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Acts Chapter Seventeen

                             

I. Content of the Chapter

 

Paul Preached in Greece

I. At Thessalonica:

  A. He preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath and some of them joined Paul and Silas (v.1-4).

  B. Some of them made use of a name and accused them to the officers because of jealousy (v.5-9).

II. At Berea:

  A. Many of the more fair-minded people at Berea believed (v.10-12).

  B. However, they were forced to depart because of the disturbance from the Jews at Thessalonica (v.13-15).

III. In Greece:

  A. His spirit was provoked within him and he reasoned with men everywhere because the city was given over to idols (v.16-18).

  B. He was brought to Areopagus (v.19-21).

  C. The message of Paul in the Areopagus:

1. He spoke with THE UNKNOWN GOD (v.22-23).

2. The true God is the dominator who made the world and everything in it and gives men all (v.24-26).

3. God wants men to seek and know Him (v.27-28).

4. Today God wants men to repent since they worshiped wrongly because of their ignorance (v.29-30).

5. God appointed a day on which He will judge the world by Christ (v.31).

  D. When they heard it, some mocked and some were perfunctory and some men believed (v.32-34).

 

II. Verse by Verse commentary

 

Acts. 17:1 “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

   YLT: “And having passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews,”

   Meaning of Words: Amphipolis”: twin cities; “Apollonia”: the possession of Apollos.

   Literal Meaning: they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia” There was about fifty kilometers from Philippi to Amphipolis and there was about forty-five kilometers from Amphipolis to Apollonia.

“They came to Thessalonica” “Thessalonica” was the capital town of Macedonia and it was about one hundred and sixty kilometers on the southwest of Philippi and there was a residential area of the Jews.

  When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica to open up the new workshop, Luke the author of this book may stay at Philippi. And therefore the plural first person “we” was used again to call the Paul’s group of fellow-workers (Acts. 20:5-6) until the twentieth chapter of the Acts. And before it, the plural third person “they” was used all the time.

 

Acts. 17:2 “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

   YLT: “and according to the custom of Paul, he went in unto them, and for three sabbaths he was reasoning with them from the Writings,”

   Meaning of Words: “from”: because of, out of.

   Literal Meaning: Paul, as his custom was, went in to them” The custom does not indicate that they had the custom of keeping the Sabbath but that when he came to one place, he would be used to utilizing the opportunity that the Jews gathered together in the Synagogue on the Sabbath to hear men explain the Bible and preaching the gospel to the Jews.

  “And for three Sabbaths” does not mean that Paul also kept the Sabbath because he was fully aware of the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath and he was not restrained by the law and the regulations (Col. 2:14-17, 21). If the aim of Paul was to keep the Sabbath, it wouldn’t be only “three Sabbath” and it should be “every Sabbath”.

“For three Sabbaths” In the original it also means “three seven days”. This sentence does not mean that he only stayed three weeks in Thessalonica because he received the gifts from the church in Philippi more than one time (Phil. 4:16) and he needed to work with his hands to support himself (1Thess. 2:9). And some brothers were gained (See v.6, 10) and a new church was established (1Thess. 1:1; 3:1-2). And therefore he must have stayed for a long period of time before in this affair.

  “Reasoned with them from the Scriptures” “From the Scriptures” means according to the Old Testament because there was not the New Testament at that time. “Reasoning” means arguing. When preaching the gospel, it is unavoidable to reason with others, however, reasoning has both good points and bad points. The good points are to make observers know the true and false and be edified and the bad points are that the other side who reason with us professes to be convinced at most and he is not persuaded from his heart. Usually we may win the debate and harden the heart of the other side. Paul reasoned two times in this chapter (See v.17), however, the excepted good results were not gained in these two times. And therefore if possible, we should try our best to avoid reasoning with others.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) We should also learn the example of Paul and never let off the good place (the synagogue) and opportunity (the Sabbath) of preaching the gospel easily.

2) When we talk about the gospel and preach, we should always base on the Bible.

3) The faith of Christians fully bases on the Bible and if it does not base on the Bible, every debate concerning the truth of faith will be meaningless.

