Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. The first point Paul made was that the True God was Sole Creator in that He made the “world” (kosmos, i.e. universe) and everything in it (Ps 24:1; 1Co 10:26).

2. From this, it is implied that there is only one God and Creator because everything else was created by Him (Ge 1:1 cf. Dt 4:35 cf. Jn 1:3; Col 1:16-17).

3. By this, he called into question the Epicurean belief that matter was eternal and had no creator, as well as the Stoic belief that everything was God and therefore could not create Himself.

4. In addition, as sole Creator, God alone is Lord and ruler over heaven and earth. He is all-sovereign and all-powerful.

5. Therefore, God does not dwell in Temples made with hands for He cannot be contained (1Ki 8:27; Is 66:1; Ac 7:48). This describes God’s attribute of immensity. Immensity defined means that God transcends all spatial limitations, and yet is present in every point of space with His whole Being (Berkhof, Systematic Theology).

6. Paul debunked their belief in the gods as well as the temples dedicated to them.

B. He is Self-Sufficient (Ac 17:25)

1. Continuing, Paul taught that God does not need to be served or helped by human hands. Rather, God the Eternal Creator does not “need anything” (prosdeomai - negatively, absolute self-sufficiency). He is Self-Sufficient (Ps 50:8-13). The Greek gods needed offerings from men for their happiness.

2. Self-sufficiency is an aspect of God’s aseity (self-existence). For if God has existed before all things, then He cannot be dependent on anything or anyone (Ex 3:14).

3. In fact, being the self-sufficient Creator, He was the One who gave all things necessary for physical life (life and breath) to His creatures (Ps 104:14-15; Is 42:5).

C. He is Sovereign (Ac 17:26)

1. Paul addressed God’s sovereignty and His providence. Not only is He all-powerful and more powerful than all created beings (including Satan), but He has also been sovereignly involved with His creation.

2. It began with the direct creation of “one” man (“man” is implied, “blood” is not in some manuscripts). From Adam came “every nation” of mankind upon the face of earth. Paul’s teaching rose above Jewish and Greek elitist prejudice. The Greeks believed that they alone were a special creation, while non-Greek were barbarians.

3. He sovereignly “determined” (horizō - lit. “to set a boundary,” determine, appoint, Eng. “horizon” cf. Ac 2:23; 10:42; 11:29; 17:26, 31) the times and boundaries of mankind. God has done this throughout man’s entire history and habitation on earth (cf. Dt 32:8; Job 12:23; Is 10:12-15; Lk 21:24).

4. These times and boundaries were divinely “appointed” (prostassō - 1) command or order, Ac 10:33, 48, 2) perf. pass. - epochs of man’s history, Ac 17:26) by God.

5. God sovereignly determined and appointed the times and boundaries of all men. But He especially chose the Jewish people, through whom, He revealed Himself, gave His Law, and came the line of the Messiah (special revelation).

D. He is Seekable (Personal) (Ac 17:27)

1. God revealed Himself to mankind in His creation (natural revelation) and through the Jewish people (special revelation). His purpose was that men would seek Him (Ac 15:17; He 11:6).

2. Since God has revealed Himself to man, then all men are responsible to seek Him (“grope,” psēlapheō - feel or grope as a blind man, He 12:8; 1Jn 1:1) through moral (conscience, Ro 2:14) and natural revelation, and not suppress the truth (Ro 1:18-32).

3. If God is Seekable, then He is a personal God who is knowable. He is unlike the Greeks gods who were impersonal and unattached from man. It is in this sense that God is not far from “each one” of us” (Ps 139:5-12; 145:18; Je 23:23).

E. He is Sustainer (Ac 17:28)

1. Paul first quotes from Epimenides (a Cretan poet, 600 B.C.) to support that God is a personal God.

2. It stands to reason that if man lives, moves, and exists through God, then God sustains man’s life. If God sustain man, then He Himself is personally involved with man.

3. The words, live (zaō), and move (kineō, Eng. kinetics), and exist (eimi have being) cover every aspect of man being sustained by God.

4. In addition, these same aspects were major issues in philosophy: “live” (The Chief Good and virtuous living - Glory to God is the chief end of man), and “move” (First Principle - God is the First Cause, Unmoved Mover), and “exist” (Metaphysics: Being - God is the Self-Existent Being, the Great I AM).

5. Paul quoted a second quotation of a Greek Philosopher by the name of Aratus (315-240 B.C.) Aratus wrote, speaking of the gods (God), “For we also are His children.”

6. “Children” (genos - posterity, offspring) might be better understood as “offspring.” All mankind is the creation of the Creator/God. It is the sense that all are the offspring of God. However, this does not mean that all men are saved.

F. He is Substantive (Real) (Ac 17:29)

1. Since mankind is the created offspring of God (and made in His image), then men should know that God cannot be a man-made idol or even confined in an idol (Is 44:9-20).

2. Therefore, the true God cannot be made out of gold, silver, or stone. These are materials that the Creator has made and placed on the earth.

3. An idol is not the true God, nor does it represent Him. Idols are the product of the “art” (technē - skill, craft, or trade) of men. Idols originate from the “thoughts” (euthumēsis - consideration or imagination) of men.

4. Paul’s arguments defeated the Greek’s belief in idols and polytheism. The true God is Sole-Creator, Self-Sufficient, Sovereign, Seekable, Sustainer, and Substantive.

II. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Quotations of the Poets

1. Paul quoted the poets because there was a few grains of truth in their writings in regard to natural revelation. Paul took those grains consistent with God’s truth (Scriptures) and put them together to bring his audience to Christ.

2. This in no way asserts that the writings of the poets are equal to the inspired writings of the Scriptures. Paul recognized the grains of truth in them, used them, and it was recorded in Scripture.

B. The Method of Evangelism

1. A model apologist, Paul developed an argument (natural theology) based on God’s self-revelation in nature (natural revelation; see Rm 1:19-32) to build bridges and to challenge prevailing beliefs. He complimented the Athenians evident religious inclinations, drew upon observable data from the natural world regarding God’s nature, identified this God for them, established a relationship between God and humans, announced the coming judgment by God of the world, and even marshaled evidence from the pagan (Stoic) poets for his analysis. ASB

C. The Ramifications for Believers

1. Of all people, believers know that God is the Sole Creator with all of the implications that follow.

2. Believers know that He is a Personal God and they have a personal relationship with Him through Christ. Therefore, we must cultivate it.

3. Believers know that He (Christ) is the Lord, is to be worshipped as Lord, and obeyed in every area of their lives. Therefore, we must obey His Lordship.

4. Believers know that God is sovereign in all things in their lives and is working all things for God’s glory and their ultimate good. Therefore, we must submit to His will.

5. Believers know that He is Sustainer and Provider of all things physical and spiritual. Therefore, we must respond in faith, gratefulness, and worship.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516