Acts (Written)

Inside State House. Washington Capitol.

Thursday, 22 June 2023

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” Acts 17:32

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Paul, while speaking to those at Athens, noted that God had appointed a Man through whom He would judge the world in righteousness. To confirm this was so, Paul noted that God had raised this Man from the dead. Having said that, Luke next records, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead.”

There is no article before either resurrection or dead. Therefore, one must infer what is the best way of taking this –

• The resurrection of the dead
• A resurrection of the dead
• The resurrection of a dead
• A resurrection of a dead

As the adjective translated as “dead” is plural, the last two would seem to make no sense. One might assume from the plural that this is a resurrection of more than just the Man Paul has mentioned. And yet, Paul has not spoken of any resurrection beyond that of Jesus. Therefore, the plural may be a general way of expressing any resurrection at all.

Most translations go with the first, “the resurrection of the dead.” Several translations say, “a resurrection of the dead.” Only the Weymouth with a bit of a paraphrase for clarity says, “a resurrection of dead men.” Despite being a lone voice, this seems to be the intent. It is the thought of any resurrection at all that suddenly brings about a change.

Since verse 17:22, Paul’s words were going along without interruption, but now it says that “some mocked.” Rather, the verb is imperfect. More correctly, it says, “some began to mock.” In other words, it was at this moment that their attentive ears turned to interruptive jests, which is just what the Greek word implies.

One can see them raising their hands and casting them forward in a dismissive manner and shouting out, “Yeah, right.” If they had tomatoes, they would be tossing them at this point. This would have been most laughable to the Epicureans. In verse 17:18, Albert Barnes was cited noting that, “They denied that the world was created by God, and that the gods exercised any care or providence over human affairs, and also the immortality of the soul.”

Because of their presuppositions about such things, it would be especially incredible for them to accept the words of Paul. However, Luke continues, saying, “while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’”

The thinking of the Stoics was not especially opposed to Paul’s line of reasoning, although it was considerably different from what the gospel presents. In Acts 17:18, Barnes noted that they “prided themselves on their own righteousness.” As this is so, they may have been at least sympathetic to Paul’s words because he had just said in the previous verse that God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness.”

One does not need to pride himself in his own righteousness if there is no judgment for righteousness. Rather, if this life is all there is, then righteousness is a rather unimportant trait to pursue. Therefore, it is likely that the Stoics would at least be willing to consider the matter further.

Having said that, the logic of Paul’s argument was such that it could have touched anyone in a positive manner. His words were precise and carefully presented. Anyone willing to set aside what they think they already knew, soberly considering if what Paul said was possible, could be positively influenced by his words.

Those who were at least willing to entertain the possibility of a resurrection from the dead would also be willing to hear him again when the mockers had quieted down and departed for lunch.

Life application: Quite often when talking to others about God’s judgment or some other major doctrine that personally affects people, you will hear something like, “Well, I don’t believe that” or “I don’t think God would do that.” Without being argumentative or flippant, a good response to that is, “If it is true, then what we think doesn’t matter.”

God is God. He is sovereign over all things. He has the absolute right to judge His people and to dispense with His creation as He sees fit. People may mock the resurrection as the definitive proof of God’s impending judgment, but if it is true, their jeers will not change a thing. Paul writes about exactly this attitude in 1 Corinthians –

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’
²⁰ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The cross is a sign that God is serious about judgment. The resurrection proves that judgment has either been meted out on Christ for those to whom it applies or that it lies ahead for those to whom it does not apply.

The gospel says that those who believe are imputed God’s righteousness and they are no longer the objects of His wrath. Those who do not believe remain under the sentence of condemnation. Therefore, if the resurrection is true, all the mocking and disbelief in the world will not change a thing. Use reason and logic with people as you talk to them. In the end, it doesn’t matter what we think. All that matters is what is true. People need to research the matter of the resurrection. It is the dividing line by which all humanity will be judged.

