1-3. (a) Why apostle Paul no happy when e reach Athens? (b) Wetin we fit learn from Paul example?

 PAUL no de happy. E dey Athens for Greece, one important city wey big-big schools dey, and wey Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle be teach people. This people na philosophers (people wey de use the sense of this world explain things about life.) People for Athens no de use religion play. Them de worship plenty gods. Paul just de see plenty idols everywhere, for their temples, for places wey people de gather, and even for streets. Paul know how Jehovah wey be the true God, de see idol worship. (Ex. 20:​4, 5) And this faithful apostle de see idols the way Jehovah de see them, e hate them!

² Wetin Paul see as e enter the market area shock-am no be small! Plenty naked image of the god wey them de call Hermes dey the northwest corner, near the main place wey them de pass enter the market area. And na so-so shrine full the market area. How Paul go fit preach to this people wey de worship plenty idols? E go fit dey calm and show respect? E go fit find wetin im and the people agree with and use-am preach to them? E go fit help anybody know the true God and come worship-am?

³ Acts 17:​22-31 show say when Paul de talk to this people for Athens wey go school well-well, e use sense and e talk for way wey go convince them. When we study Paul example, we go know how we fit use wetin we and people agree with take help them reason about wetin we de preach.

4, 5. Where Paul preach for Athens, and which kind people e meet for there?

⁴ Paul go Athens around 50 C.E. a for the second time wey e travel as missionary. As e de wait make Silas and Timothy wey dey Beroea come meet-am, ‘e start to reason with Jew people for synagogue,’ as e de always do. E still go where e fit preach to people for Athens wey no be Jew people,  this one na for “the market area.” (Acts 17:17) This place big well-well, e fit reach like 12 acres or even pass and e near one hill wey them de call Acropolis. No be only to buy and sell things people de do for there; na the main place for the city wey the people de gather when them want meet together. One book talk say na here be the main place for the city wey “business people, politicians, philosophers, and people wey de write book de gather.” People for Athens de like to gather here to talk about different-different things wey them know.

⁵ E no go easy for Paul to convince people for the market area. Why? Some people for there de follow Epicurus and some de follow Zeno, and them no believe the same thing. b People wey de follow Epicurus believe say, life just start on e own, nobody create life. Wetin them believe about life be say: “No need to fear God; People wey don die no de feel anything; Person go fit get good things for life; Person go fit endure bad things.” People wey de follow Zeno believe say the main thing for life na to de reason and understand things well. Them no believe say God dey. The two group no believe say person fit come back to life as Jesus disciples de teach. E clear say wetin this two group believe really different from the pure truth wey Christians believe, wey Paul de preach about.

6, 7. Wetin some Greek people wey go school well-well talk about wetin Paul de teach, and how people de treat us like that today?

⁶ Wetin this Greek people wey go school well-well talk about wetin Paul de teach? Some talk say Paul na “talk-talk man.” For Greek, this word still mean “person wey de pick seed.” (Check study note for Acts 17:​18, nwtsty.) One expert talk about this Greek word, e say: “Them first de use this word for one small bird wey de fly up and down de pick seed, but after, them start to use-am for person wey de waka inside market de pick food wey fall for ground and other things. After some time, them come de use-am for person wey de carry different-different information wey no connect to each other, and especially person wey no de fit explain them well so the whole thing wey e de talk no de make sense.” So, those people de talk say Paul na fool, and say e de only repeat wetin e don hear from other people. But, we go see say Paul no let this name wey them call-am make-am fear.

⁷ Na so e still be today. Because we be Jehovah Witness and we believe wetin Bible talk, people de call us different-different yeye name. For example, some people de teach say life start by imself, and them say if you be person wey sabi something, you must believe-am. Them mean say anybody wey no believe this teaching, no get sense. This people wey go school well-well de make people think say we no get sense because we de teach people wetin Bible talk, and de show them proof say Person dey wey make everything. But we no de allow wetin them de talk put fear for our body. Instead we dey bold as we de tell them wetin we believe say, na Person wey get sense make everything wey dey this earth, and im name na Jehovah.​—Rev. 4:11.

8. (a) Wetin some people do when them hear wetin Paul preach? (b)  Bible talk say them carry Paul go Areopagus, wetin that one fit mean? (Check footnote.)

 ⁸ Other people wey hear wetin Paul preach for the market area no behave like that. Them talk say: “E be like say e de talk about gods from another place.” (Acts 17:18) If na true say Paul de tell the people for Athens about other gods, that one na serious problem. Why? Because na this kind thing them be talk say Socrates do for im time, wey make them judge-am and kill-am. So e no surprise us say them carry Paul go Areopagus make e explain this teaching wey Athens people never hear before. c How Paul go explain im message to this people wey no know anything about the Word of God?

9-11. (a) How Paul use wetin im and the people agree with take start im preaching? (b) How we fit copy Paul example when we de preach?

⁹ Remember say Paul no happy at all because of all the idols wey e see for the  city. But e no use vex begin condemn idol worship, instead e control imself. E use sense and try im best to talk wetin go touch the people. E first start with wetin im and the people agree with. E talk say: “People of Athens, I see say for everything, e be like say una de fear the gods pass other people.” (Acts 17:22) E just be like say Paul de tell them say, ‘I see say una no de use religion play.’ Paul show say e get sense, e praise them as them know say worship dey important. E know say some of this people wey lie-lie teaching don deceive, fit still accept the truth. Even self, Paul know say e get one time when e ‘no know wetin e de do and e no get faith.’​—1 Tim. 1:13.

¹⁰ As Paul don talk wetin go make them listen, e come tell them say e see wetin show say them no de use religion play, e see one altar wey them build and write ontop-am say “For God Wey We No Know.” One book talk say, “Na normal thing for Greek people and other people to build altar for ‘gods wey [them] no know,’ because them de fear say if any god dey wey them no de worship because them no know-am, that god fit vex for them.” This kind altar de show say Athens people gree say God dey wey them no know. Na this altar wey Paul see, e use start im preaching. E tell them say: “Wetin una no know wey una de worship, na this one I de tell una about.” (Acts 17:23) Paul use sense reason with them but im message really touch their heart. No be another god e de preach about as some people talk. But e de tell them about that God wey them no know, wey be the true God.

¹¹ How we fit copy Paul example for our preaching work? If we de look well, we fit see something wey show say person no de use im religion play. For example, the person fit wear or keep something about im religion for im house or im compound. We fit tell the person say: ‘I see say you be person wey no de use religion play. Na person like you I hope to meet and talk to.’ If we use sense talk about im religion like this, e fit make us talk something wey we and the person agree with, and then use-am teach-am the truth. Make we remember say we no suppose use wetin people believe judge them, because among our brothers and sisters today, we get many of them wey believe lie-lie teaching before.

12. How Paul adjust the method wey e use preach to the people?

¹² Paul don talk wetin go make the people listen, but how e go fit continue the preaching? E know say this people no sabi wetin the Word of God talk, and say na Greek teaching them know, so e adjust the method wey e use preach for different ways. First, e talk about things wey dey Bible but e no quote direct from the scriptures. Second, e make the people feel-am say e understand them and say e be like them, sometimes e even use words like “us” and “we.” And third, e quote from things wey some Greek people don write to show say some things wey e de teach agree with wetin their own Greek people, don talk. Now, make we talk about wetin Paul talk wey touch the people. Which important truths e tell Athens people about the God wey them no know?

