Acts 17:22-28
22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects.
23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands;
25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’
Athenian Evangelism (6)
Mankind as creation (v 26)
“And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” (1) The Athenians believed themselves to be a unique people who originated from the land of Athens. Paul sought to dismantle this mythic belief. (2) Paul explains the content of Genesis 1 without directly quoting the Scripture. (a) God created all nations from one man (Adam), so no nation is inherently superior. (b) God placed people to inhabit the entire earth. (c) God determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling, meaning He actively governs human history. (d) Behind this explanation lies the Hebrew Scriptures. This serves as a rebuttal to the Epicureans’ deism and agnosticism, as well as to the Stoics’ pantheism and fatalism.
The relationship of God and mankind (v 27-28)
“That they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him…” (1) Here is the purpose of the previous verse (v 26). God’s providential work is intended to lead people to seek Him. (2) Those who seek God will find Him (ref. Rom. 2:14-16), because God is near to us. He is not a deistic god, as the Epicureans suggest, nor a god like Zeus in Greek mythology, seated on Mount Olympus. (3) We humans live, move, and exist within God. He is the one sustaining us. (4) Here, Paul quotes the words of ancient Greek poets: “As even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’” These words come from (a) Epimenides of Crete (approx. 600 BC) and (b) Aratus of Cilicia (315-240 BC). (c) The Greeks considered themselves descendants of the god Zeus, which is distinctly different from Hebraic thought. Yet Paul deliberately uses a potentially misunderstood expression to engage the religious sentiments of his audience at a critical point. Paul wanted to convey that “since we are God’s offspring, we should not think of God as being like an image made of gold, silver, or stone, crafted by human skill and design.” Even now, God is near to us. Let us remember this truth.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, You are the One who responds to those who seek You. I thank You for always being near me and guiding me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.