The One True God

MEMORY VERSE: “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; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” —Acts 17:24,25

ACTS 17:22-31

TODAY’S lesson is centered in Athens, which, at the time of Paul, was the political and intellectual capital of Greece. There, philosophers of all sorts congregated and took delight in speculation and debate. The Bible states that “all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21) Athens was an idolatrous city—“wholly given to idolatry”—the record states, and seeing this, Paul’s spirit “was stirred in him.”—vs. 16

Paul “disputed … in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.” (vs. 17) This came to the attention of Athens’ philosophers, who decided that they would find out more of his views, “and they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus [Mars’ hill], saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.”—vss. 19,20

Paul gladly responded to the request for information, and in doing so he made good use of the circumstances and surroundings. The King James version represents Paul as saying to the Athenians, “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” Most other translations use the word “religious,” and in a complimentary manner.

He called attention to the many idols he had seen as being evidence of their devotion to religion, and mentioned one of these idols in particular—one ascribed “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Then he said that he was there to identify this unknown God and to tell them about him. Towering above Paul as he spoke was a great and beautiful heathen temple, the Parthenon, which even then was five hundred years old. He said that the God who was unknown to them was the “God that made the world and all things therein,” and then added, “Seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,” he “dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”—vss. 23,24

The Parthenon was the pride and joy of the Athenians, and perhaps it was not too diplomatic to tell them that the true God of heaven and earth would not dwell in their temple, or in any other temple made with hands. But he didn’t stop with the temple. He then referred to their idols and made it plain that the true and living God of the universe is not “worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things,” as our memory verse declares.

Commenting further along this line, Paul said, “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. 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.” The worship of idols and of other false gods indicated a lack of knowledge concerning the true God, and Paul explained that “the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.”—vss. 29,30

The expression “winked at” suggests an overlooking, or shutting one’s eyes to an act or condition. And the Scriptures reveal that this is God’s attitude toward those of the unbelieving world who have not had a full opportunity to know and obey him. Paul explained that God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, or justice. The Psalmist wrote that this judgment work will be accomplished by the truth. (Ps. 96:13) The Revelator points out that the people will be judged by the things written in the opened books of divine revelation. (Rev. 20:12) In that coming day of judgment, which will last for a thousand years, every person will be held accountable for the measure of light he has enjoyed in the present life. Ignorance then will not be “winked at,” for all will be fully enlightened.

Paul explained to the Athenians that God has given assurance of this future day of a just reckoning, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus will be the judge of the people at that time. Those who in this age hear the call to repentance, devote themselves to divine service, and are faithful unto death, will be co-judges with Jesus.—I Cor. 6:2

QUESTIONS

Explain the background of today’s lesson.

Who will be the judges in the world’s coming day of judgment?

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