4) The Bible is our supreme principle and we should walk according to the Bible.

5) Martin Luther once said to those who judged him that, “if you can point out that what I have said was against the teachings of the Bible from the Bible, I will admit that I was wrong! Otherwise, I stand here and may God be with me” (it is translated from the Chinese version).

 

Acts. 17:3 “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’”

   YLT: “opening and alleging, `That the Christ it behoved to suffer, and to rise again out of the dead, and that this is the Christ -- Jesus whom I proclaim to you.'”

   Literal Meaning: explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer” “Explaining and demonstrating” is to unfold the prophecies of the prophets of the Bible and demonstrate the facts that happened recently and fulfilled these prophecies one by one; “the Christ had to suffer” is stressing on the necessity of Christ’s suffering according to the prophecies.

  The theme of Paul’s message is that it had been predicted in the Bible long ago that the Messiah would come, suffer, die and rise again from the dead; since the life of Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, He must be the Messiah.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Paul not only preached the message of Christ’s suffering but also had communion with the suffering of Christ (Col. 1:24). What he preached is what he experienced.

2) Christ is the object and content of the descriptions and prophecies of the Bible. When reading the Bible, we have to read out Christ in the Bible (John. 5:39-40).

 

Acts. 17:4 “And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

   YLT: “And certain of them did believe, and attached themselves to Paul and to Silas, also of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude, of the principal women also not a few.”

   Literal Meaning: joined Paul and Silas” “Joined” means to be separated from the common positions and turn to stand in the specific position; “joined Paul and Silas” means that they joined Jesus Christ that Paul and Silas preached.

  “And a great multitude of the devout Greeks” “The devout Greeks” refers to the Gentiles who feared God (Acts. 10:2).

“And not a few of the leading women” “The leading women” may refer to the wives of the leaders of the city, however, they themselves had high social positions and they were worthy of esteem (Acts. 12:12).

 

Acts. 17:5 “But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

   YLT: “And the unbelieving Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken to them of the loungers certain evil men, and having made a crowd, were setting the city in an uproar; having assailed also the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring [them] to the populace,”

   Meaning of Words: “take”: receive, take unto; “the evil men from the marketplace”: those who do wrongful acts in the public place; “gathering a mob”: gather together; “set in an uproar”: make ado, disturb.

   Literal Meaning: set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason” “Jason” should be one of those who heard and believed the gospel that Paul had preached (See v.4) and accommodated them (See v.7). Probably he opened his house for the church to gather together and therefore there were also some brethren there (See v.6).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) “Envy” is the mortal wound of the interpersonal relationship. Every one is able to do terrible things if he allows a little envy in his heart.

2) If there is “envy” among fellow-workers, it will develop into gathering together to send a punitive expedition against each other and making division in the church.

 

Acts. 17:6 “But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

   YLT: “and not having found them, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the city rulers, calling aloud -- `These, having put the world in commotion, are also here present,”

   Meaning of Words: “the world”: the habitable world.

   Literal Meaning: they dragged Jason and some brethren” It shows that once they believed in the Lord, they began to meet in the house of Jason (See v.5).

  These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” “turn the world upside down” means stirring up the revolution that overturns the government (See v.7).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The religion always uses the earthly power to hinder the spreading of Christ’s gospel.

2) The coming of the gospel is to establish the new relationship and order in our hearts, family and society. It is the earth shaking change. And therefore from this aspect, believers should fill the role of “turning the world upside down”.

 

Acts. 17:7 “Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king--Jesus.’”

   YLT: “whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying another to be king -- Jesus.'”

   Literal Meaning: and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar” It was said that there was edict that the people were forbidden to predict the king’s alternation.

  “Saying there is another king--Jesus” Paul may have mentioned the second coming of the Lord Jesus in the preaching (1Thess. 1:10) and He will reign at that time (Rev. 11:15). The unbelieving Jews made use of this and accused Paul of plotting for overthrowing the Roman Emperor. The sin of the armed rebellion was the most serious accusation in the Roman Empire.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Jesus is the king. To those who receive Him, He is King of Salem and brings them peace; to those who reject Him, He is the king of righteousness and makes them be troubled (Matt. 2:2-3, See v.8).