Lord God, You have done everything necessary to secure our salvation and restore us to You. May we never waffle on our presentation of the gospel. Rather, may we be bold and speak out the truth of what You have done. Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again. It was prophesied before it happened, it is testified to by reliable witnesses, and it is documented in Your word after it occurred. May we not fail to get this message out! Amen.

State House. Washington Capitol.

Wednesday, 21 June 2023

“because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:31

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Paul just finished his words about the nature of God by saying that He “now commands all men everywhere to repent.” Paul now provides the reason for this, saying, “because He has appointed a day.”

The verb is not a participle. It simply says, “because He appointed a day.” In understanding the foreknowledge of God, it is known that the future is laid out before Him. The entire timeline of human history is known and events are set to occur at predetermined moments. God knew when the flood of Noah would commence. He knew the day He would part the Red Sea or appear on Mount Sinai before Israel.

The day Christ would be crucified was set by God. This is true with all things. There is nothing that God does not know will occur because He knows how all things will turn out. This includes a particular day “on which He will judge the world.”

The Greek more closely reads, “in which He is about to judge the world.” The word melló “signifies the very point of acting” (HELPS Word Studies). Understanding this, there are actually various days of judgment, all combined into the singular “day.”

There is the judgment of sin (the cross of Jesus) for believers when they believe the gospel. There is the Bema seat of Christ where believers will be judged for rewards and losses. There is the tribulation period where it is said in Revelation that judgment has come upon the world. There is the judgment of the nations where the sheep will be separated from the goats. There is the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation. These and other such judgments have been set by God and they will come about at the pre-appointed time. And this will be done “in righteousness.”

There is a set standard by which all things will be judged. That standard is the Lord God Himself. This is seen in Psalm 92:15 –

“To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Jesus referred to this in John 7:18 –

“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

Jesus was making a general statement about accusations levied against Him, but He was also proclaiming that His doctrine was not His own, but from God. Thus, the righteousness of the Lord is found in Jesus Christ. Paul, understanding this, next says that God’s righteous judgment will be “by the Man whom He has ordained.”

There is no article before “Man.” The words more appropriately read, “by a Man whom He appointed.” Paul defines the coming judgment as being brought about by a Man. He has not yet spoken directly of Jesus at the Areopagus, but he had spoken of him earlier as noted in verse 17:18. He is now proclaiming what God has done by appointing a Man, meaning the man he had previously spoken of, to accomplish His will.

The word translated as “ordained” or “appointed” is horizó. It is where our word “horizon” is derived from. If one thinks of approaching time as a horizon, with each moment, a new horizon is seen. Thus, it speaks of designated limits or boundaries.

God has “horizoned” every moment of time and thus all of the scenes and moments of life have been known to Him even before He created. As HELPS Word Studies notes, “This guarantees God works each in conjunction with His eternal purpose.” With this concept stated, Paul next turns to the proof that this will come about, saying, “He has given assurance of this.”

The noun translated as “assurance” literally means “faith.” But it is a set faith, not the act of faith. Therefore, it should read “an assurance.” God has provided the necessary evidence that what He says is true, reliable, and will come to pass. And that is confirmed by an assurance “to all.”

Humanity now has a witness that the God of Israel is the true God and that what He has spoken forth, as is recorded in the Scriptures, is true. As this is so, then all must pay heed. The sign has been given and it is intended that all people must pay heed.

This is why Paul, in just the previous verse, said that God overlooked the times of ignorance by all other nations. They did not possess the necessary revelation of God to necessitate His attention in a particular manner. However, with the coming of Jesus that is no longer the case. All men will be held accountable just as Israel was held accountable in the past. The necessary revelation of God has been provided and it now pertains to all people. He has proven this “by raising Him from the dead.”

Rather, being an aorist participle, it reads, “having raised Him out of the dead.” It has been accomplished and it is the necessary sign to all people that the judgment of God will come at its pre-appointed time.

Jesus said this to Israel –

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. ²² For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:21-23

He continues to express this thought again in John 5:24-30. The statement was made and in order for it to be an assurance that can be trusted, God confirmed His words by having raised Jesus out of the dead.

