Finding the True God

KEY 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 any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” —Acts 17:24,25

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Acts 17:22-34

THE ERROR OF the Athenians was in worshiping a multiplicity of gods, none of them real. Paul was vividly reminded of this as he stood on Mars’ Hill. Facing the large audience, Paul could see just below him to his left the great array of idols, each one ascribed to a different god. He had probably passed even nearer to these idols as he walked along the road leading to the hill.

Towering above the apostle to his right was a large and beautiful temple—remains of which are still there. Here the false gods of the Greeks were worshiped. Yes, the Athenians were ‘very religious’. Although they knew the names of many gods and had set up idols to represent them, they thought it possible that there might be one which they did not know, so they had built and dedicated an altar to him—the “unknown god.”

Paul took advantage of this situation, explaining that he was there to acquaint them with the unknown god whom they ignorantly worshiped. This was a wise approach, well calculated to gain the attention of his audience, at least temporarily. Then Paul began to tell them some of the truths concerning the God who was unknown to them. He was the great Creator, the apostle explained, the God who “made the world and all things therein.” As he had created the whole universe, it belongs to him and is his domain; therefore he “dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”—vss. 24,25

In making this statement, we can imagine Paul glancing up toward the Acropolis, the great heathen temple above him, and perhaps even pointing to it, with the implication that the true and living God of the universe could not be expected to dwell in such a place. Perhaps this was not too diplomatic, but it would certainly help the sincere among the Athenians to realize that their conception of deity was very limited.

Paul said: “Neither is [God] worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things: and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”—vss. 25-27

The gods of the heathen are visualized as being quite demanding—even menacing. They have to be continually appeased by gifts or otherwise. But Paul told these “men of Athens” that the true and living God, who by their own confession was unknown to them, was quite the opposite. He did not need anything, since “he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”

Paul encouraged his audience to seek the Lord, assuring them that he was not far away, for, after all, 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.” (vs. 28) Agreeing with this quotation from one of the Greek poets, Paul continued, reasoning that since we are the offspring of the true God “we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (vs. 29) Even if they were not convinced by Paul’s eloquence, the men of Athens could not refute this logic!

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