Paul, in Acts 17, went to Athens, the capital of the intellectual world in its day. There the Apostle, of course, preached the Gospel to any who would listen.

And, unsurprisingly, he encountered some of the philosophers who were so rife in that historical city. They too wanted to hear his Message!

Maybe out of curiosity more than anything else! But still … encountering the Word of God! I am saying they at least listened to a point. (Luke informs us: “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.” Acts 17:21)

Anyway, Paul is taken to the Aeropagus (Mars Hill) and allowed to speak with some liberty.

But his Sermon was rejected, ridiculed even. Luke again, in Acts 17: this time: “Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this BABBLER say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.”

Look what they called Paul, a “babbler!”

The Greek term is “spermologos,” literally “seed picker!”

What disparagement!

The “seed pickers” of that city were the most abject of the poor, who crawled around on the dirt at the marketplace (agora) seeking to salvage any “seed” that fell from some passing cart!

In other words, Paul was merely scattering/dispensing worthtless “crumbs!”

They en masse rejected the Lord Jesus that day.

And most of them likely died and went into a Christless eternity! Went to a devil’s Hell!

I can think of another “crumb” situation in the New Testament. Where a Gentile lady was thrilled to “get” a few crumbs from Jesus’ table! And that glorious day she not only got the Truth, the Gospel, the Lord … but also her daughter healed of a grievous demon infestation! (Mark 7:26 calls this lady a “Syrophenician.”)

It all depends on what you are willing to do about those crumbs, I guess!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Jesus’ crumbs are better than the devil’s whole loaf!

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