Life application: Everything about future history for the world is tied up in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the resurrection is true, then it is the sure sign and confirmation to the world that what God has said elsewhere in Scripture – both before and after Christ’s coming – is true. If the resurrection is not true, then another path than what Scripture presents will come to pass.

As the judgment of the world in righteousness is said to be committed to Jesus Christ, then those who hear this message must decide whether they will accept it or not. But more, as believers have accepted that this message is true, and as it has been provided as the sign to the world of its need of Jesus’ salvation, then it is incumbent on the church to get this word out. Without Jesus, only condemnation will result. The sign has been given. It is the assurance to the world that God’s righteous judgment awaits.

Lord God, may we turn our hearts once again to our need to share with others the message of hope and redemption that is found in Jesus Christ. Without accepting Your offer of reconciliation through Him, only condemnation lies ahead. May our hearts be softened to the plight of the world and may we be ready to share the gospel with all before that day comes. Amen.

Wife, one each. Washington State Capitol.

Tuesday, 20 June 2023

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A closer translation would be, “Therefore, indeed, having overlooked these times of ignorance, God now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

Paul has been speaking about the nature of God, contrasting what He is like to what man may suppose. In the previous verse, Paul noted that He is not like gold, or silver, or stone that can be shaped by art and man’s devising. Now, he takes this line of thought and begins to redirect it toward what God expects, saying, “Therefore, indeed.”

In the previous verse, Paul said, “therefore.” He now states it again, stressing it to ensure the thought is offset in the minds of his audience –

“For we are also His offspring.”
“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God…”

“…we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.”
“Therefore, indeed, having overlooked these times of ignorance…”

Paul is shaping his argument to lead to a conclusion. Before he gets there, he is ensuring that those listening will carefully process what leads up to it. Understanding this, he continues, saying, “having overlooked.”

It is a word found only here in Scripture, hupereidon. It essentially means to take no notice of or to disregard. Vincent’s Word Studies says, “to suffer to pass unnoticed.” This does not mean that it is either condoned or accepted. But God has allowed man to do what he has done without telling them otherwise that what they are doing offends Him.

Unfortunately, some older translations say, “God winked at.” Depending on how one takes the translation, that can mean a variety of things not intended by the apostle. For example, the KJV used the word “wink” five more times, and they are all with a negative connotation that has nothing to do with what Paul is saying here.

Paul is saying that God has simply not paid attention in a particular manner to what the nations were doing. While Israel was given the law and explicitly told to not conduct themselves in such a manner, punishing them when they did not obey, God allowed the nations to do what they willed without any warning of the consequences. Thus, without a law to direct the nations, Paul refers to this as “these times of ignorance.”

The article and noun are both plurals, “these times.” In the Bible, there are various dispensations that God has used to work out His redemptive plans. While the nations were doing as they saw fit without any particular direction from God, He had called and made a covenant with Abraham.

From there, He chose a particular line of Abraham’s descendants to continue His redemptive intentions. This led to Israel and eventually the time of the law. The law was given for a fixed and particular set of purposes leading to the coming of the Messiah. In His coming, He fulfilled the law that was given to Israel alone.

With that, the law was set aside and a New Covenant was introduced. This New Covenant was with Israel and the House of Judah, but – unlike the law – it was not limited to them. Rather, it is inclusive of all peoples, allowing them to come into the commonwealth of Israel. Because of this, Paul next says, “God now commands all men everywhere.”

What God is now doing is no longer limited to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people, nor is it limited to the land of Israel or the city of Jerusalem, as if people were responsible to go there to meet with the God of Israel. It is a new direction where anyone at any location can be accepted. However, there is an expectation laid on the people who have carried such incorrect notions about God. That is “to repent.”