2) The greatest problem of men is that they neither magnify the Lord (Luke. 1:46) nor let Him reign in their heart.

3) Men do not magnify the Lord and always regard themselves as the king. When he himself cannot compete with the Lord, they find a “Caesar” to compete with the Lord. Who is your “Caesar”?------Mammon? Lust for power? Or Knowledge?

 

Acts. 17:8 “And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

   YLT: “And they troubled the multitude and the city rulers, hearing these things,”

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The worldly men and the earthy power did not know “another king------Jesus” (v. 7) and were troubled and thought that Christianity was harmful to them.

2) The testimony of the Lord’s true witnesses has the power of shaking men’s hearts.

 

Acts. 17:9 “So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

   YLT: “and having taking security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.”

   Literal Meaning: So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest” “Security” refers to the guarantee. The guarantor guaranteed with his life that he would not give a shelter to Paul and others in order to maintain the safety of the district. Later Paul mentioned that “Satan hindered us” to believers in Thessalonica (1Thess. 2:18) and it may refer to this matter.

 

Acts. 17:10 “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

   YLT: “And the brethren immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went to the synagogue of the Jews;”

   Literal Meaning: “to Berea” “Berea” was another city within the border of Macedonia and it was about eighty kilometers on the southwest of Thessalonica.

   Enlightenment in the Word: Paul met the persecution, however, he did not lose heart and still advanced bravely and bore witness of the Lord everywhere. The famous preacher Livingstone once said that, “as long as I am going forward instead of falling back, I am willing to go everywhere” (It is translated from the Chinese version).

 

Acts. 17:11 “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

   YLT: “and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all readiness of mind, every day examining the Writings whether those things were so;”

   Meaning of Words: “fair-minded”: noble, high in rank, generous; “search”: ask, seek and find, discern.

   Literal Meaning: These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica” “More fair-minded” means that they were more opened and did not have partiality. The whole sentence indicates that the local Jews were more reasonable than that in Thessalonica.

  “And searched the Scriptures daily” “Searching” in the original means making a thorough search to find out one thing that is lost. When searching the Bible, we should read the Bible relaxedly, slowly and carefully. We should read the Bible with the attitude of searching it and it is effective when we comprehend every word that we read. When we reading the Bible, we should ask that: when was this sentence written? What’s the aim of this sentence? Who wrote this sentence? To whom it was written? What feeling do we have? Why does the author write this sentence? Under what condition did the author write this sentence? We should ask these questions slowly and carefully search the answers until we find out the answers.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The fair-minded ones do not adhere stubbornly to their own ideas. In other words, the stubborn people are the fools.

2) The condition to be praised “fair-minded” in the words of God is that: a) receive willingly------the longing heart; b) search daily------pursue diligently; c) find out whether these things were so------good discernment.

3) Towards the word of the Lord, we should: a) receive it intentionally; b) pursue it diligently; c) discern it carefully.

4) The prince of the Bible exegetes of England once said that, “the key of exegesis lies in reading the Bible diligently and more diligently” (it is translated from the Chinese version).

5) If we want to “find out whether these things were so”, we have to “search the Scriptures daily”. The Bible is the only basis for distinguishing the truth.

6) If Christians want to elevate their content of faith, they should begin with reading the Bible.

7) The word of God is the same yesterday and today. The word of God never changes. The Old Testament and the New Testament are the consistent revelation and therefore if we want to understand one certain part of the Bible, we have to search all the Scriptures and then we are able to have the right knowledge. 

8) All ministers of the words rely on the words of God that He has spoken and no one could receive the revelation without the Bible. If someone has received the revelation without the Bible, the revelation is the heresy and we should never believe it.

 

Acts. 17:12 “Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

   YLT: “many, indeed, therefore, of them did believe, and of the honourable Greek women and men not a few.”

   Enlightenment in the Word: The Bible is able to make you wise unto salvation (2Tim. 3:15). The more men search the Bible (See v.11), the more they are able to believe in the Lord.

 

Acts. 17:13 “But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.

