Acts 17:22-18:1 (Revised Standard Version)
Acts 17:22-18:1
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-op′agus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive
that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects
of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What
therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world
and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man,25
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all
men life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on
all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is
not far from each one of us, 28 for
“We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from among them. 34 But some men
joined him and believed, among them Dionys′ius the Are-op′agite and a woman named
Dam′aris and others with them.
Two notes for us to think about from this reading of today: one, God does not treat the pagans the same after the
Incarnation as before. Now that they have access to the Truth, God will judge as noted above.
Two, sometimes, we just need to walk away from those who will not listen.
that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects
of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What
therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world
and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man,25
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all
men life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on
all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is
not far from each one of us, 28 for
‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone,
a representation by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked,
but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which
he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has
given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from among them. 34 But some men
joined him and believed, among them Dionys′ius the Are-op′agite and a woman named
Dam′aris and others with them.
Two notes for us to think about from this reading of today: one, God does not treat the pagans the same after the
Incarnation as before. Now that they have access to the Truth, God will judge as noted above.
Two, sometimes, we just need to walk away from those who will not listen.