18 EKOBEE

“Gbī Bari . . . Sa Ye Gbī Muɛ”

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Paul establishes common ground and adapts to his audience

Dɛɛa nyɔɔ Doonu 17:16-34

1-3. (a) Ena anua bu Pɔɔl bee biira gbɛnɛ bie Atɛns a? (b) Ena i dap nɔ aāloo ɛ’ɛp edoba Pɔɔl a?

¹Buū bu English

² Buū bu English

³ Buū bu English

Tɔtɔgɛ Nu Bie “Kɛ̄ Du” (Doonu 17:16-21)

4, 5. Mɛ kɛ̄ na Pɔɔl bee zue ue bie Atɛns a, e mɛ dua pya nɛɛ na a bee le lo kɛ̄ a?

⁴ Buū bu English

ATHENS—CULTURAL CAPITAL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

The Acropolis of Athens was a strongly fortified citadel well before the city’s history began to be recorded in the seventh century B.C.E. Athens became the chief city of the district of Attica and dominated an area of some 1,000 square miles (2,500 sq km), bounded by mountains and sea. The city’s name seems to be related to that of its patron goddess, Athena.

In the sixth century B.C.E., an Athenian legislator named Solon reformed the social, political, juridical, and economic structures of the city. He improved the lot of the poor and laid the basis for a democratic form of government. It was a democracy only for the free, however, and a large part of the city’s population was made up of slaves.

Following Greek victories over the Persians in the fifth century B.C.E., Athens became the capital of a small empire that extended its maritime trade from Italy and Sicily in the west to Cyprus and Syria in the east. At the height of its splendor, Athens was the cultural center of the ancient world, excelling in art, drama, philosophy, rhetoric, and science. Many public buildings and temples adorned the city. Its skyline was dominated by the Acropolis, a commanding hill on which stood the Parthenon and its 40-foot (12 m) gold and ivory statue of Athena.

Athens was conquered first by the Spartans, then by the Macedonians, and finally by the Romans, who stripped the city of its wealth. Even so, in the time of the apostle Paul, Athens still enjoyed a privileged status because of its illustrious past. In fact, the city was never incorporated into any Roman province but was granted juridical authority over its own citizens and exemption from Roman taxes. Though its greatest glories were gone, Athens remained a university city, where the sons of the wealthy were sent to study.

⁵ Buū bu English

6, 7. Bu mɛ sīdee na pya nɛɛ suānu a bee le Grik bee doo dogo kumaloo tɔgɛnu Pɔɔl a, e bu mɛ sīdee na pya nɛɛ dap doo dua dogo ama i kumaloo anii’ee a?

⁶ Buū bu English

⁷ Buū bu English

8. (a) Pio pya a bee dā zue ue Pɔɔl bee doo dogo doodoo wa? (b) Ena a bee lu yii bu susu Pɔɔl kuma Arɛɔpagɔs a? (Ɛp ue a le kɛɛ̄ nyɔɔ ye 142 naɛsī.)

⁸ Buū bu English

EPICUREANS AND STOICS

The Epicureans and Stoics were followers of two separate schools of philosophy. Neither believed in a resurrection.

The Epicureans believed in the existence of gods but thought that the gods had no interest in men and would neither reward nor punish them, so prayer or sacrifice was useless. Epicureans held pleasure to be the supreme good in life. Their thinking and actions were devoid of moral principle. Moderation was urged, however, on the grounds that it prevented the negative consequences of overindulgence. Knowledge was sought only to rid a person of religious fears and superstition.

The Stoics, on the other hand, believed that all things were part of an impersonal deity and that the human soul emanated from such a source. Some Stoics held that the soul would eventually be destroyed along with the universe. Other Stoics believed that the soul would ultimately be reabsorbed by this deity. According to Stoic philosophers, happiness was to be obtained by following nature.

“Pya Nɛɛdam Atɛns, M Muɛ” (Doonu 17:22, 23)

9-11. (a) Bu mɛ sīdee na Pɔɔl bee bɔātɛ̄ ye ekɔaue a? (b) Bu mɛ sīdee na i nɔ edoba Pɔɔl bu i tam zue ue a?

⁹ Buū bu English

¹⁰ Buū bu English

¹¹ Buū bu English

Seek to establish common ground on which to build

Bari “Naale Kɛ̄ A Binia Aāloo Ziī Ziī Ii” (Doonu 17:24-28)

12. Bu mɛ sīdee na Pɔɔl bee kwabaloo ye sīdee tɔgɛnu dɛɛa nyɔɔ pya a gaa ye gbaɛ̄tɔ̄ a?

¹² Buū bu English

13. Ena Pɔɔl bee baatɛ̄ kiiloo kɛ̄ nyɔuwe bee bɔātɛ̄ doo a, e amunu edaābeeloo na a bee doo kɔ a sira leere a?

¹³ Buū bu English

14. Bu mɛ sīdee na Pɔɔl bee tɔgɛ kɔ Bari naa gbī yerebah aābah miɔŋɔ nɛɛ a?

¹⁴ Buū bu English

15. Bu mɛ sīdee na Pɔɔl bee baatɛ̄ ekwɔ ekɛɛrɛ pya Atɛns bee ɛrɛ kɔ ba eenyɔɔ pya a naa lu Grik a, e amunu nu a kuī na i dap nɔ aāloo ye edoba ama a?

¹⁵ Buū bu English

16. Ena alu ekɛɛrɛ Nɛɛ Dɛmnu ɛrɛ kumaloo miɔŋɔ nɛɛ a?

¹⁶ Buū bu English

17, 18. Ena anua miɔŋɔ nɛɛ etɔɔ̄ waɛloo Bari a, e ena i nɔ aāloo kɛ̄ Pɔɔl bee kɔ ue a zū pya a gaa bee ye gbaɛ̄tɔ̄ doo a?

¹⁷ Buū bu English

¹⁸ Buū bu English

“Dɛ̄dɛɛ̄ Nɛɛ A Le Dɛ̄dɛɛ̄ Kɛ̄ . . . A Kiiya” (Doonu 17:29-31)

19, 20. (a) Bu mɛ sīdee na Pɔɔl bee su suānu kɔā ue nɛ pya a bee le gaa taāŋabah bari alu esu bah kwaā a? (b) E ena alu ebɛɛ̄ kɔ pya a bee le gaa gbaɛ̄tɔ̄loo Pɔɔl a doo a?

¹⁹ Buū bu English

²⁰ Buū bu English

21, 22. Pya amunu ue ekpo le bu na Pɔɔl bee su yeā kuma loo ye ue a, e ena ye ue ama kura nɛ ili anii’ee a?

²¹ Buū bu English

²² Buū bu English