for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul’s quote isn't just about God's omnipresence; it highlights that our very capacity for life, movement, and even our emotional nature ("move" in its original sense) flows directly from Him. It corrects the common idea that we're simply self-sufficient beings, revealing our utter dependence on God for our existence and every aspect of it.
for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is in Athens, teaching in the marketplace and debating with philosophers from different schools. Having already addressed the Epicureans and Stoics, and pointed to an altar "to an unknown god" as a bridge to the true God, he now directly confronts their polytheistic worldview. He argues that God is not a distant deity to be confined to temples, but the very source of all existence, a truth even their own poets acknowledged.
We often think of God as the creator who set things in motion and then stepped back. But what if His involvement is far more intimate, sustaining every breath, every thought, and every step?
The Apostle Paul uses three powerful Greek verbs to describe our relationship with God:
This isn't about God being everywhere in a distant, impersonal way (pantheism), but that His power and presence are the very medium in which we exist and act. He is the source and sustainer of every facet of our being.
Paul quotes pagan poets to make a point about God. What does this ancient wisdom reveal about our inherent connection to the divine, and why is it so significant?
Ask a follow-up
Paul masterfully quotes Greek poets, Aratus and Cleanthes, who described humanity as 'his offspring.' This wasn't just a clever rhetorical move; it tapped into a shared understanding, even in a pagan context, of a profound connection to the divine.
Understand the original words
genos · Greek Noun
Describes a state of being related by birth or descent; here used to denote human beings as created by God and bearing His image.
Paul strategically quotes Greek poets, familiar to his educated Athenian audience, to demonstrate that their own culture already held inklings of truths about God's universal presence and fatherhood, providing a bridge to understanding the Christian message.
c. 272 BC
Aratus Composes Phenomena
Aratus, a poet from Cilicia (Paul's home province), writes his poem 'Phenomena,' which includes the line 'For we are indeed his offspring.' This work, a poetic description of astronomy and meteorology, was widely known.
c. 250 BC
Cleanthes Writes Hymn to Zeus
Cleanthes, a Stoic philosopher, composes a hymn to Zeus that also contains the phrase 'For we are indeed your offspring.' This philosophical and religious work reflects a common Greek understanding of divine immanence.
c. AD 30-35
Paul's Early Ministry
After his conversion, Paul begins his ministry, likely reflecting on his Jewish scriptures and Greek education, including poets like Aratus, as he prepares to evangelize.
c. AD 49-50
Council of Jerusalem
This council addresses the inclusion of Gentiles in the Christian faith, setting a precedent for Paul's Gentile evangelism and his need to communicate the Gospel in culturally relevant ways.
c. AD 50-52— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Athens
During his time in Athens, Paul engages with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in the marketplace and on the Areopagus, encountering their ideas about God and the divine.
c. AD 52
Paul's Speech on the Areopagus
Paul delivers his famous speech on the Areopagus, skillfully bridging Jewish monotheism with Greek philosophical thought by quoting Aratus and Cleanthes to make the Gospel understandable to his audience.
This passage echoes the pervasive presence of God, highlighting that there is no place to flee from His Spirit, much like Paul’s argument that our very existence is 'in Him'.
Colossians 1:17This verse directly states that in Christ 'all things hold together,' reinforcing the idea from Acts 17:28 that all things, including our life and being, are sustained by God.
Ephesians 2:10While Acts 17:28 quotes poets saying 'we are his offspring,' Ephesians 2:10 states 'we are his workmanship,' emphasizing our creation and purpose in God, a deeper understanding of our identity as His creation.
John 1:3This verse declares that 'all things were made through him,' directly connecting the Creator (Christ) to the creation and the very source of life and being that Paul references in Acts 17:28.
Deuteronomy 30:20This passage calls God our 'life and length of days,' mirroring the sentiment in Acts 17:28 that our life and continued existence are entirely dependent on and sourced from God.
ellicottActs 17:28: "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."
(28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being. —Better, we live, and are moved, and are. Each of the verbs used has a definite philosophical significance. The first points to our animal life; the second—from which is derived the Greek word used by ethical writers for passions, such as fear, love, hate, and the like—not, as the English verb suggests,…
pooleActs 17:28: "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."
In him we live, &c.; he is the God that made us, that preserves us, and not we ourselves; he keeps us as in the hollow of his hand, and compasseth our paths. Our breath is in our nostrils, and when we send it forth we have none to take in again, unless God furnish us with it, as out of his own hand. As certain also of your own poets; Aratus, a Greek poet: n…
Paul’s quote isn't just about God's omnipresence; it highlights that our very capacity for life, movement, and even our emotional nature ("move" in its original sense) flows directly from Him. It corrects the common idea that we're simply self-sufficient beings, revealing our utter dependence on God for our existence and every aspect of it.
Paul is in Athens, teaching in the marketplace and debating with philosophers from different schools. Having already addressed the Epicureans and Stoics, and pointed to an altar "to an unknown god" as a bridge to the true God, he now directly confronts their polytheistic worldview. He argues that God is not a distant deity to be confined to temples, but the very source of all existence, a truth even their own poets acknowledged.
Paul is in Athens, teaching in the marketplace and debating with philosophers from different schools. Having already addressed the Epicureans and Stoics, and pointed to an altar "to an unknown god" as a bridge to the true God, he now directly confronts their polytheistic worldview. He argues that God is not a distant deity to be confined to temples, but the very source of all existence, a truth even their own poets acknowledged.
"for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’" — Paul’s quote isn't just about God's omnipresence; it highlights that our very capacity for life, movement, and even our emotional nature ("move" in its original sense) flows directly from Him. It cor…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026