Acts 17. Our journey through the New Testament takes us back to the book of Acts today, where we find Paul and Silas ministering in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens – all Greek cities. Soon we will read Paul’s first and second letters to the church at Thessalonica, so it’s helpful to see how that church started (with devout Greeks, many leading women, and riots provoked by jealous Jews).

The Berean church is one of my favorites, they were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all eagerness, and they examined the scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Acts 17:11). That’s a great model for all of us!

When Paul arrives in Athens his heart is provoked because of the abundance of idols. This should not surprise us because even today our children study “the Greek gods” of history and there are many books and movies that have popularized Greek mythology. The author of Acts is not particularly impressed with the people of Athens who spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new (Acts 17:21). There is lots of talking and debating going on in Athens, and not a whole lot of action or character building.

Paul steps into this environment and offers one of the most profound commentaries on the nature of God in the New Testament. Today, let’s simply appreciate what we learn about God from Paul’s speech:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵ nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶ 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, ²⁷ 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, ²⁸ for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’” … ²⁹ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ³⁰ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people 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 by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:24-31)

What is your favorite section of Paul’s speech? For me, it is the jump from the God who made the world and everything in it … He is actually not far from each one of us. Isn’t that amazing?! As you go about your day today, remember that the Almighty God who made the whole world longs to be close to you.

What stood out to you in Acts 17?