16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him. 18 And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of [a]strange [b]gods: because he [c]preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took hold of him, and brought him [d]unto [e]the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there [f]spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.) 22 And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said,
Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are [g]very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, To an Unknown God. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you. 24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in [h]temples made with hands; 25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said,
For we are also his offspring. 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that [i]the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he [j]commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: 31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge [k]the world in righteousness [l]by [m]the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again. 33 Thus Paul went out from among them. 34 But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Footnotes
- Acts 17:18 Or, foreign divinities
- Acts 17:18 Greek demons.
- Acts 17:18 See marginal note on 5:42.
- Acts 17:19 Or, before
- Acts 17:19 Or, the hill of Mars
- Acts 17:21 Or, had leisure for nothing else
- Acts 17:22 Or, somewhat superstitious
- Acts 17:24 Or, sanctuaries
- Acts 17:29 Or, that which is divine
- Acts 17:30 Some ancient authorities read declareth to men.
- Acts 17:31 Greek the inhabited earth.
- Acts 17:31 Greek in.
- Acts 17:31 Or, a man
Come to Know an Unknown God – Acts 17:16-34
When Paul was in Athens he noticed a number of altars built to an unknown god. This prompted him to tell the Athenians that there was more to God than they were aware of.
This is a great example of why Christians should be able to speak to everyone about God, even those who do not believe in him or worship him. If you are in a position to share what you have learned about this unknown God, do it!
Paul had three reasons for telling the Athenians about this new God. First, he wanted to explain the true meaning of the words on their altars.
Second, he was motivated to do so because of the lostness in their city and the glory they were giving to false gods. This was a huge motivator for him to preach and work in this city.
Third, he was also impressed with what he saw in Athens. He saw how many men were lost and how many people were worshipping idols.
What Paul had to say about this new God was very revolutionary for the Athenians. He told them that they did not need to worship temples built by man, but that the true God was one who does not need anything from them.
It was the beginning of his strategy to tell these people who had become lost that there is a real God, a real Savior, and that He wants to be known! He was also making a major point about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
