Acts 17:23 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul cites an Athenian altar inscribed "To the Unknown God" and announces that he declares to them the very God they worship without knowing.
What Does Acts 17:23 Mean?
Walking the city, Paul had examined its objects of devotion and found an altar inscribed TO THE UNKNOWN GOD -- Athens' safeguard against overlooking any deity. Paul takes the inscription as his text: the One you worship without knowing, he announces, I now declare unto you.
That altar is the human condition cut in stone: reverence that senses God yet cannot name him. Paul's answer is the gospel's glad audacity -- the unknown God has made himself known, not by human discovery but by his own declaring. In Jesus Christ the long search of the nations receives its answer; the God beyond our guessing has stepped forward and told us his name.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 17:23
What does Acts 17:23 mean?
Paul cites an Athenian altar inscribed "To the Unknown God" and announces that he declares to them the very God they worship without knowing.