To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.…

Paul's Message at Mars' Hill: Understanding the Divine Beyond Superstition

In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul delivers a powerful message to the people of Athens, challenging their superstitions and introducing them to the true allegorical nature of God through the bible. The passage begins with the Athenians' curiosity about Paul's teachings, as they were always eager to hear new ideas. Paul, recognizing their religious fervor, addresses them with profound insights about the divine.

Acts 17:20-29 (KJV):

"20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."

Paul begins by acknowledging the Athenians' religious practices, noting their devotion but also pointing out their superstitious nature. He seizes the opportunity to introduce them to the "Unknown God," an entity they worship without understanding. Paul reveals that this God, who created the world and everything in it, transcends physical temples and human-made idols.

He emphasizes that God is the giver of life and breath to all beings and does not need to be served by human hands as if He required anything. Instead, God has made all nations from one blood and determined their appointed times and places so that they might seek Him and find Him, as He is near to everyone.

Paul's message highlights the omnipresence and omnipotence of God, who is not confined to physical forms or places. He quotes the Athenians' own poets to illustrate that humans are God's offspring, thereby asserting that the divine nature should not be likened to material objects crafted by human art and imagination.

In essence, Paul calls for a deeper understanding and connection with the divine, beyond the superficial and superstitious practices. He invites the Athenians to seek a personal relationship with God, who is always present and accessible to all. This profound message transcends time, urging us to look beyond material representations and find the true essence of divinity within and around us.