(Recapitulation.) (b) “And while Paul waited,” etc. It is providentially ordered that against his will he stays there, while waiting for those others. (a) “His spirit,” it says, “within him” παρωξύνετο. It does not mean there anger or exasperation: just as elsewhere it says, “There was παροξυσμὸς between them.” (c) Then what is παρωξύνετο? Was roused: for the gift is far removed from anger and exasperation. He could not bear it, but pined away. “He reasoned therefore in the synagogue,” etc. Observe him again reasoning with Jews.
By “devout persons” he means the proselytes. For the Jews were dispersed everywhere before (mod. text “since”) Christ's coming, the Law indeed being henceforth, so to say, in process of dissolution, but at the same time (the dispersed Jews) teaching men religion. But those prevailed nothing, save only that they got witnesses of their own calamities. (e) “And certain philosophers,” etc. How came they to be willing to confer with him? (They did it) when they saw others reasoning, and the man having repute (in the encounter).
And observe straightway with overbearing insolence, “some said, What would this babbler say? For the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit.” Other some, He seems to be a setter-forth of strange deities: δαιμονίων, for so they called their gods. “And having taken him, they brought him,” etc. (a) The Athenians no longer enjoyed their own laws, but had become subject to the Romans. (g) (Then) why did they hale him to the Areopagus? Meaning to overawe him— (the place) where they held the trials for bloodshed.
“May we know, what is this new doctrine spoken of by you? For you bring certain strange things to our ears; we would fain know therefore what these things mean. For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.” (<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->v. 20, 21.) Here the thing noted is, that though ever occupied only in this telling and hearing, yet they thought those things strange— things which they had never heard.
“Then Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, You men of Athens, I look upon you as being in all things more religiously disposed”: (f) for the cities were full of gods (δαιμόνων, al. εἰδώλων): (h) this is why he says δεισιδαιμονεστέρους. For as I passed by and viewed the objects of your worship — he does not say simply τοὺς δαίμονας (the demons, or deities), but paves the way for his discourse: “I beheld an altar,” etc. This is why he says, “I look upon you as being more religiously disposed,” viz. because of the altar.
“God,” he says, “that made the world.” He uttered one word, by which he has subverted all the (doctrines) of the philosophers. For the Epicureans affirm all to be fortuitously formed and (by concourse) of atoms, the Stoics held it to be body and fire (ἐ κπύρωσιν). “The world and all that is therein.” Do you mark the conciseness, and in conciseness, clearness? Mark what were the things that were strange to them: that God made the world! Things which now any of the most ordinary persons know, these the Athenians and the wise men of the Athenians knew not. “Seeing He is Lord of heaven and earth:” for if He made them, it is clear that He is Lord. Observe what he affirms to be the note of Deity— creation. Which attribute the Son also has.
Source: Homilies on Acts (New Advent)