But certain men, adhering to him, did believe: among whom was also Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
τινες δε ανδρες κολληθεντες αυτω επιστευσαν εν οις και διονυσιος ο αρεοπαγιτης και γυνη ονοματι δαμαρις και ετεροι συν αυτοις
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Nevertheless, he persuaded Dionysius the Areopagite and certain others. Those who cared for the good order of their lives soon received the word. The rest did not. It seemed sufficient to Paul that he had at least sown the seeds. By then the greater part of his life had already passed, since he died under Nero.
“But some believed, among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite.” The tribunal was located on the Hill of Ares outside the city.
The Areopagites examined every injury and every crime. Therefore Paul, as a preacher of foreign gods, was brought into the assembly of the Areopagus.
But one of the members of the Areopagus at that time, the divine Dionysius, gave his vote for the truth by right of his office as judge.
Taking leave of the senseless solemn assembly of the Areopagites, he was counted worthy to be illumined by the light of truth.
Although Greece was then under Roman rule, the Romans granted autonomy to Athens and Lacedaemon. Therefore the offices of judges in Athens were held by the Areopagites.
The teaching of salvation was communicated to Dionysius through Paul. He was guided, as a disciple by a teacher, by the great Hierotheus.
When you have persuaded them that God is one, then with His help you will show that salvation has been given to us through Christ.
Begin with what Christ accomplished while abiding in the body. Point out the marks of the divine nature, so that it may be seen that He is more than man.
Show that death was conquered by the power of Him alone, and that after death He rose from Hades.
Faith grows little by little. When people see that He surpassed men, they will believe that He is God.
If you do not establish that He could not have accomplished His deeds without divine power, how will you prove that divine power was in Him?
As a remedy for error, he pointed to the thirst for repentance. Then he came to Christ, but for the time being he still preferred to call Him not God, but man.
He says: “By the Man whom He has ordained, God has given assurance to all, raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).
In discussion, one must take into account the character of the hearers. Otherwise people will mock rather than listen.
Would the Athenians have believed that the Word became flesh (Jn 1:14) and that the Virgin conceived of the Spirit, see Mt 1:18-23 and Lk 1:26-38, if they laughed when they heard of resurrection from the dead?
Yet Dionysius the Areopagite believed, and others believed in the Man, see Acts 17:34, so that they might believe in Him as God.
What difference does it make in what order someone believes? Perfection is not required at the beginning. From the beginning one comes to what is perfect.
By such preaching Paul instructed the Athenians. We too must keep this order with the Gentiles.
The very fact that he was chosen as a member of the Athenian council already bears witness to the nobility and brilliant wealth of the great Dionysius. He was one of the Areopagites, as is clear from divine Luke’s account of the sacred deeds of the holy apostles.
Luke says that the most holy Apostle Paul came to Athens and entered into discussion with certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. He began to preach faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the universal judgment.
The non-philosophers, for they were not truly philosophers, took him and brought him to the Areopagus. There he spoke before the people and at once caught certain men.
Luke then adds, “So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
I think the God-bearing writer did not vainly name only the most noble Dionysius from all those who then believed through divine Paul. Nor did he vainly add his rank to his name, magnifying him as an Areopagite.
I think Dionysius is mentioned here together with his household because of the abundance of his wisdom and his exceedingly blameless life among the Athenians.
One should know that, as I said, not everyone was allowed to be a councilor in the Areopagus. Only men outstanding in birth, wealth, and purity of life were admitted.
For this reason, only worthy men took part in the council of the Areopagus. Among the Athenians it had been established to elect nine archons as judges and Areopagites.
Androtion says this in the second book of the Atthides. Later the council of the Areopagus became larger, numbering fifty-one of the most distinguished men.
These were exclusively Eupatrids, as we said, and men outstanding in wealth and judgment, as Philochorus relates in the third book of the same Atthides.
The court of the Areopagus was outside the city. The Athenians tell the myth that it was named from the dispute between Poseidon and Ares over the city’s boundaries, which took place on that very hill.
According to the ancient myths of the Athenians, in that place Poseidon accused Ares of killing his son Halirrhothius. From this, after the name of Ares, the rock was called the Rock of Ares.
The Areopagites judged almost all crimes and violations of the laws. Androtion speaks of all this in the first book, and Philochorus in the second and third books of the Atthides.
Therefore, as truth-loving Luke relates, the lovers of wisdom put to shame by God dragged the most divine Paul, as a herald of new demons, before the council situated on the Rock of Ares.
But the all-great Dionysius, who was among the Areopagites that year, was an unwavering judge. He impartially preferred the truth proclaimed by the Spirit-bearing Paul.
Resolutely bidding farewell to the irrational piety of the Areopagites, he came to know the true and all-seeing Judge, Christ Jesus, the only-begotten Son and Word of God the Father, whom Paul preached.
At once he took the side of the light. Although power then belonged to the Romans, they left Athens and Lacedaemon autonomous.
Therefore the civic life of the Athenians still passed under the governance of the Areopagites. The most mighty Paul initiated Dionysius into all the dogmas.
