Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man's skill and imagination. Being then the offspring of GodThis phrase establishes a foundational truth about human identity and origin. The Greek word for "offspring" is "genos," which implies kinship or lineage. In the context of Acts 17, Paul is addressing the Athenians, who were familiar with the concept of divine parentage through their mythology. However, Paul redirects this understanding to the one true God, emphasizing that all humanity shares a common origin in Him. This notion is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, beginning with Genesis, where humanity is created in the image of God. It underscores the inherent dignity and value of every person, as being made by and related to the Creator. we should not think
Here, Paul challenges the prevailing thought patterns of his audience. The Greek word "nomizo" suggests a customary belief or assumption. Paul is urging a shift from traditional or cultural assumptions to a truth-based understanding. This call to rethink is a common theme in Scripture, where believers are encouraged to renew their minds (Romans 12:2) and align their thoughts with God's truth. It is a reminder that faith often requires a transformation of our mental frameworks, moving away from human traditions to divine revelation. that the Divine Being
The term "Divine Being" translates the Greek "to theion," which refers to the nature or essence of deity. In the context of Athens, a city filled with idols and altars to various gods, Paul is making a clear distinction between the true God and the man-made deities. This phrase invites reflection on the nature of God as transcendent, holy, and beyond human comprehension or representation. It calls believers to a higher understanding of God, one that is not confined to physical forms or human imagination. is like gold or silver or stone
Paul uses these materials to represent the idols commonly worshiped in Athens. Gold, silver, and stone were often used to craft images of gods, reflecting human attempts to capture the divine in tangible forms. The Greek words "chrusos" (gold), "arguros" (silver), and "lithos" (stone) highlight the temporal and perishable nature of these materials. In contrast, the true God is eternal and unchanging. This comparison serves as a critique of idolatry, which reduces the infinite God to finite objects, and a call to worship God in spirit and truth. an image formed by man's skill and imagination
The phrase underscores the futility of trying to encapsulate the divine through human creativity. The Greek word "techne" (skill) refers to craftsmanship or art, while "enthumesis" (imagination) suggests thought or design. Paul is pointing out that no matter how skilled or imaginative, human efforts cannot adequately represent God. This echoes the biblical prohibition against idolatry, as seen in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4-5). It challenges believers to recognize the limitations of human understanding and to seek a relationship with God that transcends physical representations. Persons / Places / Events 1. Paul the ApostleThe speaker in this passage, Paul is addressing the people of Athens at the Areopagus, a prominent rock outcropping located northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. He is known for his missionary journeys and his role in spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. 2. AthensA city known for its rich history in philosophy, art, and religion. At the time of Paul's visit, it was filled with idols and altars to various gods, reflecting the polytheistic beliefs of its inhabitants. 3. AreopagusA council or court in Athens where matters of religion and philosophy were discussed. It was also the location where Paul delivered his sermon, addressing the Athenians' religious practices and beliefs. 4. Greek PhilosophersThe audience included Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, who were interested in hearing new ideas and debating philosophical concepts. 5. IdolatryThe practice of worshiping idols or images, which was prevalent in Athens and is directly addressed by Paul in this passage. Teaching Points Understanding Our Identity in GodAs "offspring of God," we are called to recognize our unique relationship with Him, which should influence how we perceive and worship Him. Rejecting IdolatryWe must be vigilant against the temptation to create or rely on physical representations of God, understanding that He transcends all material forms. Worship in Spirit and TruthTrue worship involves a heart and mind aligned with God's will, not merely external rituals or symbols. The Danger of Human ImaginationOur understanding of God should be based on His revelation through Scripture, not on human creativity or philosophical speculation. Engaging with CultureLike Paul, we should engage with the culture around us, using wisdom and discernment to address misconceptions about God. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding ourselves as "offspring of God" impact our daily lives and decisions? 2. In what ways might modern society create "idols" that distract us from true worship of God? 3. How can we ensure that our worship is in spirit and truth, rather than relying on external symbols or rituals? 4. What lessons can we learn from Paul's approach to engaging with the Athenians that can be applied to sharing the Gospel in today's world? 5. How do the additional scriptures connected to Acts 17:29 deepen our understanding of God's nature and our relationship with Him? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 1:27This verse speaks of humans being created in the image of God, which contrasts with the idea of God being represented by man-made images. Exodus 20:4-5The commandment against making idols or graven images highlights the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth, not through physical representations. Romans 1:22-23Paul discusses how people exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and animals, which aligns with his message in Acts 17:29. Isaiah 40:18-20This passage questions to whom or what we can liken God, emphasizing that no idol or image can capture His essence. People Athenians, Damaris, Dionysius, Jason, Paul, Silas, Thessalonians, Timotheus, TimothyPlaces Amphipolis, Apollonia, Areopagus, Athens, Berea, ThessalonicaTopics Anything, Deity, Design, Device, Divine, Engraved, Faculty, Forasmuch, Form, Formed, Godhead, God's, Gold, Graven, Graving, Idea, Image, Imagination, Imagine, Inventive, Man's, Marble, Nature, Offspring, Ought, Representation, Resembles, Sculptured, Silver, Skill, StoneDictionary of Bible Themes Acts 17:29 1225 God, as Spirit
