Areopagus is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Areopagus is the hill in Athens where Paul preached to the philosophers. In Acts 17, Paul was in Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy, and he was provoked in his spirit by the city’s idolatry. He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and devout persons, and daily in the marketplace with those who happened to be there. Certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him and debated with him, some asking what this babbler was saying, and others saying he seemed to be a setter forth of strange gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.
The philosophers took Paul and brought him to Areopagus, asking, “May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?” The King James Bible records Areopagus as the place where Paul stood and preached his famous sermon about the unknown god, declaring the God who made the world and all things therein, who does not dwell in temples made with hands, and who commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day to judge the world by the man He has ordained, of which He gave assurance by raising Him from the dead.
The source note identifies Areopagus as the hill in Athens where Paul preached to the philosophers. The name appears only once in the King James New Testament, in Acts 17:19. Scripture presents it as the setting for Paul’s address to the Athenian thinkers, a place where the gospel was proclaimed to a pagan audience.
The Name
Areopagus is a Greek name, commonly understood to mean “Hill of Ares” or “Mars’ Hill,” referring to the Greek god of war. The King James Bible renders the place name as Areopagus in Acts 17:19, and the same location is called Mars’ Hill elsewhere in the chapter. The meaning is well established from the Greek components of the name, and it is not a personal name but the designation of a notable hill and council site in Athens.
A Closing Thought
Areopagus reminds us that the gospel has always been spoken in places of learning and debate, among people who did not yet know the truth. Paul did not shrink from the philosophers but met them where they were, proclaiming the living God and the risen Christ. May we likewise be ready to give an answer for the hope within us, trusting that the same God who called men to repentance then still calls men to repentance today, in every place and among every people.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Acts 17:19 — And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?