   YLT: “And when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that also in Berea was the word of God declared by Paul, they came thither also, agitating the multitudes;”

   Literal Meaning: and stirred up the crowds” These Jews repeated the stress in Thessalonica towards Paul.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Stan would rise the opposition and damage where the work of the gospel succeeds. And therefore we should not become slack because of the temporary success.

2) The expansion of the work of the gospel is not simple or cheerful. Those who preach the gospel should be well prepared that they may be opposed by men at any time.

 

Acts. 17:14 “Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.

   YLT: “and then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul, to go on as it were to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy were remaining there.”

   Literal Meaning: Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea” “The brethren” refer to believers in Berea; “to go to the sea” The reason why they did so may be not for boat because there was road from Berea to Athens (See v.15) along the seaside.

 

Acts. 17:15 “So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

   YLT: “And those conducting Paul, brought him unto Athens, and having received a command unto Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come unto him, they departed;”

   Literal Meaning: So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens;” “Athens” was an important city in the province of Achaia, however, it was not the capital town (Corinth was the capital town). It was the hometown of Socrates PlatoAristotle and other great philosophers and it was the center of the Greek literature, art and philosophy.

  “A command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed” Timothy may be sent back to Thessalonica to strengthen believers (1Thess. 3:1-6) and he would go to Corinth with Silas to meet with Paul (Acts. 18:5).

 

Acts. 17:16 “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.

   YLT: “and Paul waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, beholding the city wholly given to idolatry,”

   Meaning of Words: “provoked”: stir, exasperate.

   The Background: he saw that the city was given over to idols” The temples stood in great numbers in the city of Athens and all of them were lofty and spacious. It was very spectacular. The countless idols were set in the streets and lances and all the corners of parks and they were carved so beautifully that they were absolutely unrivaled. It was said that the idols in the city of Athens were more than the sum of that in other places of Greece. And therefore someone said that, “it is much easier to find gods (the false gods, idols) than men in the city of Athens”.

   Literal Meaning: his spirit was provoked within him” It indicates that the spirit of Paul was provoked by the idols of the city and he was full of burden within himself.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) When Paul came to one place, he observed the surrounding persons and things by the insight of God. May the Lord give us such insight.

2) Christians should hate from their hearts all that are of idols, superstition and heresy and are worshiped and respected by men.

 

Acts. 17:17 “Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

   YLT: “therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshipping persons, and in the market-place every day with those who met with him.”

   Literal Meaning: and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there” “Marketplace” does not refer to streets of business dealings but the place where residents of the city talked with each other.

 

Acts. 17:18 “Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What does this babbler want to say? Others said, He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,’ because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

   YLT: “And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, `What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, `Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,”

   The Background: certain Epicurean and Stoic” were the two famous great schools of philosophy. The school of “Epicurean” was established by the Greek philosopher Epicurus (B.C. 341-270). It taught men that “joy” was men’s supreme virtue, however, the joy did not refer to the happiness in a flash or the temporary satisfaction but the pleasure and satisfaction from loving each other, bravery and the Doctrine of Mean. However, in the times of Paul, this philosopher had come down to “Epicureanism” which was ideological system stressing on satisfying the carnal desires. The school of “Stoic” was established by another philosopher Zeno (B.C. 340-265) during the same period. It taught men that “self-sufficiency” was men’s supreme virtue and men should live by obeying the rationality and restrain themselves so that they may not be dominated by their emotions. In the times of Paul, this philosopher had become “stoicism”, the ideological system of arrogance and conceit. The above-mentioned two schools of philosopher all went to extremes and always argued with each other.

   Literal Meaning: Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers” “Philosophers” means those who love the wisdom.

  What does this babbler want to say?” “This babbler” in the original means “seed-picker” and it indicates pecking the seed in the streets as a sparrow. Later its meaning was transferred to those who lived in idleness and did not seek to understand things thoroughly. They collected the trite expressions of others------the piecemeal knowledge and blabbered before they had understood and digested them. At that time many philosophers made a living by their mouths.

  “Because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection” Some Bible exegetes held that the Athenians may think that Paul was preaching two new and popular gods------Jesus (the male god) and the resurrection (the female god).

