Acts 17:27
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,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that "feeling their way toward him" implies a difficult, almost fumbling search for God, like someone groping in the dark. This emphasizes how inadequate human reason alone is to grasp the divine, even though God has placed clear evidence of His presence all around us.
Paul has just challenged the Athenians' idolatry by pointing to an altar dedicated to an "Unknown God." He explains that this very inscription reveals their unwitting acknowledgment of the true God, who isn't confined to temples but is actively involved in sustaining all of creation and humanity. This sets the stage for Paul to argue that their existing knowledge of the divine, however incomplete, should lead them to seek the God Paul preaches.
Ever feel like you're searching for something you can't quite grasp? The Apostle Paul uses a powerful image to describe humanity's search for God before divine revelation.
Paul describes the search for God by those without specific divine revelation as 'feeling after him.'
The Image of Blindness
This is like someone blindfolded, trying to understand an object purely by touch. They can sense its presence, maybe its shape, but without sight, their knowledge is limited and uncertain. It speaks to the difficulty and the often-incomplete understanding people have of God when relying solely on natural observation.
A Partial Grasp
While this 'feeling after' can lead to a basic awareness of a Creator (as seen in Romans 1:20), it's often filled with guesswork, uncertainty, and even error. The existence of idols among the Athenians, for example, showed they hadn't truly found God, even as they sensed something greater.
The Hope in the Search
Yet, the text emphasizes that this search itself has a divine purpose. God allows this groping to stir a longing, a recognition that something is missing, and to point towards the possibility of finding Him.
Do you ever feel like God is distant, hidden away on some celestial throne? Paul offers a radical counter-perspective.
Paul boldly declares that God 'is actually not far from each one of us.' This is a profound statement, especially considering the Athenians' elaborate system of gods and idols.
Proximity Through Creation
God's nearness is evident in the world He created. The very existence of the universe, with its order, beauty, and sustaining power, testifies to His presence and involvement. From the patterns in nature to the basic functions of life, His handiwork is all around.
Immanence and Sustenance
Understand the original words
zēteō · Greek Verb
To try to find or discover something by searching; often used in Scripture to describe a sincere, sometimes difficult pursuit of God.
Paul's words in Athens draw upon the philosophical landscape of the Greek world, acknowledging their attempts to understand the divine through reason and nature, while pointing them to the Creator who is not distant but intimately involved with humanity.
c. 8th-7th century BC
Rise of Greek Philosophy
Schools of Greek philosophy like Stoicism and Epicureanism emerge, seeking to understand the world and humanity's place in it through reason and observation.
c. 3rd century BC
Aratus and Cleanthes Write
Poets like Aratus and Cleanthes, influential figures in Greek thought, write works (like Aratus' Phaenomena and Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus) that describe the universe as ordered by a divine power, a concept Paul later quotes.
c. 1st century AD
Paul's Missionary Journeys
The Apostle Paul embarks on extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, spreading the Christian message to both Jewish and Gentile audiences.
c. AD 50-52— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Athens
Paul visits Athens, a major center of Greek philosophy and religion. He engages in discussions in the marketplace and at the Areopagus with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.
This passage echoes the sentiment of seeking God and finding Him if one searches wholeheartedly, mirroring the idea that God can be found through sincere pursuit.
Psalm 19:1-4The psalmist declares that the heavens and the skies themselves proclaim God's existence and handiwork, illustrating Paul's point that God's presence is evident in creation around us.
Jeremiah 29:13This verse promises that if people seek God with all their heart, they will find Him, reinforcing the idea that God is discoverable and responds to sincere seeking.
Romans 1:20Paul explains that God's invisible attributes, like eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made, directly supporting the concept of finding God through observing His creation.
Romans 2:14-15This passage speaks of Gentiles who, though not having the law, do by nature what the law requires, showing that a moral consciousness within them bears witness to God, aligning with the idea that God is not far from us.
ellicottActs 17:27: "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:"
(27) Should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him. —The word for “feel after” expresses strictly the act of groping in the dark. From the Apostle’s point of view, anticipating in part the great Theodikæa —the vindication of the ways of God—in the Epistle to the Romans, the whole order of the world’s history was planned, as part of t…
pooleActs 17:27: "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:"
That they should seek the Lord: the apostle tells these philosophers, to whom he spake, the true use of their philosophy, to improve their knowledge of natural things, to beget in them by it an admiration of the God of nature; for as from him, so for him are all things, Romans 11:36 . If haply they might feel after him, and find him; and although God himself…
The verse highlights that "feeling their way toward him" implies a difficult, almost fumbling search for God, like someone groping in the dark. This emphasizes how inadequate human reason alone is to grasp the divine, even though God has placed clear evidence of His presence all around us.
Paul has just challenged the Athenians' idolatry by pointing to an altar dedicated to an "Unknown God." He explains that this very inscription reveals their unwitting acknowledgment of the true God, who isn't confined to temples but is actively involved in sustaining all of creation and humanity. This sets the stage for Paul to argue that their existing knowledge of the divine, however incomplete, should lead them to seek the God Paul preaches.
Paul has just challenged the Athenians' idolatry by pointing to an altar dedicated to an "Unknown God." He explains that this very inscription reveals their unwitting acknowledgment of the true God, who isn't confined to temples but is actively involved in sustaining all of creation and humanity. This sets the stage for Paul to argue that their existing knowledge of the divine, however incomplete, should lead them to seek the God Paul preaches.
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More than just a distant Creator, God is intimately involved in our lives. He 'sustains' us – giving us the very ability to live, move, and function. This isn't just a philosophical idea; it's the reality that our existence, moment by moment, depends on Him.
An Invitation to Discover
This nearness isn't meant to be passively observed but actively discovered. Because God is so close, the search for Him, though potentially difficult, is not futile. It’s an invitation to look within and without, knowing that the One we seek is nearer than we imagine.
c. AD 52
Paul's Letter to the Romans
Though written later, Paul's letter to the Romans elaborates on themes of God's revelation in nature and the limitations of human wisdom apart from Christ, echoing the arguments made in Athens.
"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," — The verse highlights that "feeling their way toward him" implies a difficult, almost fumbling search for God, like someone groping in the dark. This emphasizes how inadequate human reason alone is to…
