In this daily Bible reading is the account of Paul preaching in the synagogues of Thessalonica and Berea. Paul won some over to believing in Jesus Christ. However, Paul was driven out of both cities after the Jews became jealous and stirred up crowds against him.
Paul then went to Athens where he preached to the Greeks at the Areopagus. The Athens Greeks were philosophical and not many believed the Gospel.
The Bible says, “The Gospel message is foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews.” Intellectual and educated people are some of the most resistant people to the Gospel message and to the Word of God in general. They think that the Word of God does not follow logic and reason.
The Bible says that God has blinded the eyes of the prideful people but has revealed His Truth to the lowly and humble. The Bible also says that one must receive the Word of God like a child before they will be allowed into Heaven. This is because a child’s faith and belief is pure and not corrupted by the world.
I have personally experienced that the Word of God must first be believed before it can be understood. The Bible cannot be understood if one reads it to see if it has any merit. Faith is the essential first step to understand the Bible. This is an especially difficult step for intellectuals and the educated.