13. Wetin Paul talk about how heaven and earth take start, and wetin this one mean?

 ¹³ Na God make the heaven and earth. Paul talk say: “The God wey make the world and all the things for inside, as Lord of heaven and earth, e no de stay for temples wey them make with hand.” d (Acts 17:24) Heaven and earth no come out by theirself. Na the true God make everything. (Ps. 146:6) Na im be the Lord Wey High Pass for heaven and earth. E no be like Athena or the other gods wey their glory de come from the kind temple, shrine, and altar wey them build for them. No temple wey people build fit contain God. (1 Ki. 8:27) Wetin Paul de talk clear: The true God high well-well pass any idol wey people make, and wey dey inside temples wey people make.​—Isa. 40:​18-26.

14. How Paul show say God no need help from people?

¹⁴ God no need help from people. People wey de worship idols de like to wear them fine-fine cloth wey cost, give them gift wey cost, or give them food and drink, because them feel say the idols need those things. But among the Greek people wey Paul preach to, some philosophers fit believe say god no suppose need this kind things from people. If na so, them go don agree with wetin Paul talk say God “no de expect anything from people hand like say e need anything.” True-true, e no get anything like food or cloth wey people fit give God! Instead na God de give people wetin them need, “na im de give life, and air to breathe, and everything.” Na im still de give sun, rain and soil wey de make things grow. (Acts 17:25; Gen. 2:7) So God, wey de give us everything, no need help from us.

15. How Paul correct the belief wey Athens people get say them better pass people wey no be Greek, and which important thing we fit learn from im example?

¹⁵ Na God make people. Athens people believe say them better pass people wey no be Greek. But Bible make us know say our tribe or country no better pass other people own. (Deut. 10:17) Paul use sense make them understand this  matter, when e talk say: “Na from one man e [God] make all the nation of people.” This thing wey Paul talk go don make the people think. (Acts 17:26) Paul de talk about the story of our first papa Adam, wey dey the book of Genesis. (Gen. 1:​26-28) As e be say everybody come from one papa, no tribe or country better pass another one. How any of them want talk say e no understand wetin Paul mean? We learn one important thing from Paul example. Na true say when we dey preaching, e good to use sense and no talk and do things wey go make people vex, but make we no fear to teach the truth exactly as e be just because we want make them accept-am.

16. Wetin God want for people?

¹⁶ God want make people be im friend. Even if the philosophers wey de listen to Paul, don use plenty years try to explain why people dey this life, them for no fit explain-am well. But Paul make them understand why God make people. This one na for them to “look for God, if them fit really try find-am and really see-am, even though say true-true, e no far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) E dey possible to know that God wey Athens people talk say them no know. The truth be say, God no far from people wey really want know-am and learn about-am. (Ps. 145:18) As Paul use the word “us,” e add imself among the people wey need to “look for” God and “try find-am.”

17, 18. Why e suppose hungry people to near God, and wetin we fit learn from the way Paul make them listen?

¹⁷ To near God na something wey suppose hungry people. Paul talk say: “Because of God, we get life and we de waka and we dey.” Some experts talk say Paul be de talk about wetin Epimenides talk. This man na Crete person wey live for  the sixth century B.C.E., e de write poem that time and na “important person for Athens people religion and tradition.” Paul still talk another reason why people suppose feel close to God, e talk say: “Some of una own people wey de write [poem], don talk say, ‘We be im children too.’” (Acts 17:28) People suppose feel close to God because na God make the first man wey everybody come from. To make the people listen, Paul use sense. E quote direct from things wey Greek people don write. The people wey de listen to-am know and de respect the people wey write wetin Paul quote from. e Like Paul, sometimes, we fit quote small things from wetin them write for encyclopedias, history wey people write, or other books wey people know and trust. For example, if we talk wetin dey some books wey people know and trust, e fit help person wey no be Jehovah Witness believe how some celebrations wey Bible no agree with, take start.

¹⁸ For everything wey Paul talk come reach now, e talk important truths about God and e use sense adjust the method wey e use preach to the people. Wetin e want make Athens people do with this important information? E no waste time at all to tell the people wetin them go do for the next thing wey e talk.