The greatest Hierotheus nurtured him as a teacher, as Dionysius himself says. According to the seventh book of the Apostolic Constitutions, Dionysius was afterward appointed by the Christ-bearing Paul as bishop for the believing Athenians.
Dionysius, the ancient bishop of Corinth, also mentions the Areopagite, as does Polycarp in his epistle to the Athenians.
A few attached themselves to the Apostle. Among them was one member of the Areopagus, Dionysius, who later especially served in founding the Church in Athens and became its presiding bishop. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, IV.23.
But the Apostle had not even managed to pronounce the name of the Savior of the world when his speech produced such unfavorable agitation among his hearers that it was immediately interrupted.
His words said that the Man ordained by God to carry out the universal judgment over the world had risen from the dead.
These words stirred laughter in the representatives of pagan wisdom, probably especially in the followers of Epicurean philosophy. They seemed to them ridiculous and senseless.
Some of them laughed openly and directly at these words. Others, keeping a serious expression, said mockingly, “We will hear you again about this.”
Thus the Apostle was forced to stop his speech and leave the Areopagus, apparently without any fruit from his preaching there.
Yet his speech made an impression on some members of the Areopagus. After he left the Areopagus, they entered into closer communion and a longer conversation with him.
Through him they were converted to faith in Christ.
Among those in Athens who believed in Christ were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.
Was the Apostle’s word, then, left without fruit? No. The word of God is living and powerful.
It sank deeply into the hearts of some who were present and bore its fruit.
“Some men joined Paul and believed. Among them were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
This was the first trophy of the Gospel in the center of philosophical paganism.
Such was the first meeting of the Gospel with pagan philosophy. Already at its first encounter, that hitherto unconquered mistress of minds was troubled.
At once she sensed the formidable power of the unknown newcomer. Yet, though troubled, she did not at once wish to lower her banner before Him.
For five whole centuries more she strove to uphold her banner in the name of paganism and its wisdom.
But the worm of time ceaselessly gnawed at the staff of this banner. At last it collapsed and bowed down at the foot of the Cross.
“However, some men,” judging by the expression, not many; compare Acts 17:4. They joined him, that is, they followed him and entered into closer communion with him; see Acts 5:14 and Acts 9:26.
They believed in Christ.
Dionysius the Areopagite was a member of the Areopagus, and therefore a distinguished and educated man, of the kind from whom members of the Areopagus were usually chosen.
According to Church tradition, he became the Apostle Paul’s most devoted disciple. Paul appointed him bishop of Athens.
Later he preached the Gospel in Gaul and died as a martyr in Paris.
Damaris, according to the same tradition, was the wife of Dionysius.
Men who were not members of the Areopagus, and women, heard Paul’s speech in the Areopagus, probably from the square adjoining it; see Acts 17:17 and Acts 17:19.
“And others with them.” It is clear that Paul’s wise speech in the Areopagus, among representatives of civilization in the most educated city, ended with no abundant fruit.
The world through its wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:21).
The Apostle’s famous speech in Athens was interrupted by the laughter of frivolous hearers. Then the more courteous said, “We will hear you again about this.”
By this they made it clear that they too were no longer disposed to listen to Paul.
Apparently the teaching on the resurrection was especially unpleasant and unwelcome to them. This is understandable.
At words about the future judgment, every unbeliever can easily say, “We shall see later what will happen.”
Yet despite the frivolous majority of his hearers, there were also some who heeded the Apostle’s wise speech.
Here the writer of Acts names the honorable member of the Areopagus, Dionysius. He later became bishop of Athens and afterward died as a martyr in Gaul, in Paris.
Damaris was his wife. In speaking of their conversion and that of others, the writer of Acts shows that among the rest there were converts both from men and from women.
According to Saint John Chrysostom, “Although the Athenians loved to hear new things, they were not attentive to the preaching.
“They showed no zeal. They were only concerned always to have some subject for conversation. This was the reason they withdrew from Paul.
“Nevertheless, he persuaded Dionysius the Areopagite and some others. Those who cared for the good ordering of their life quickly received the word, but the others did not.
“It seemed enough to Paul that he had at least sown the seeds. Probably he did not expect much benefit here. On the other hand, he was led by the Spirit to Corinth.”
According to blessed Theophylact, “The Athenians especially mocked the resurrection: the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:14).
Besides this, he adds that the teaching of salvation was communicated to Dionysius through Paul, while he was guided, as a disciple by a teacher, by the great Hierotheus.
“It is clear that Paul’s wise speech in the Areopagus, among representatives of civilization in the most educated city, did not end with abundant fruit.
“The world through its wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God; see 1 Cor 1:21,” writes Bishop Michael.
But Paul was not disturbed by this. So also modern preachers among the intelligentsia should not be disturbed by apparent lack of success.
The work of preachers of the faith is to sow, and the Lord will give the needed increase; see 1 Cor 3:6.
So it was in Athens, where the Holy Church now shines so gloriously with all the fruits of Christ’s faith and piety.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS