He Has Fixed a Day
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He Has Fixed a Day

 (ID: 3483)

When Luke recorded Paul’s speech at the Areopagus in Athens, he only provided a summary of what the apostle said to the gathered philosophers. Alistair Begg unpacks Paul’s short statements and highlights how the Athenians had minimized God and maximized themselves, just as we often do. Our focus can only be corrected by remembering that God created and sustains all things, including us. Through Christ, we can receive all that the Father has for us as His children.


Paul Addresses the Areopagus

22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: p‘To the unknown god.’ pWhat therefore you worship qas unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24rThe God who made the world and everything in it, being sLord of heaven and earth, tdoes not live in temples made by man,3 25nor is he served by human hands, uas though he needed anything, since he himself vgives to all mankind wlife and breath and everything. 26And xhe made from one man every nation of mankind to live yon all the face of the earth, zhaving determined allotted periods and athe boundaries of their dwelling place, 27bthat they should seek God, cand perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. dYet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28for

e“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;4

as even some of fyour own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’5

29gBeing then God's offspring, hwe 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. 30iThe times of ignorance jGod overlooked, but know he lcommands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed ma day on which nhe will judge the world oin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and pof this he has given assurance to all qby raising him from the dead.”

32Now when they heard of rthe resurrection of the dead, ssome mocked. But others said, t“We will hear you again about this.” 33So Paul went out from their midst. 34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius uthe Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Alistair Begg
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world.