Paul told them of a Bigger God that they all sensed existed. After all, where did the virtues of wisdom, courage, justice and temperance come from? He was appealing to their sense of a higher moral code than that of their gods or their culture. Who was the source of this absolute moral code?
Why did Greeks have fear of their gods and death, when they all knew through Creation that there was a Creator of exquisite beauty and order? Didn’t Plato himself teach that there were metaphysical forms with which we intersect with in our soul and spirit, the most fundamental being “the Good”, who was a perfect entity that was eternal and constant that existed outside our space and time? When we do good things that we intersect and participate with this “Good.”
These Athenian philosophers were all very familiar with these teachings and concepts. Paul appealed to these intrinsic principles, and brought a message not only to their minds, but to their hearts. Yahweh is the Creator. He is the perfect entity that wants a relationship with mankind. He even became a man and lived among us so that we would have no misunderstanding who He is, and what He desires from us. His public execution on a cross and subsequent Resurrection proved his Divinity, and that all He said was true.
It was a presentation of the Gospel that was logical and culturally relative which penetrated the hearts of his listeners on the Aeropagus.