 

Acts. 17:19 “And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

   YLT: “having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought [him], saying, `Are we able to know what [is] this new teaching that is spoken by thee,”

Literal Meaning: And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus” “Areopagus” originally means “Aristotle mountain” and Aristotle was the Greek god of thunder and of war. Areopagus was in the west of the uptown of Athens and on the west of the market and it was a hill which was about ten meters high. The parliament was once set there for a time (the parliament of Areopagus) which was full of authority in religion and education. They regarded themselves as superintendents who brought in the new religion and foreign gods and they also examined the qualification of those who traveled around to give lectures.

  May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?” The Athenians liked to tell and hear new thing (See v.21). When they heard the word of the Lord at first, they thought it as “this new doctrine” and they were curious to know more about it.

   Enlightenment in the Word: the word of Lord is fresh forever and it has the power of newborn to those who receive it.

 

Acts. 17:20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.’”

   YLT: “for certain strange things thou dost bring to our ears? we wish, then, to know what these things would wish to be;'”

 

Acts. 17:21 “For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

   YLT: “and all Athenians, and the strangers sojourning, for nothing else were at leisure but to say something, and to hear some newer thing.”

   Literal Meaning: either to tell or to hear some new thing” Until several centuries ago, there was Athenian politician who still condemned the Athenians that they liked to hear the latest new thing and did not pay attention to the more urgent and more important things.

   Enlightenment in the Word: the attitude of many believers is just like that of the Athenians and they regard the truth as “new thing to tell or to hear”. They do not have the longing and seeking intention. It’s no wonder that they have heard the word for many years and others still cannot see the spiritual growth from them.

 

Acts. 17:22 “Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

   YLT: “And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;”

   Literal Meaning: Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus” The “Areopagus” should refer to a group (See v.34) instead of a place (See v.19).

  I perceive that in all things you are very religious” “You are very religious” in the original means “superstition”; this word is used to flatter or criticize men and it is determined by whether the one who uses this word is included and therefore we could conclude the intention of the speaker after we have heard all the words.

   Enlightenment in the Word: The thoughts of “being religious” are innate and they are not related to the educational level of men. It is not right that only the barbarian and uncivilized ones are superstitious. Actually, the actions of many intellectuals prove that they also have the inclination of “being religious” in the depths of their hearts.

 

Acts. 17:23 “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

   YLT: “for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God -- unknown; whom, therefore -- not knowing -- ye do worship, this One I announce to you.”

   The Background: in the old times, the Greek was afraid of offending any god because of their ignorance and therefore they worshipped the inscription of “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”, lest one be missed.

   Literal Meaning: with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” The four words “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” show two facts that: 1) they knew the existence of God imperceptibly; 2) however, they did not know God.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Though there were many world-wide famous great philosophers in Athens, such as Socrates, Plato and etc, the Athenians did not know the true God. The world through wisdom did not know God (1Cor. 1:21).

2) The ignorant world does not God, however, they have the inclination of worshipping God in the depths of their hearts, just as a stream without orientation and we Christians have the responsibility for preaching the gospel in order to guide this stream to the right way.

 

Acts. 17:24 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

   YLT: “`God, who did make the world, and all things in it, this One, of heaven and of earth being Lord, in temples made with hands doth not dwell,”

   Literal Meaning: God, who made the world and everything in it” It shows that the God is a person and the Creator and it is in contrast to the pantheism, the Stoic philosophical view.

  “Does not dwell in temples made with hands” Stephen also said these words (Acts. 7:48).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) If we want to lead the pagans to know God, we’d better begin with the creation of God.

2) God is above the universe and all. Though the world is great, it cannot hold Him------how unlimited He is! And therefore He “does not dwell in temples made with hands”. He is neither restrained by work done by men nor fixed in some place or a group of people. 

3) “Temples made with hands” are not the place of rest for God. And therefore when we worship God and have communion with Him, we have to depart from the material aspect and enter the spiritual aspect and worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John. 4:23-24).

4) The greatest crisis of those who serve God is that they usually “close” and “restrain” God in the works of their hands unconsciously and turn “the Lord of heaven and earth” to the servant of their works.