The Greek word is metanoeó. It signifies to change one’s mind, to think differently, to reconsider. Paul has been speaking about the nature of God. He has noted what God is like and what God is not like. For those who have misunderstood the nature of God, he is telling them that they must change their mind about Him and think differently. Jesus, while responding to the woman at the well in John 4 provides the meaning –

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’
²¹ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” John 4:19-24

This is what people are to change their minds about. They are no longer to live under incorrect ideas about what God is like and how He should be worshiped. Rather, they are to change their minds and accept this special revelation of Himself that is proclaimed through the New Covenant. Paul will explain in the next verse how the people can be sure that what he says about God is true.

Life application: Paul never introduced the idea of sin into his discourse. He has only told the people where their thinking is wrong. Elsewhere, he says –

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19, 20

The people of Athens (and by extension the people of the world) had no law from God about idols that could bring about the imputation of sin. Paul states that explicitly in Romans 5:13, saying that “sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Therefore, Paul could not have been telling the people to repent of sin. And, indeed, he was not telling them this. He was telling them to repent (think differently) concerning their faulty ideas about God.

Today, people use the word “repent” in a completely incorrect manner. They equate it to the active ending of something, such as sin. “You must repent of (stop doing) XXX in order to be saved.” That is not the gospel. One is saved by grace through faith and that is in believing the gospel which says that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

Only after being saved will stopping incorrect behavior have any meaning. Be sure to present the gospel without adding the baggage that is often heaped upon people. To add to the gospel is to present a false gospel.

Glorious Lord God, You have done everything necessary for us to be saved. All we need to do is accept that by believing in the full, final, forever, and finished work of Jesus. May we present this to others clearly and without addition so that they understand what they need to do. Faith! You are looking for faith in Your faithless creatures. What more can we add to what Jesus has done? May we never presume to do so. Amen.

Dome chandelier, Washington State Capitol.

Monday, 19 June 2023

“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Acts 17:29

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A more literal translation is “Therefore, being the offspring of God, we ought not to think gold, or silver, or stone – an engraving of craft and device of man – the Divine to be like” (CG).

Paul just finished the last verse in agreement with a quote from a Greek poet, saying, “For we are also His offspring.” With that, he now continues with, “Therefore.”

Saying this confirms that what he just quoted from the poet is true. In essence, “As this is so.” Because it is granted as such, he says, “being the offspring of God.” Paul is initiating a logical conclusion: this, therefore this. Because we are God’s offspring, it is logical that we bear His image

The word translated as offspring is genos. It signifies family, race, nation, kind, etc. Thus, it means that there is an affinity between what is being referred to. Without citing Scripture, he is stating the essence of the Genesis creation account concerning man –

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:26, 27

Paul expects that his hearers would understand. When a cat reproduces, another cat is the result. When an elephant bears, another elephant is produced. He has already told his audience that God made man. Thus, when acknowledging that we are His offspring, it doesn’t mean that we are gods, but that we bear a semblance to Him.

As this is so, he continues with, “we ought not to think gold, or silver, or stone.” These are inanimate things. They have no life or breath in them. They cannot think, they cannot act, nor can they respond when spoken to. Anything that takes place in their use is because man acts first. That would include “an engraving of craft.”

The word translated as “engraving” is first seen here. It signifies a stamp, impress, mark, etc. It is used seven other times, all in Revelation and all referring to the mark of the beast. The word translated as “art” is also first found here. It signifies a skill, art, craft, trade, etc.

It should be evident on the surface that when a man of craft engraves something, he was the one to make the first move. The thing did not call out for being shaped into an image. But more, what is produced has no qualities of the man apart from a physical image. And because God’s image in man is not the physical image of man, as can be deduced from his words of 17:24, 25, then to assign such qualities to God would be absurd. And more, Paul continues with, “and device of man.”

The word translated as “device” means a thought or contemplation. As God cannot be seen, it would be ludicrous to think that man could devise something that could be formed into an object representing Him. Again, in Paul’s mind, he is giving the substance of what Scripture has already revealed –

“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, ¹⁶ lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, ¹⁷ the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, ¹⁸ the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. ¹⁹ And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. … ²³ Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. ²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:15-19 & 23, 24

Isaiah 44:9-20 gives a brilliant description of the folly of such idolatry and the irrational nature of man who would suppose that producing something in this manner could produce a divine being. Such things are completely opposed to the nature of God. Therefore, no one should consider as such “the Divine to be like.”

