What Can I Know About God

What Can I Know About God

Acts 17:16-34

Objectives

• With awe, see the greatness of God in His loving kindness to us, weak and sinful mortals.

• With awe, see the greatness of God in His willingness to take on human form, in Jesus, to save us.

• With awe, worship the Lord and live for Him in all our years, wherever we are, and in whatever we do.

Bible Prep

• Silently read the following verses

• Acts 17:15-34

• James 2:19-20

• 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

• You have 10 minutes.

Let us Pray!

Multiple Choice

I am male.

I worked hard as a carpenter.

I waited patiently through the rains.

• Noah

• Adam

• Joseph

• Mark

Multiple Choice

I am female.

I was disobedient and caused others to sin.

I was mother to all.

• Mary

• Helen

• Eve

• Hester

Open Ended

An attribute can describe a person's physical or mental characteristics or actions. review what you remember about Paul. How would you describe him to the Athenians he will meet in today's lesson?

REVEALING THE UNKNOWN

Read the question and the verse and then answer the question.

Open Ended

Whom is Paul waiting for in Athens? (Acts 17:15)

Verse 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Open Ended

How did Paul pass the time while waiting? (vv. 16-20)

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”

Open Ended

How might Paul have described Athens? (vv. 16-21)

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Open Ended

Paul uses what around him to teach them about God. How does Paul address God the Father in Acts v. 23?

23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

Open Ended

Why would the Greeks have included an "unknown god" in their altars and idols?

Open Ended

Read:

20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Why did the Athenians want to hear more about Paul's God?

Verses 24 -31

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Open Ended

Paul boldly proclaimed God to the people of Athens.

Imagine you are an Athenian.

We just read the speech Paul gives in verses 24-31.

List three attributes that would describe the God that Paul is explaining.

Now, you will read and know God