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)
The verse corrects a fundamental mistake: if we, as God's offspring, are living and thinking beings, then our Creator must be far grander than lifeless materials like gold or stone. Paul points out that we humans are already vastly superior to any idol, making it absurd to believe God would be represented by something lesser than ourselves.
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 in Athens, standing before the Areopagus (the city council), having debated with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who were confused by his message of Jesus and the resurrection. He's just pointed to an "Unknown God" altar as a starting point to introduce the true God, who isn't confined to temples or served by human hands. This verse flows directly from that, as Paul begins to explain the nature of this God who created everything and gives life, arguing that such a God cannot possibly be represented by lifeless idols.
Paul stands in Athens, surrounded by gods in stone and bronze. He turns to his audience and says, 'You are God's offspring!' What does that profound declaration mean for how we should imagine God?
Paul's argument hinges on a powerful, almost poetic truth: we are literally God's children. This isn't just a feel-good statement; it's the foundation for understanding God's true nature.
The Parent-Child Connection
Think about it: a child resembles their parent. Not perfectly, of course, but there are shared traits, a likeness. Paul uses this common human experience to make a crucial point. If we, as God's offspring, possess life, reason, and spirit, then the Parent from whom we spring must possess these qualities infinitely more.
Beyond Human Imagination
Therefore, Paul argues, we 'ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone.' These inanimate, lifeless materials, shaped by human hands, are a far cry from the living, intelligent God who is our source. To imagine God as a statue is to drastically underestimate Him, reducing the Creator to the level of His creation.
Paul confronts the Athenians with their idols. But he doesn't just condemn them; he reveals the flawed thinking behind idolatry. What makes an idol so fundamentally wrong?
The core problem with idolatry, as Paul presents it, is that it’s an act of deeply misunderstanding and devaluing God.
Ask a follow-up
Human Craftsmanship vs. Divine Being
Paul contrasts God with 'gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.' These idols are products of human skill and creativity. They are shaped by human hands and conceived by human minds.
A Degraded Conception
To equate God with such things is to say that God is no more magnificent or powerful than something we can create. It reduces God to the level of inanimate matter, stripping Him of His living, intelligent, and infinite nature. The ancient commentators highlight that man himself is far superior to mere matter, so how much more is God, the Creator of man, superior to it! This isn't just a historical critique; it's a timeless warning against any attempt to limit God to our own understanding or creations.
Understand the original words
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.
Paul's argument against idolatry in Athens isn't just abstract; it directly confronts a city renowned for its magnificent, man-made images of gods, drawing on philosophical critiques already circulating.
c. 550 BC
Xenophanes critiques traditional gods
The philosopher Xenophanes argues that if animals could draw, they would depict their gods as animals. He also criticizes the anthropomorphic view of gods, stating that humans create gods in their own image.
c. 447-432 BC
Phidias' Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Sculptor Phidias creates a massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
c. 440 BC
Phidias' Statue of Athena Parthenos in Athens
Phidias also creates a colossal statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory, for the Parthenon in Athens, a prominent religious and artistic symbol of the city.
c. 1st century BC - 1st century AD
Widespread production of divine images
The Hellenistic and Roman periods saw extensive creation of statues and idols from gold, silver, and stone to represent various deities, including those worshipped in Athens.
c. AD 50-52— this verse
Paul preaches in Athens
The Apostle Paul visits Athens, encounters the city's deep engagement with philosophy and idolatry, and engages in debate on the Areopagus.
This passage directly critiques the creation of idols from metal and stone, emphasizing their inability to see, know, or act, which strongly parallels Paul's argument that God cannot be represented by such lifeless materials.
Psalm 115:4-7Similar to Acts 17:29, this psalm describes the lifelessness of idols made of gold and silver, highlighting their inability to speak, see, hear, or walk, reinforcing the idea that God is fundamentally different and superior to such creations.
Romans 1:21-23This passage explains how people 'exchanged the truth about God for a lie' and 'exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images carved by humankind,' directly linking the creation of idols to a degradation of understanding God's true nature, echoing Paul's concern in Athens.
John 4:24Jesus' teaching that God is spirit and that worshipers must worship in spirit and truth directly contrasts with the physical, material idols Paul addresses, reinforcing the spiritual nature of God that cannot be confined to man-made images.
ellicottActs 17:29: "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."
(29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God. —One consequence from the thought of son-ship is pressed home at once. If we are God’s offspring our conception of Him should mount upward from what is highest in ourselves, from our moral and spiritual nature, instead of passing downward to that which, being the creature of…
pooleActs 17:29: "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."
We are the offspring of God; this is spoken by the apostle in a poetical expression, according unto what he had cited. We are indeed the children, and in our souls bear the image of God. But as many as have the Spirit of adoption, they partake of God’s holiness, and imitate his goodness, and are more like unto him, by whom th…
The verse corrects a fundamental mistake: if we, as God's offspring, are living and thinking beings, then our Creator must be far grander than lifeless materials like gold or stone. Paul points out that we humans are already vastly superior to any idol, making it absurd to believe God would be represented by something lesser than ourselves.
Paul is in Athens, standing before the Areopagus (the city council), having debated with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who were confused by his message of Jesus and the resurrection. He's just pointed to an "Unknown God" altar as a starting point to introduce the true God, who isn't confined to temples or served by human hands. This verse flows directly from that, as Paul begins to explain the nature of this God who created everything and gives life, arguing that such a God cannot possibly be represented by lifeless idols.
Paul is in Athens, standing before the Areopagus (the city council), having debated with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who were confused by his message of Jesus and the resurrection. He's just pointed to an "Unknown God" altar as a starting point to introduce the true God, who isn't confined to temples or served by human hands. This verse flows directly from that, as Paul begins to explain the nature of this God who created everything and gives life, arguing that such a God cannot possibly be represented by lifeless idols.
"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." — The verse corrects a fundamental mistake: if we, as God's offspring, are living and thinking beings, then our Creator must be far grander than lifeless materials like gold or stone. Paul points out t…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026