Acts 17:29 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Since humans are God's offspring, the divine nature cannot be like gold, silver, or stone shaped by human art and imagination.
What Does Acts 17:29 Mean?
Paul draws the conclusion: if we are the offspring of God, then the Godhead -- deity itself -- cannot be like gold, silver, or stone graven by art and man's device. Living children do not descend from dead metal, and the Maker of persons is not less than personal.
The argument gently reverses idolatry. We do not fashion God; he fashions us -- so his likeness is to be sought not in what hands make but in what God makes. The truest image of God in Athens was never on an altar; it walked past the altars every day in the people themselves. And the perfect likeness, Paul is about to say, is the Man whom God raised from the dead -- Christ, the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Acts 17:29 in the Original Language
theion (θεῖον), 'Godhead' -- the divine; deity itself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 17:29
What does Acts 17:29 mean?
Since humans are God's offspring, the divine nature cannot be like gold, silver, or stone shaped by human art and imagination.