March 23, 2005

Chap.17, verses 27-28- Paul continues in his message to the Athenians declaring that God’s intent is “that they should seek the Lord”- this may be referred to as the etiology of the divine plan in pre-conversion work.  That is, God’s cause in the arrangement of life’s experiences (concerning unbelievers as the Athenians are) is to facilitate mankind to move them to seek Him- note Isaiah 55:6; I Chron.16:10-11; Jere.29:13 and Hebrews 11:6.  The difficulty is not in finding God, but in the motives and desires that men have as they seek God- Psa. 10:4; Prov. 11:27. 

    The passage in Ezekiel 14:4-9 is where God reveals His divine judgment against those who have “idols in their hearts” (unseen by man but evident to God) by giving them a false prophet to provide the message they prefer over God’s message.  This is the truth of II Thess. 2:10 where Paul says there will be “deception among those that perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”  What men and women often are seeking is new forms of rebellion – Prov.17:11.

    That the heart needs some preparation in the seeking of God seems clear from Deut. 4:29, II Chron.12:14 and 19:3 as well as perseverance-

 II Chron.26:5.  On occasion, God will use trouble as a catalyst to move us to seek Him- Psa. 77:2. The fact that Paul had encountered Gentiles seeking God through the Jews proves that men can seek God and find the truth—note

Acts 13:7, 42, 48; 15:3 and many other vs.

   “if haply they might feel after him”- the NKJV says “in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him”—the Gk. word indicates a blind person groping in a room.  “though he is not far from each one of us”- this underscores God’s willingness to be found as His omnipresence provides His availability.

   Then Paul quotes two pagan poets:

“for in Him we live and move and have our being”= Epimenides (600 BC)

“for we are his offspring” = Aratus (315-240 BC)

   Paul is not referring to pantheism in the first quote, nor to everyone being

the sons of God in the second.  What he is doing is to reveal to the Athenians from their own philosophers that mankind as a species is different from other life forms.  Even fallen man evidences the divine image (Gen.1:26-27).

Chap. 17, verse 29- “Therefore”—Paul’s reasoning is that it is evident from Greek poets & philosophers that man reflects a divine creation and thus one is to not think of God in terms of a material object.  Without directly stating it, Paul alludes to humans having ‘something different’ than other living creatures as being the offspring of God.  Sound reasoning says the Being that provided man life is not to be represented by art or man’s devising.

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Chap.17, verse 30-“truly these times of ignorance God overlooked..”

Paul is showing that among Gentile nations that lacked the revelation of Old Testament scripture idolatry was overlooked (both NKJV and NIV).  Israel was held to a higher standard concerning idolatry due to the direct command of God given to them in the second commandment (Exodus 20:4).

  By “overlooked” it is not meant approved, but rather withheld immediate judgment.  The words “times of ignorance” would refer to ages preceding the Incarnation through Jesus.  Further,the awakened conscience of these Athenians may have thought,  “if God is not depicted in physical forms [idolatry], then why doesn’t He judge us”.

  “But now” separates God’s infinite patience with the idolatry of the Gentiles from His present expectations.  With the real Image of God having come

(II Cor. 4:4), divine requirements are higher!  These words “but now” are found in significant places in Paul’s writing- Rom. 3:21, 6:22, 7:6 and Eph.2:13.

  “commands all men everywhere to repent”—one might ask why did Paul focus on repentance (metanoein=to have another mind).   The answer is likely in understanding that Paul is addressing those involved in sinful worship= idolatry.

While God may have “overlooked” such in the past, that does not mean idolatry was either acceptable to God or helpful to the mind of the unsaved.  Here, repentance would be for these Athenians to change their mind about imagery and the nature of God in preparation to believe the gospel.  In the most narrow terms, Paul is not recorded as having given the gospel (I Cor. 15:3-4) although he did proclaim the Resurrected Christ and coming judgment.  It is likely that Luke did not give us Paul’s message exhaustively.  However, note in vs.34

that some believed.  And we should recall that men like Cornelius in ch.10 had already given up idolatry and was prepared to hear the gospel (10:22, 35 & 11:17).  Also note I Thess.1:9 “turned to God from idols…”

  Again, it important to remember these Athenians were not Jews that were acquainted with the Old Testament scriptures, but pagans in darkness and pride.