4333 gold
4363 silver
4366 stones
5516 sculpture
5531 skill
8302 love, abuse of
8748 false religion
8799 polytheism Acts 17:16-32 7757 preaching, effects Acts 17:17-34 7535 Greeks Acts 17:18-29 8770 idolatry, in NT Acts 17:22-31 1440 revelation, creation
5816 consciousness
7703 apologetics Acts 17:23-30 8702 agnosticism Acts 17:23-31 6183 ignorance, of God Acts 17:24-31 5003 human race, and God Acts 17:26-29 5724 offspring Acts 17:28-29 5724 offspring Library April 24 Evening
The eyes of all wait upon thee.--PSA. 145:15. He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.--The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.--Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.--Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily PathFebruary 17 Evening
God created man in his own image.--GEN. 1:27. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.--For whom he did foreknow, he also …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path April 7. "In Him we Live and Move" (Acts xvii. 28).
"In Him we live and move" (Acts xvii. 28). The hand of Gehazi, and even the staff of Elisha could not heal the lifeless boy. It needed the living touch of the prophet's own divinely quickened flesh to infuse vitality into the cold clay. Lip to lip, hand to hand, heart to heart, he must touch the child ere life could thrill his pulseless veins. We must come into personal contact with the risen Saviour, and have His very life quicken our mortal flesh before we can know the fulness and reality of His …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Man who is Judge
...He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.'--ACTS xvii. 31. I. The Resurrection of Jesus gives assurance of judgment. (a) Christ's Resurrection is the pledge of ours. The belief in a future life, as entertained by Paul's hearers on Mars Hill, was shadowy and dashed with much unbelief. Disembodied spirits wandered ghostlike and spectral in a shadowy underworld. The belief …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts Thessalonica and Berea
'Now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath- days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3. Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts Paul at Athens
'Then Paul stood In the midst of Mars-hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24. God, that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25. Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts The General Resurrection
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. A n object, great in itself, and which we know to be so, will appear small to us, if we view it from a distance. The stars, for example, in our view, are but as little specks …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 The World Turned Upside Down
We believe that what these Jews said of the Apostles, was just a downright wilful lie. They knew better. The Apostles were not the disturbers of states. It is true, they preached that which would disturb the sinful constitution of a kingdom and which would disturb the evil practices of false priests, but they never meant to set men in an uproar. They did come to set men at arms with sin; they did draw the sword against iniquity; but against men as men, against kings as kings, they had no battle; …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858 Colossians 4:14 "Luke, the Beloved Physician. "
[2] THERE are two things in the title of this paper which I shall take for granted, and not dwell on them. One is, that Luke here mentioned is the same Luke who wrote the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, and was the friend and companion of St. Paul. The other is, that Luke really was a physician of the body. On both these points the consent of learned men, who have a right to command our attention, is almost universal. I shall rigidly confine myself to two remarks which appear to grow out …
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times Acts 17:16-17. Athens.
[9] "Now, while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry." Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him." --Acts 17:16-17. PERHAPS the reader of this paper lives in a town or city, and sees more of bricks and mortar than of green fields. Perhaps you have some relative or friend living in a town, about whom you naturally feel a deep interest. …
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times He is Lovely in his Offices
Secondly, He is altogether lovely in his offices: let us consider for a moment the suitability, fullness, and comforting nature of them. First, The suitability of the offices of Christ to the miseries of men. We cannot but adore the infinite wisdom of his receiving them. We are, by nature, blind and ignorant, at best but groping in the dim light of nature after God, Acts 17:27. Jesus Christ is a light to lighten the Gentiles, Isa. 49:6. When this great prophet came into the world, then did the day-spring …
John Flavel—Christ Altogether Lovely Immortality of the Soul, and a Future State.
--Inter silvas academi quærere verum. Hor. lib. II. epist. 2. v. 45. To search out truth in academic groves. THE course of my last speculation [3] led me insensibly into a subject upon which I always meditate with great delight, I mean the immortali …
Joseph Addison—The Evidences of the Christian Religion, with Additional Discourses Repentance and Restitution.