 

Acts. 17:25 “Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

   YLT: “neither by the hands of men is He served -- needing anything, He giving to all life, and breath, and all things;”

   Literal Meaning: Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything” God did not need men’s provision and this opinion agreed with the Epicurean opinions.

  “Since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” God is the fountainhead of all and this opinion agreed with the Stoic opinions.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) God does not live by men’s support. He is God who supports the existence of all human beings. He gives all by which men live and even life to men.

2) God is the fountainhead of “life, breath, and all things”. He is not only abundant but also is willing to give His abundance “to all”. And therefore when we draw near to God, we won’t suffer lose but we will receive “grace for grace” (John. 1:16) and receive the provision continuously. 

3) When we serve the Lord, it seems that we give benefits to the Lord, actually we give the Lord chances to reward us. 

 

Acts. 17:26 “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

   YLT: “He made also of one blood every nation of men, to dwell upon all the face of the earth -- having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings --”

   Literal Meaning: And He has made from one blood every nation of men” “One blood” refers to one ancestor, lineage, parentage and stock. The words show that every nation is of one root, i.e. Adam (Gen. 2:7). The statement was against the superstition of the Athenians who believed that their ancestors came into being from the soil of Attica.

  “And has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” The rise and decline of various nations and the dwelling districts of every nation were of God’s plan in advance (Deut. 32:8). The school of Epicurean held that all things happen by accident and therefore it was opposite to the ideas of the Bible.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) “And He has made from one blood every nation of men” Every nation belongs to God. As Christians, we should not have the sense of superiority of nation and we cannot be conceited before God.

2) The Lord has redeemed us to God by His blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). Everyone is able to draw near to God.

3) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him (Rom. 10:12).

4) God is directing the history. In the past, He is the leader of the rise and fall of all kingdoms behind the scenes and today His hands still control all.

 

Acts. 17:27 “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

   YLT: “to seek the Lord, if perhaps they did feel after Him and find, -- though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us,”

   Meaning of Words: “grope”: touch.

   Literal Meaning: in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him” “Grope” is just as men touch things in the dark and know the real situation by the sense of feeling.

  “Though He is not far from each one of us” It implies that He is the omnipresent Spirit.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) When God creates men, He gives us the instinct for seeking Him so that we long for God instinctively. We still grope to find God though in the dark. 

2) God’s only demand for us is that we “seek” and “find” Him, i.e. regarding Him as the most valuable treasure and purpose. Blessed is the one who seeks God because everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds (Matt. 7:8).

3) “Though He is not far from each one of us” He is in our mouth and in our heart (Rom. 10:8).

4) Though God is so great that He “does not dwell in temples made with hands” (See v.24), He is not far away that men cannot reach. He is always present with believers and lives and walks about with us together.

 

Acts. 17:28 “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.'

   YLT: “for in Him we live, and move, and are; as also certain of your poets have said: For of Him also we are offspring.”

   Meaning of Words: “His offspring”: kind, race, stock.

   Literal Meaning: for in Him we live and move and have our being” This sentence was quoted from the poem Crete house which was written by the Cretan poet Epimenides (about B.C. 600). Epimenides wrote in the poem that, “the Most Holy and Most High! They made a grave for you. The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. However, you are immortal. You rise and live forever because in you we live and move and have our being.” Paul also quoted another sentence of this poem in another place (Tit. 1:12). It is said that Epimenides once encouraged the Athenians to set up alters of “THE UNKNOWN GOD” in the city of Athens and its surroundings.

  For we are also His offspring” This sentence was quoted from the Philomena which was written by the Cilicia poet Aratus (about B.C. 270) or the praise to Zeus which was written by Cleanthes (about B.C. 300) and in which the same words were written.

“His offspring” This word is translated as “kind, race and kingdom” in the Bible and it is only translated as “His offspring” here. This word is different from “son” and it is just as the “son”. It is also a noun. And therefore it is said that the word is the race of God instead of the spiritual sons of God. According to the contexts, we could understand what Paul talked about better that it indicates that men are “created” by God.

