Paul points out that "in Him we live and move and have our being" not just to show God's omnipresence, but to reveal that every aspect of our existence—our very life, our capacity for action, and our fundamental self—is utterly dependent on God. This isn't just about God being around us, but being the very source of all that we are and do.
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.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is speaking to the philosophers in Athens, having just encountered those who worship an "unknown god." He's demonstrating that the God he proclaims isn't some distant deity but the very source of all existence, using their own poets to show this truth. This leads into his argument that since humanity originates from God, they shouldn't imagine Him to be like idols made of gold or silver.
We often think of God as being 'out there,' separate from us and the world. But what if He's actually the very 'stuff' of our existence?
Paul quotes Greek poets to make a profound point: God isn't just a distant creator; He is actively and intimately involved in every moment of our lives.
Life, Motion, Being
Paul isn't saying God is everywhere in a pantheistic sense (where God is the universe). Instead, he's declaring that our life, our ability to move and think, and our very existence are utterly dependent on God's constant, sustaining power. He is the 'element' in which we live and move and are.
Paul turns a common Greek saying into a powerful declaration about our identity. What does it mean to be 'offspring' of God?
When Paul quotes the poets saying, 'For we are indeed his offspring,' he's not just looking for common ground. He's elevating the Athenians' understanding of themselves and, by extension, us.
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More Than Just Creatures
While the Greek poets saw this as a philosophical concept, Paul grounds it in the reality of the one true God, the Creator of all. He uses this shared understanding to point them towards the God they were unknowingly seeking.
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.
to theion · Greek Noun
Refers to the nature, essence, or character of the Godhead; denotes that God is an incorporeal Spirit, distinct from material creation.
eidos · Greek Noun
A visual representation or idol intended to embody a deity; strictly forbidden in Scripture as a representation of the infinite God.
By quoting pagan poets familiar to his audience, Paul skillfully bridges the gap between their worldview and the Christian faith, showing that even their own wisest thinkers touched upon truths about God's immanence and humanity's divine origin.
c. 270 BC
Aratus Publishes Phenomena
Aratus, a poet likely from Cilicia (Paul's home province), publishes his astronomical poem 'Phenomena'. The poem begins with lines stating that all humans are offspring of Zeus, a quote Paul later adapts.
c. 240 BC
Cleanthes Writes Hymn to Zeus
Cleanthes, Stoic philosopher and successor to Zeno in Athens, writes his famous 'Hymn to Zeus'. This work echoes the sentiment of divine parentage and dependence on Zeus, similar to Aratus's poem.
c. AD 40-50
Paul's Missionary Journeys Begin
Paul embarks on his extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, spreading the Christian message to Gentile audiences.
c. AD 50-51
Council of Jerusalem
The apostles and elders in Jerusalem debate and decide that Gentile converts do not need to follow all Mosaic laws, impacting how the Gospel is presented to non-Jewish people.
c. AD 51-52— this verse
Paul in Athens
Paul visits Athens, a major center of Greek philosophy and religion. He encounters Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, leading to his famous speech on the Areopagus.
c. AD 62
Writing of Acts
The Book of Acts, chronicling the early church's expansion, is likely written. The author, traditionally Luke, records Paul's encounter and speech in Athens.
This passage highlights that humanity is created in God's image, underscoring the 'offspring' concept Paul uses to show our intrinsic connection to the Creator.
Psalm 139:7-10The psalm beautifully illustrates the pervasiveness of God's presence, mirroring Paul's 'in him we live and move' by showing God's presence from creation to the deepest parts of the earth and sea.
Colossians 1:16-17This passage directly states that all things were created through Christ and in him all things hold together, reinforcing the idea that all existence and motion are dependent on God's sustaining power.
Romans 11:36This verse echoes the sentiment of dependence on God for all things, stating 'For from him and through him and to him are all things,' which aligns with Paul's argument about God being the source of our life, movement, and being.
John 1:3This verse points to Christ as the agent through whom all things were made, connecting the creation and sustaining power of God mentioned in Acts to the person of Jesus.
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 points out that "in Him we live and move and have our being" not just to show God's omnipresence, but to reveal that every aspect of our existence—our very life, our capacity for action, and our fundamental self—is utterly dependent on God. This isn't just about God being around us, but being the very source of all that we are and do.
Paul is speaking to the philosophers in Athens, having just encountered those who worship an "unknown god." He's demonstrating that the God he proclaims isn't some distant deity but the very source of all existence, using their own poets to show this truth. This leads into his argument that since humanity originates from God, they shouldn't imagine Him to be like idols made of gold or silver.
Paul is speaking to the philosophers in Athens, having just encountered those who worship an "unknown god." He's demonstrating that the God he proclaims isn't some distant deity but the very source of all existence, using their own poets to show this truth. This leads into his argument that since humanity originates from God, they shouldn't imagine Him to be like idols made of gold or silver.
"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.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold…" — Paul points out that "in Him we live and move and have our being" not just to show God's omnipresence, but to reveal that *every* aspect of our existence—our very life, our capacity for action, and o…
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Last reviewed October 2026