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Here we have the success of Paul's sermon declared; it was various and different: some of his hearers derided, others doubted, and a few believed.
Those that derided and mocked, it is very probable, were Epicureans, who denied that the world was either created or governed by God; as also that there were any rewards or punishments for men after death: therefore they ridiculed St. Paul's doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.
The sublimest doctrines, and most comfortable truths of the gospel are matter of derision and mockery to sensual minds.
Those that doubted, probably were the Stoics, who did own the resurrection and a state of rewards and punishments in another world; and therefore for obtaining better satisfaction to their doubts, desired to hear the apostle again discoursing farther of that matter.
Those that believed are few indeed, if no more than are here mentioned, which are Dionysius and Damaris, with some others.
Dionysius was a famous person, one of the great council, mentioned ver. 19 whose conversion probably might afterwards have a great influence upon many others; and it was no small honour and advantage to the gospel to be owned by such an honourable person as this Dionysius was: not many wise, not many noble, were called.
Blessed be God that any were, that any are, that any of the great ones of the world stoop to the sceptre of Jesus Christ, and pay their homage and subjection to him.
Thus ends the apostle's divine sermon at the famous university of Athens, which yielded few, very few converts, to St. Paul; for we read of no church founded here, as we did before at Philippi, and in the next chapter at Corinth.
What reason can be assigned but this, That these grave philosophers, profound scholars, venerable senators and citizens, who had a name for wisdom throughout the world were too wise to be saved by the foolishness of preaching!
As the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, so the wisdom of God in the gospel is accounted foolishness by the wise men of the world; according to that of the apostle, 1Co_1:21. "When the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.
We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God; because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."