Bible-believing Christians believe that every book in the Bible was divinely inspired, and that every word in the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts was given by God the Holy Spirit to prophets, evangelists, and apostles. Therefore Acts 17:15-34 is a record of how God used Paul to preach the truth to the Athenians, even though the majority mocked him and despised his words. But some were converted.
While Paul was addressing the Athenians, he was indirectly (and directly) refuting three false teachings – Racism, Calvinism, and Paganism.
RACISM REFUTED
Racists believe that God made some races superior to others, therefore the inferior races are to be despised. But God says that there is only ONE RACE – the human race – and all ethnic groups have “one blood” – one ancestry from Adam through Noah and his sons. Thus “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) since all have descended from Adam.
And [God] 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 (Acts 17:26).
CALVINISM REFUTED
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 [Gk ἄρα (ara) = therefore] 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. [“his offspring” = made in God’s image]...
30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
What we see in this passage is that all the inhabitants of the world (who dwell in all nations) should seek the Lord and thus find Him, therefore God now commands ALL MEN everywhere to repent.
This utterly refutes Calvinism, which says that all men cannot seek after God, and NOT all are commanded to repent, since all cannot be saved, because Christ died only for the elect. Therefore (1) total depravity, (2) unconditional election, (3) limited atonement, and (4) irresistible grace are all refuted in this passage.
PAGANISM REFUTED
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;...
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.
Paganism originated at the tower of Babel, and spread throughout the world when God scattered men in every direction. Thus pagans have a multitude of gods made out of gold, silver, marble, and other materials within their temples, and believe that their gods need their votive offerings, incense, etc. The wealth that has been poured into pagan temples is astronomical, but the true ad living God has no use for these temples. And because pagans failed to recognize that there is only one true, living, and invisible God, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.
Those pagan gods have been identified in the Bible as demons or evil angels. And the Ten Commandments forbid the making of any image of anything in order to represent God. Yet idolatry became a major sin in Israel, and today it is practised throughout the world, including Catholic and Orthodox images, statues, and ikons.
While Paul was addressing the Athenians, he was indirectly (and directly) refuting three false teachings – Racism, Calvinism, and Paganism.
RACISM REFUTED
Racists believe that God made some races superior to others, therefore the inferior races are to be despised. But God says that there is only ONE RACE – the human race – and all ethnic groups have “one blood” – one ancestry from Adam through Noah and his sons. Thus “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) since all have descended from Adam.
And [God] 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 (Acts 17:26).
CALVINISM REFUTED
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 [Gk ἄρα (ara) = therefore] 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. [“his offspring” = made in God’s image]...
30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
What we see in this passage is that all the inhabitants of the world (who dwell in all nations) should seek the Lord and thus find Him, therefore God now commands ALL MEN everywhere to repent.
This utterly refutes Calvinism, which says that all men cannot seek after God, and NOT all are commanded to repent, since all cannot be saved, because Christ died only for the elect. Therefore (1) total depravity, (2) unconditional election, (3) limited atonement, and (4) irresistible grace are all refuted in this passage.
PAGANISM REFUTED
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;...
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.
Paganism originated at the tower of Babel, and spread throughout the world when God scattered men in every direction. Thus pagans have a multitude of gods made out of gold, silver, marble, and other materials within their temples, and believe that their gods need their votive offerings, incense, etc. The wealth that has been poured into pagan temples is astronomical, but the true ad living God has no use for these temples. And because pagans failed to recognize that there is only one true, living, and invisible God, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.
Those pagan gods have been identified in the Bible as demons or evil angels. And the Ten Commandments forbid the making of any image of anything in order to represent God. Yet idolatry became a major sin in Israel, and today it is practised throughout the world, including Catholic and Orthodox images, statues, and ikons.