The word Paul uses is a neuter adjective, not a masculine noun. The word is theios. It is that which manifests the characteristics of the nature of God. HELPS Word Studies says it “ties God’s essence to His self-manifestation, permitting all people to know Him by observing His attributes.” As God manifests Himself through creation, we can deduce things about His divine nature from observing the creation. However, we cannot ascribe the divine to what is created.

To understand this, think of a watchmaker. We can look at a carefully constructed precision watch that was fashioned by a man and we can tell a lot about the man. However, we cannot turn around and attribute the man’s qualities to the watch. The watch was produced by him and it bears the mark of his intelligence, patience, meticulous nature, etc. But the watch itself possesses none of those things. When we ascribe divine attributes to the creation, we err in our thinking.

Life application: Take the time to read Isaiah 44:9-20 and think about how offensive our conduct as humans must be when we do what is recorded there. Imagine what the watchmaker would think if you picked up a watch and started praising it, not him, for its intricate gears and beautifully polished crystal, thanking it for its perfect rhythm and soothing sound as it whirrs in your ears. He would think you had gone absolutely bonkers and he would be offended as well.

This is how God looks at man when he does something even more outlandish by ascribing the qualities He alone possesses to carvings of wood, stone, gold, and so forth. Let us be carefully on guard to give God alone the glory for the magnificent things He has done.

We should look up to Him as greater than our character (morally, spiritually, intellectually, etc.), rather than down to created things, as if they bore His nature. Israel was rebuked for its false gods because they had the special divine knowledge of God presented to them. Paul probably pitied these pagans because they lacked it, even if they should have known better. In his pity towards them, he admonishes them about what is right. In the verses ahead, he will explain the importance of this to them.

Heavenly Father, help us not to have idols in our hearts but to always find our sufficiency and hope in You. May we be careful to always glorify You for who You are and for what You have done. We thank You and praise You for Your marvelous glory as it is revealed to us in so many ways. Praises to You, O God. Amen.

Wall memorial. Washington State Capitol.

Sunday, 18 June 2023

“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Acts 17:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Paul has stated that God has ordained the boundaries of the nations so that people should seek the Lord, and in feeling for Him, He might be found. He said this while noting that He is not far from each of us. He now explains that saying, “for in Him.”

The word “in” can have various connotations. One of them is to be inside of something else. It can also mean being the product of, such as “In His act of creating, God displayed infinite wisdom.” Further, it can be used to help define something else. For example, “In seven days, I will finish this job.”

Paul is probably saying this in the sense of being the product of, but because of that, it would be inclusive of the thought of being inside of or surrounded by. We are the product of His hand and thus “we live.”

The word means exactly that. It is experiencing the gift of life given by God. We are the product of His act of creation, but we are also being sustained by Him, as it says in Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1. For example –

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16, 17

God created and He sustains. Further, Paul continues, saying, “and move.” The word signifies the act of moving. It is translated as wagging in Matthew 27:39. In Revelation, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that He will remove their lampstand unless they repent. However, the word also is used figuratively to indicate the arousal of passions. Ellicott seems to rightly argue that this is the intent here.

This is the only time Paul uses the word. Its other two uses in Acts are by Luke. One is in the sense of provocation and another refers to stirring up sedition. If the first word, live, refers to the physical existence of man, this one would speak of his emotional nature. Remembering that the purpose of Paul’s words is based on the previous verses where man is to seek after God, this makes complete sense.

First, man is created by God and our lives are the product of His hands. Thus, we have a responsibility to search out the One who so fashioned us. Second, our emotions are a part of who we are, and they are to be directed to conduct that would support our seeking after Him. Third, Paul continues with, “and have our being.”

