Acts 17:16 to 17:34 God is the Creator of heaven and earth who gives life and breath to all things; he calls all people everywhere to repent and know him. Understand why Paul's spirit was provoked seeing Athens full of idols. Discover how Paul used the altar 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD' to introduce the true Creator. Learn that God is not far from each one of us: 'In him we live and move and have our being.' Athens was the intellectual capital of the ancient Greek world, filled with famous philosophers, colleges, and countless statues of pagan gods. A City Full of Statues and Idols While Paul waited in [Athens](/bible/explorer/place/athens), his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. Everywhere he walked, there were statues made of gold, silver, and marble dedicated to false gods. Paul reasoned in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Epicurean and Stoic philosophers invited him to the Areopagus, asking: 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?' To the Unknown God Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked along, I even found 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!' In Him We Live and Move Paul explained that God gives life, breath, and everything to all humanity. God made from one man every nation of mankind, so 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.' Paul called them to repent, because God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus, whom he raised from the dead! Some mocked, but others believed, including Dionysius and a woman named Damaris. For in him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28 What inscription on an Athenian altar did Paul use to talk about the true God? To the King of Rome TO THE UNKNOWN GOD To the God of the Sun To the Wisest Teacher TO THE UNKNOWN GOD Paul used the altar dedicated 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD' to introduce the living Creator. Where does the true Creator God live according to Acts 17:24? Inside gold statues He does not live in temples made by human hands In caves Only in Athens He does not live in temples made by human hands The Lord of heaven and earth is the Creator and cannot be contained in human-made temples. How close is God to each one of us according to Acts 17:27 to 17:28? Millions of miles away He is actually not far from each one of us; in him we live and move He only visits on Sundays He has forgotten about us He is actually not far from each one of us; in him we live and move God is intimately near to us; in him we live and move and exist every moment. Look outside at the sky, trees, and birds this week and thank the Creator God who gives life and breath to everything. Creator God, you made the heavens, the earth, and every nation of people. Thank you that in you we live, move, and have our being. Help us worship you alone and share your truth with friends who do not yet know you. Amen. Why can't statues made of stone or gold ever represent the living God? What does it mean to you that 'in him we live and move and have our being'? Teach that God is the living Creator who is intimately near to all people, calling everyone to repentance in Jesus. Hold up a stone or piece of clay. Ask if a rock could ever create a living person or hear our prayers. Why did people make so many idols? Because humanity knows God exists in their conscience, but without divine revelation they invent gods of their own imagination. 5 minutes hook, 15 minutes narrative, 10 minutes discussion, 10 minutes prayer.