"God commandeth all men everywhere to repent."--Acts xvii. 30. Repentance is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Yet I believe it is one of those truths that many people little understand at the present day. There are more people to-day in the mist and darkness about Repentance, Regeneration, the Atonement, and such-like fundamental truths, than perhaps on any other doctrines. Yet from our earliest years we have heard about them. If I were to ask for a definition of Repentance, a great …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Original Righteousness.
"For in Him we live and move, and have our being: as certain also of your own poets have said. For we are also His offspring." --Acts xvii. 28. It is the peculiar characteristic of the Reformed Confession that more than any other it humbles the sinner and exalts the sinless man. To disparage man is unscriptural. Being a sinner, fallen and no longer a real man, he must be humbled, rebuked, and inwardly broken. But the divinely created man, realizing the divine purpose or restored by omnipotent grace …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit Period iii. The Dissolution of the Imperial State Church and the Transition to the Middle Ages: from the Beginning of the Sixth Century to the Latter Part of the Eighth
The third period of the ancient Church under the Christian Empire begins with the accession of Justin I (518-527), and the end of the first schism between Rome and Constantinople (519). The termination of the period is not so clearly marked. By the middle and latter part of the eighth century, however, the imperial Church has ceased to exist in its original conception. The Church in the East has become, in great part, a group of national schismatic churches under Moslem rulers, and only the largest …
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History St. Justin Martyr (Ad 166)
Although Trajan was no friend to the Gospel, and put St. Ignatius to death, he made a law which must have been a great relief to the Christians. Until then they were liable to be sought out, and any one might inform against them; but Trajan ordered that they should not be sought out, although, if they were discovered, and refused to give up their faith, they were to be punished. The next emperor, too, whose name was Hadrian (AD 117-138) did something to make their condition better; but it was still …
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation Whether Idolatry is Rightly Reckoned a Species of Superstition?
Objection 1: It would seem that idolatry is not rightly reckoned a species of superstition. Just as heretics are unbelievers, so are idolaters. But heresy is a species of unbelief, as stated above ([3101]Q[11], A[1]). Therefore idolatry is also a species of unbelief and not of superstition. Objection 2: Further, latria pertains to the virtue of religion to which superstition is opposed. But latria, apparently, is univocally applied to idolatry and to that which belongs to the true religion. For just …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies Pertaining to Holy Things?
Objection 1: It would seem that no sufficient reason can be assigned for the ceremonies of the Old Law that pertain to holy things. For Paul said (Acts 17:24): "God Who made the world and all things therein; He being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made by hands." It was therefore unfitting that in the Old Law a tabernacle or temple should be set up for the worship of God. Objection 2: Further, the state of the Old Law was not changed except by Christ. But the tabernacle denoted …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether Woman Should have Been Made from Man?
Objection 1: It would seem that woman should not have been made from man. For sex belongs both to man and animals. But in the other animals the female was not made from the male. Therefore neither should it have been so with man. Objection 2: Further, things of the same species are of the same matter. But male and female are of the same species. Therefore, as man was made of the slime of the earth, so woman should have been made of the same, and not from man. Objection 3: Further, woman was made …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether all Things are Life in God?
Objection 1: It seems that not all things are life in God. For it is said (Acts 17:28), "In Him we live, and move, and be." But not all things in God are movement. Therefore not all things are life in Him. Objection 2: Further, all things are in God as their first model. But things modelled ought to conform to the model. Since, then, not all things have life in themselves, it seems that not all things are life in God. Objection 3: Further, as Augustine says (De Vera Relig. 29), a living substance …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether Souls are Conveyed to Heaven or Hell Immediately after Death?
Objection 1: It would seem that no souls are conveyed to heaven or hell immediately after death. For a gloss on Ps. 36:10, "Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be," says that "the saints are delivered at the end of life; yet after this life they will not yet be where the saints will be when it is said to them: Come ye blessed of My Father." Now those saints will be in heaven. Therefore after this life the saints do not go immediately up to heaven. Objection 2: Further, Augustine says (Enchiridion …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. Each and all of Its Parts Governed by his Providence.
1. Even the wicked, under the guidance of carnal sense, acknowledge that God is the Creator. The godly acknowledge not this only, but that he is a most wise and powerful governor and preserver of all created objects. In so doing, they lean on the Word of God, some passages from which are produced. 2. Refutation of the Epicureans, who oppose fortune and fortuitous causes to Divine Providence, as taught in Scripture. The sun, a bright manifestation of Divine Providence. 3. Figment of the Sophists as …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Links Acts 17:29 NIVActs 17:29 NLTActs 17:29 ESVActs 17:29 NASBActs 17:29 KJV
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