So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.
Comment: Amongst the multitude of idols there was one ‘to the unknown God’. I suspect that the Greeks didn’t want to offend any god by not worshipping them thus they had this idol. Using this idol as an introduction Paul said this was the God, Whom they didn’t know, Whom he was declaring. Paul presented this God as the Creator. The Jews and Christians first worship God because He is the Creator. And instead of using the scriptures, as he usually did, he quoted Aratus’ poem ‘Phainomena’ and a Cretian poet. The majority of the listeners probably knew these poets and poems. Obviously Paul is going to speak of Jesus shortly.
Prayer: Help me to reach people where they are at in my witnessing, Father God.
As I read it! 