Acts 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

A few days ago I said that the placement of 1 Corinthians 15:33 in context would require another study. In order to understand who Paul is speaking to in context, we should know a little about these people. The people of Corinth are not far from Athens and the significance of Areopagus is not lost on them.

The Roman name for Areopagus is Mars Hill and it served as the meeting place for the Areopagus Court, the highest court in Greece for civil, criminal, and religious matters. Even under Roman rule in the time of the New Testament, Mars Hill remained an important meeting place where philosophy, religion, and law were discussed.

These were Greek thinkers who regularly engaged in lofty conversations which exceeded the boundaries of earthly affairs. Intelligent men came there to flex their intellectual muscles. What Paul had to say in 1^st Corinthians 15 would have inspired these thinkers to return to their way of expanding their conversations beyond that of everyday life.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Paul issues a warning in the middle of these lofty thoughts to bring these great thinkers back down to the reality of the day. Not everyone within earshot participated at Areopagus and it would be bad manners to exclude them from these talks.

1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

This verse alone is enough to send the intellectual mind off onto a rant of vain imaginations. There are more verses here to spur on vain thoughts if the warning of 1 Cor. 15:33 is not given and heeded.

This is why the quote of the Greek poet Menander was given to men well read.

1 Corinthians 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

When you think about your future I suspect this verse doesn’t come to mind. When I listen to people speak of their future I get a vast array of visions cast into bible verses. Their vision of the future reveals much about their personal desires.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Many want to be part of this event without giving much thought as to what has to happen to even be alive to see this day. They skip right to the good stuff without sufficient knowledge to understand what they might have to endure to be there.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

I have heard some say with much bravado that they will not accept the mark of the beast without even understanding what it is and what it represents. Their focus is more on the opportunity to reign with Christ for a thousand years. They skip lightly over the beheading part as if it is a means to an end. They don’t know how they will respond for their vision is vanity.

I could go on and on with visions cast of a future where the bible speaks to specific times and events in which we might desire to see or take part in. At this time I would have you return to my opening verse as I cast a vision of your future for you.

It is your next minute, day, week, month, year and everything between right now and the end of your personal story. He wants to enrich your life now for your next great adventure which is going to play out in your relationship with Him in the now.