19, 20. (a) How Paul use sense make-am clear say e no really make sense to worship idols? (b) Wetin the people need to do?

¹⁹ Paul don ready to encourage the people to do something. As e de talk about things wey e don quote before from wetin Greek people write, e come talk say: “So since we be the children of God, we no suppose think say this God be like gold or silver or stone, like something wey humans use their sense carve and draw.” (Acts 17:29) True-true, if na God make people, then how God go come be like idols, wey be things wey people make? Paul use sense make-am clear say e no really make sense to worship idols. (Ps. 115:​4-8; Isa. 44:​9-20) As Paul talk say “we no suppose,” e clear say e try so that wetin e de talk no go make the people vex.

²⁰ Paul make-am clear say the people need to do something. E talk say: ‘Na true say e get times wey don pass wey God leave people wey no know wetin them de do [as them be de think say God go still happy with anybody wey de worship idols], but now e de tell everybody for everywhere say make them repent.’ (Acts 17:30) As Paul tell the people say make them repent, that one fit don surprise some of them. But wetin e talk make-am clear say na God give them life, so na im suppose tell them how to live their life. Them need to look for God, learn about-am, and live their life the way e want. That one mean say Athens people need to understand say na sin to worship idols, then comot hand from-am.

21, 22. Which powerful thing Paul talk to end im message, and wetin we fit learn from this one?

 ²¹ Paul talk one powerful thing to end wetin e de tell the people, e talk say: “[God] don fix day wey e want judge the earth for the correct way and e go use one man wey e don choose, and e don make everybody dey sure about this one as e bring this man back to life.” (Acts 17:31) As the people don know say Judgment Day de come, this one na strong reason for them to look for the true God, so that them go fit see-am! Paul no mention the name of the Judge wey God don choose. Instead, wetin e talk about the Judge fit surprise person. E talk say: E be dey this earth, e die, and God bring-am back to life!

²² E get plenty things wey we fit learn from that powerful thing wey Paul talk as e de end im message. We know say na Jesus Christ be the Judge wey God don choose. (John 5:22) We still know say the Judgment Day na one thousand years, and small time, e go start. (Rev. 20:​4, 6) We no de fear Judgment Day, because we know say e go bring wonderful blessings for people wey do wetin God want. We dey sure say the wonderful things wey we de expect for future go happen because God bring Jesus Christ back to life, and no miracle big pass this one!

23. Wetin be the different things wey the people do when them hear wetin Paul talk?

²³ Na different things the people do when them hear wetin Paul talk. “Some of them start to laugh” when them hear say God go bring people back to life. Some other people no laugh, but them no repent and start to serve God. Them talk say: “We go hear this one another time.” (Acts 17:32) But some of them do better thing. Bible talk say: “Some people join-am and believe the good news. Among them na Dionysius wey be judge for the court of Areopagus, and one woman wey im name na Damaris, and other people apart from them.” (Acts 17:34) Na different-different things people de do too when them hear our message. Some people de laugh us, other people de respect us even though say them no de do anything about wetin them hear. But we de happy say some people de accept the Kingdom message and start to serve Jehovah.

24. Wetin we fit learn from the things wey Paul talk as e stand for the middle of the Areopagus?

²⁴ When we think about wetin Paul talk, we fit learn plenty things about how to explain something well for way wey e go hungry people to listen, and how to make them believe say say wetin we de teach na truth. Some people really want serve God, but them believe the things wey lie-lie religion de teach. We learn say we need to dey patient and use sense talk with them. Another important lesson wey we learn be say: Make we no ever fear to teach the truth exactly as e be for Bible because say we want talk wetin people go like. If we copy apostle Paul example for our preaching work, we go sabi teach people well pass before. Elders too fit learn to teach well for congregation. All this ones go make us fit help people “look for God . . . and really see-am.”​—Acts 17:27.