - cure, heal, worship.

Overshadowed

Matthew 17:3-6 ESV

3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “ This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.

This word translated as overshadow was used when the Holy Spirit came to Mary and Christ was born. It might be said He was transfigured at that time from His heavenly state to earthly form. 

The light of heaven descends to earth and the word of God is spoken. And God saw that it was good. 

ἐπισκιάζω * episkiazō * ep-ee-skee-ad'-zo * From G1909 and a derivative of G4639; to cast a shade upon, that is, (by analogy) to envelop in a haze of brilliancy; figuratively to invest with preternatural influence: - overshadow.

Bear The Marks

Galatians 6:17 ESV

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Paul is transformed by the touch of Jesus in such a way as to be visible. When you observed him there was no doubt he had been with Jesus, that he was with Jesus. Just as the face of Moses glowed after he left the glory of the Lord on that mountain, so does the presence of the Holy Spirit affect the countenance and character of the believer. 

By His stripes we are healed. When we put on Christ we take on His wounds. As we renew our minds and change our lives, we grow in the body of Christ. It is a marked difference. 

A Worshiper Of God

Acts 16:13-15 ESV

13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

This does not mean the Lord singled her out to be saved. The same words were heard by others, but Lydia's heart is singled out as responding to the word. It does not exclude the possibility that others responded in some way. The rain from heaven falls on the just and unjust. The seed planted grows as God sees and we do not. 

We do know it is an opened heart that seeks and finds. She was a worshipper of God who then finds Jesus.