The listeners of Paul were all the Gentiles who studied the philosopher and therefore he began with what they could agree with and then pointed out the differences between the faith of Christ and the heretical ideas.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) All of us are either of God or by Him. And therefore we should respect and love Him, trust Him and rest upon Him.

2) If without this true and living God, we cannot live in a moment. If we depart from God, we may still exist but we have ceased to live------just as the walking ghost.

 

Acts. 17:29 “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.

   YLT: “`Being, therefore, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, graving of art and device of man;”

   Meaning of Words: “Divine”: godlike; “devising”: imagination, conception.

   Literal Meaning: since we are the offspring of God” This sentence of Paul only indicates that men’s life is of God and he did not say that the unbelievers had the life of God within them. Only believers are truly begotten of God------being born again------partakers of God’s life and the divine nature (1John. 5:12; 2Pet. 1:4).

  “We ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising” In other words, we should not use the specific dead things represent the living God who gives life to all.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) We always worship things made with hands unconsciously------if we dedicate all our times, thoughts and energy to something, we actually worship the man-made thing.

2) We can neither express God with our “thoughts and devising” nor fully express Him with our words and literature. And therefore the best way to know God is to worship Him in Spirit, have communion with Him and experience Him practically.

 

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

   YLT: “the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,”

   Literal Meaning: Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked” It means that before this God has forgave men’s sins in the past because of their ignorance (Rom. 3:25).

  “But now commands all men everywhere to repent” “Repent” in the original means to change one’s mind; it indicates changing one’s views towards God, men, himself and sins completely and being renewed in the mind. Repentance cannot exist without faith and the faith that makes men be saved is included.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Those who repent and believe in the Lord will be saved. Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2Cor. 6:2).

2) The days of men’s groping about and ignorance has past and now the knowledge of God has been fully revealed in Christ. While it is called today, we should come to Him quickly.

 

Acts. 17:31 “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.’”

   YLT: “because He did set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He did ordain, having given assurance to all, having raised him out of the dead.'”

   Literal Meaning: He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained” “The Man whom He has ordained” refers to Jesus Christ. When Christ comes for the second time, He will judge the world with righteousness (Matt. 25:31-46; Ps. 96:13).

  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” “Assurance of this” refers to the assured proof. The resurrection of Christ gives us an assured proof that God has admitted the effect of the bleeding and death of Christ on the cross and has forgiven all our sins so that we could be justified before God (Rom. 4:25). Christ’s resurrection is the assurance that we are convicted that He will come for the second time to judge the world.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son (John. 5:32) because only the “Son of Man” could be the judge of men (John. 5:27).

2) The Day of Judgment is coming. Our life is the journey to the judgment-seat of Christ and probably some people have not come to the end of their life, the Lord of judgment comes when they are still alive.

3) The risen Christ is our assurance. According to our experience of the resurrection life of the Lord, we have the assurance that to us God is not THE UNKNOWN GOD (See v.23) but the living and true God (1Thess. 1:9).

4) If men want to know and believe in God, the only way is by Christ who “was raised from the dead” because He is our “assurance”.

5) How do we treat Christ who was raised from the dead? Do we ignore Him or treasure Him and pursuer Him? Our attitude towards Him is quite important because it is the principle and basis according to which God judges us in future.

6) God receives the death of Christ and we receive the resurrection of Christ. We should believe that Christ both died and resurrected for us.

 

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

   YLT: “And having heard of a rising again of the dead, some, indeed, were mocking, but others said, `We will hear thee again concerning this;'”

   Literal Meaning: And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked” According to the Greek philosophical thinking, though they believed that souls were immortal, they did not believe that the dead was raised from the dead.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Until today the preaching of resurrection is till the stumbling block of those who consider themselves clever and full of knowledge, however, it is the nucleus of the faith of Christianity.

2) The reaction of the intellectuals to the gospel is quite indifferent. It is the same today and in ancient times.

3) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. The world through wisdom did not know God. That we believe in the Lord should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1Cor. 1:18, 21; 2:5).

 

Acts. 17:33 “So Paul departed from among them.

