Acts 17:23-24
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also 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,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul cleverly uses the Athenians' own altar, dedicated "To an unknown god," to reveal the God they don't know but are implicitly acknowledging. This isn't about introducing a new deity, but about unveiling the true identity of the divine being they already sense exists but can't name.
Paul is in Athens, a city steeped in philosophy and countless idols, and he's deeply distressed by the pervasive idolatry he sees. As he walks through the city, he observes their religious practices, leading him to notice an altar dedicated "To the unknown god." This observation becomes the springboard for his sermon on Mars Hill, where he uses this very inscription to introduce the true, yet unknown, God to the Athenians.
Paul lands in Athens and immediately notices their intense religiosity. But it's not just how they worship, it's who they worship that sparks his attention. What does an altar to an 'unknown god' reveal about the Athenian worldview?
Paul observes the Athenians' deep-seated religious practices, noting their many altars and objects of worship (Acts 17:23). Among these, he finds an altar inscribed 'To an Unknown God.' This wasn't necessarily a sign of sophisticated theology, but more likely an expression of their deep-seated anxiety and uncertainty in their polytheistic system.
Acknowledging the Gaps
Paul uses this very inscription as a brilliant entry point, showing he understands their religious landscape even as he's about to transform it.
Paul doesn't just point out their altar; he seizes it as a platform! How does he turn their confession of ignorance into an opportunity to reveal the one true God?
Paul’s genius lies in his ability to connect the Athenians' existing religious expressions to the gospel. He sees their altar to the 'unknown god' not as a dead end, but as a signpost pointing to the Creator.
From Unknown to Known
Understand the original words
bōmon · Greek Noun
A place of sacrifice or offering dedicated to a deity; biblically, it symbolizes the point of intersection between the divine and the human, often misused in idolatrous worship.
sebasmata · Greek Noun
The act of showing reverence, honor, or homage to a deity or object of devotion; true worship is exclusively due to the one Creator God.
katangellō · Greek Verb
To announce or preach the gospel; it involves the public and authoritative declaration of the truth of God's revelation.
Kyrios · Greek Noun
The sovereign Master or Ruler who possesses absolute authority over all creation; it denotes God's supreme ownership and governance.
Paul's encounter with the 'Unknown God' altar wasn't just a chance observation; it tapped into a long-standing Athenian religious practice born from a deep-seated awareness of divine power beyond their full understanding, a sentiment Paul masterfully used to introduce the one true God.
c. 600 BC
Epimenides and the Plague
According to tradition, the prophet Epimenides cleansed Athens of a plague by having sheep sacrificed where they lay down, to the 'appropriate god.' This led to the erection of altars without specific names, dedicated to an unknown deity who could avert disaster.
c. 4th Century BC
Altar Inscriptions to Unknown Gods
Writers like Pausanias and Philostratus mention the existence of altars dedicated to 'unknown gods' in Athens, suggesting a widespread practice of acknowledging deities whose names or identities were not clearly known.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Athens
The Apostle Paul visited Athens and, while waiting for Silas and Timothy, engaged in debate in the marketplace and on the Areopagus, encountering both Stoic and Epicurean philosophers.
c. 2nd-3rd Century AD
Mithraic Altars and Similar Inscriptions
Evidence of altars with inscriptions like 'Symbol of the Undiscoverable God' (SIGNUM INDEPREHENSIBILIS DEI) emerges in later Roman period, reflecting a similar philosophical and religious sentiment of acknowledging a divine power beyond human comprehension.
This passage describes how God's eternal power and divine nature are made known through creation, yet humanity, despite this revelation, has chosen to worship created things rather than the Creator, mirroring the Athenians' situation of worshipping what they did not truly know.
John 1:18This verse states that 'no one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.' This connects to Paul's mission to make the 'unknown God' known, revealing Him through Jesus.
Matthew 6:24Jesus teaches that one cannot serve both God and money. This highlights the exclusive nature of true worship and the inherent conflict when people try to serve multiple, often contradictory, masters or deities, as the Athenians were doing with their vast pantheon.
1 Kings 18:21Elijah confronts the Israelites, asking 'How long will you waver between two opinions?' This passage powerfully illustrates the spiritual indecision and divided loyalties that Paul was addressing in Athens, where people sought to worship both the true God and other deities.
Acts 17:29-31Following his proclamation of the unknown God, Paul directly calls for repentance, stating that God 'overlooked' the times of ignorance but now commands all people everywhere to repent because a day of judgment is set. This shows the natural progression from revealing the unknown God to calling for a response of repentance and faith.
ellicottActs 17:23: "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."
(23) I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. —Better, I observe you as being in all things more fearful of the gods than others. It is not easy to express the exact force of the Greek adjective. “Superstitious” is, perhaps, too strong on the side of blame; “devout,” on the side of praise. The word w…
barnesActs 17:23: "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."
For as I passed by - Greek: "For I, coming through, and seeing, etc." And beheld - Diligently contemplated; attentively considered ἀναθεωρῶν anatheōrōn. The worship of an idolatrous people will be an object of intense and painful interest to a Christian. Your devotions - τὰ σεβάσματα ta sebasmata. Our word…
Paul cleverly uses the Athenians' own altar, dedicated "To an unknown god," to reveal the God they don't know but are implicitly acknowledging. This isn't about introducing a new deity, but about unveiling the true identity of the divine being they already sense exists but can't name.
Paul is in Athens, a city steeped in philosophy and countless idols, and he's deeply distressed by the pervasive idolatry he sees. As he walks through the city, he observes their religious practices, leading him to notice an altar dedicated "To the unknown god." This observation becomes the springboard for his sermon on Mars Hill, where he uses this very inscription to introduce the true, yet unknown, God to the Athenians.
Paul is in Athens, a city steeped in philosophy and countless idols, and he's deeply distressed by the pervasive idolatry he sees. As he walks through the city, he observes their religious practices, leading him to notice an altar dedicated "To the unknown god." This observation becomes the springboard for his sermon on Mars Hill, where he uses this very inscription to introduce the true, yet unknown, God to the Athenians.
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His proclamation shifts their focus from a god of uncertainty to the God of certainty, the God who is knowable and actively making Himself known.
naois · Greek Noun
Physical structures constructed for the habitation or worship of a deity; God, being infinite and omnipresent, cannot be contained by human-built structures.
"For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also 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…" — Paul cleverly uses the Athenians' own altar, dedicated "To an unknown god," to reveal the God they don't know but are implicitly acknowledging. This isn't about introducing a new deity, but about u…