The words are an unnecessary paraphrase. It is a single word meaning “are.” Therefore, an equivalent idea is “and exist.” Not only do we have life as a product of His hand, but our continued existence, from moment to moment is fully known to Him and dependent on Him. This is reflected in Jesus’ words –

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

The existence of the sparrow is known to God, the state of the hair on our heads – which is a part of our existence – is known to God, and the number of our days is known to God –

“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.” Job 14:5

Paul’s words indicate the total dependence of man on God. Thus, man should acknowledge that He is reliant on Him and seek Him out. His nearness makes this possible and it is thus man’s duty to perform. With that noted, Paul next goes outside of Scripture to make his point, saying, “as also some of your own poets have said.”

When he says, “your own poets,” he is not referring to Athenians specifically, but Greek-speaking Gentiles whose work was known and quoted among the people. By quoting such a poet, it would lead the Athenians to know that he wasn’t just a wandering Jew, but an educated man who knew Greek literature.

As for the word “poet,” it is introduced into Scripture here, poiétés. It signifies a doer or a performer. In this case, because Paul will cite poetry, it refers to a doer of poems. As Paul notes poets in the plural, he is indicating that what he will cite is found in more than just one poet. It was a well-known thought used again by another. The poets are Aratus and Cleanthes. Paul cites their words, saying, “For we are also His offspring.”

In other words, these Gentile writers understood that man is the product of a greater being. The being they ascribe their life to may not be the God of the Bible, but the premise of being the product of a divine being was understood by them.

Aratus was from Cilicia where Paul was from. He lived from 315-240 BC. Cleanthes was from Behram, Turkey, living from 331-232 BC. Concerning this line of poetry, Barnes writes –

“This precise expression is found in Aratus (‘Phaenom.,’ v. 5), and in Cleanthus in a hymn to Jupiter. Substantially the same sentiment is found in several other Greek poets. … Aratus passed much of his time at the court of Antigonus Gonatas, king of Macedonia. His principal work was the ‘Phoenomena,’ which is here quoted, and was so highly esteemed in Greece that many learned men wrote commentaries on it. The sentiment here quoted was directly at variance with the views of the Epicureans; and it is proof of Paul’s address and skill, as well as his acquaintance with his auditors and with the Greek poets, that he was able to adduce a sentiment so directly in point, and that had the concurrent testimony of so many of the Greeks themselves. It is one instance among thousands where an acquaintance with profane learning may be of use to a minister of the gospel.”

The specific lines of poetry from Aratus state –

“From Zeus begin; never let us leave
His name unloved. With Him, with Zeus, are filled
All paths we tread, and all the marts of men;
Filled, too, the sea, and every creek and bay;
And all in all things need we help of Zeus,
For we too are his offspring.”
– Aratus from Phenomena

Cleanthes’ words are almost identical and are in a hymn to Zeus. Paul’s point is that truth can be found in other religions and philosophies and it can be used for the benefit of evangelizing. However, this does not mean that the religion itself is true.

In verse 23, he referred to a Greek altar to show that he was not introducing foreign gods. He does the same here by supporting his knowledge of God with words from Greek writers. They may have been confused about who this God is, but they could not say he was introducing a foreign one. Rather, he is clarifying what was stated by them.

Life application: When evangelizing someone of another religion, asking what that person believes is a good way of helping him process what you are telling him. This is because most people really have no idea about their own religion. They do things because that is what they were taught to do.

This is no different than evangelizing someone who has been in church his whole life but has never been told the simple gospel. Such people go to church and do stuff. But they have no idea as to why they do what they do. It is just a part of their cultural life and so they continue with it.

However, without knowing Jesus, those people cannot have a close and personal relationship with God. Introducing them to what Jesus has done will make this possible. There will no longer be a need to “do” stuff because Jesus has done it all. Be sure to get out and tell people about Jesus – our great Doer!

Lord God, thank You that Jesus has done it all! He has accomplished everything necessary to reconcile us to You. Now, all we need to do is to believe. May we use wisdom in how we spend our time, and may we get out and tell others about this good news. To Your glory. Amen.