   YLT: “and so Paul went forth from the midst of them,”

 

Acts. 17:34 “However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

   YLT: “and certain men having cleaved to him, did believe, among whom [is] also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman, by name Damaris, and others with them.”

   Literal Meaning: However, some men joined him” “Join” in the original means to hold fast something or some people firmly. Here it indicates that they not only received the teaching of Paul but also held fast to it.

  “Among them Dionysius the Areopagite” “The Areopagite” may be the member of the parliament; it is said that “Dionysius” became the supervisor of Athens, however, it cannot be proved.

“A woman named Damaris” “Damaris”, as a women, could enter the gathering of Areopagus and she must be a Gentile women who was well-educated and had quite a social status.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

The Way of Paul’s Preaching

I. From the Scripture (v.2).

II. Explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead from the prophecies of the Old Testament (v.3a).

III. Demonstrating that the Christ had suffered and risen again from the dead from the facts of the New Testament (v.3b).

IV. Concluding that Jesus is the Christ (v.3c).

 

The Way of Paul’s Preaching the Gospel

I. Reasoning (v.2, 17).

II. Explaining (v.3a).

III. Demonstrating (v.3b).

IV. Publicizing (v.3c, 13).

V. Preaching (v.18).

 

The Three Obstruction of Christ’s Gospel

I. The Jewish religion (v.5, 13)------men are zealous in the religious regulations of the their ancestors.

II. The Roman politics (v.6-9)------men are alert that their vested power may be harmed.

III. The Greek philosopher (v.18-21, 32)------men make light of and are indifferent towards the new thing.

 

The Description of Those Who Rejected the Witness of the Lord

I. The motivation of the rejection------becoming envious (v.5a).

II. The key figures who rejected them------taking some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob (v.5b).

III. The periphery of the rejection------setting all the city in an uproar (v.5c).

IV. The way of the rejection------dragging to the rulers of the city (v.6a)------with the help of politics.

V. The handle of the rejection------these who have turned the world upside down have come here too (v.6b-7).

 

The Example of the Preachment towards the Intellectuals

I. Beginning talking about what the listeners had known (v.22-23).

II. Correcting the world’s wrong conception of God (v.24-25, 29).

III. Explaining the reason why God is God (v.24-28).

IV. Stating the relation between God and men (v.27-28).

V. Quoting the philosopher that the listeners knew to prove (v.28-29).

VI. Encouraging all the people to seize the opportunity to repent (v.30).

VII. Showing that there will be the judgment of righteousness in future (v.31).

 

The First Descriptions of THE UNKNOWN GOD

I. He is the Lord of creation (v.24a).

II. He is the Lord of heaven and earth (v.24b).

III. He is the Lord of gifts (v.25).

IV. He is the Lord life (v.26, 28).

V. He is the Lord that we could seek (v.27).

VI. He is the Lord of control (v.30).

VII. He is the Lord of judge (v.31a).

VIII. He is the Lord of assurance (v.31b).

 

The Second Description of THE UNKNOWN GOD

I. The mighty creator (v.24a).

II. The ruler of heaven and earth (v.24b).

III. The abundant giver (v.25).

IV. The controller of men (v.26).

V. The unseen Spirit (v.27-28a).

VI. The kind Father (v.28b-30).

VII. The righteous judger (v.31).

 

The Relation between the True God and Man

I. He gives men the universe that men could dwell and He does not dwell in temples made with hands (v.24).

II. He gives to all life, breath, and all things and He is not worshiped with men's hands or provided by men (v.25).

III. He creates men (v.26a) and He cannot be made by men’s thoughts and devising (v.29).

IV. He has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of men’s dwellings (v.26b) and He lives forever and omnipresent (v.27).

V. He gives men the instinct of life (v.28) and through which He wants us to seek Him and grope for Him and find Him (v.27).

VI. Men are living creatures of His offspring (v.28b-29) and therefore we should not regard Him as dead thing (v.29b).

VII. The time that He bears with men has past and now He commands all men to repent while they are alive (v.30).

VIII. He has ordained Christ for men and by we are able to pass His righteous judgment (v.31a).

IX. He has given assurance of this to men by raising Christ from the dead (v.31b).

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Sharon Ren