Acts 17

Verses 24-27:

^.24the God, the (God) having made the world and all the-things in it, this-(God) being-from-the-beginning Lord of heaven and of earth does not dwell-down in handmade interior-temples, ^.25nor is He attended-to by menly hands (as though He is) supplicating-for something.

 

He (is the God) giving life and blowing and all-things to all-people, ^.26and He made out-from one-(man) every nation of men to dwell-down on all (the) face of the earth – having marked-out-definitely (the) times having been arranged-towards² (them) and the marked-boundaries of their dwelling-down-place – ^.27to seek-after God if consequently indeed they may touch-after Him and they may find (Him), and indeed being-from-the-beginning not distant from each one of us;

Paul continues: “The God, emphatically and specifically the God Who has made the world (the ordered-arrangement of the whole universe) and all the-things within it (not only a certain portion of it like the gods you have who only represent some phase of human life or nature or something else)…

·         this God from the beginning (the start)

o   being Lord (Master; this is the Greek word kurios and it emphasizes and confirms the validity and authenticity of God’s lordship, dominion and authority over and relative-to themselves, plus the respectful submission due to Him; also, this word is used in Greek as a translation for the Hebrew word Jehovah (Yahweh) and refers to God in His covenant-relationship to that-which He created)

o   of heaven (everything above the earth) and of earth (everything on or in the earth),

·         does not dwell down (permanently dwell, settle-down, fixedly house or inhabit)

o   within handmade interior-temples (the holiest temple areas made by the hands of mankind like your idols fit inside your shrines and grottos),

·         nor is He attended-to (treated therapeutically, taken care of as necessary, as to heal Him and make Him better)

o   by the power of menly (human) hands, as though this God is supplicating for something (in need of something and is expressing His lack towards mankind so that they would provide it for Him).

·         Emphatically He (He Himself, this same God) is the One giving (presenting in an unforced manner, yielding)

o   life (referring to physical life, which is the antithesis to death)

o   and blowing (referring to the action of breathing air in and out by mankind; refer to Genesis 2:7 and Acts 2:2)

o   and all-things (everything),

·         to all people (not just a certain nation or race, or something else which may be used by mankind as a criteria of separation),

·         and He made out-from one man (originating from one single man [some Greek texts have the word “blood” here and this would also refer to the first man, Adam])

·         every nation of men (this includes all Judeans / Israelites and all the Gentiles / different ethnic groups) to dwell down on all the face of the earth (to permanently dwell, settle-down, fixedly house or inhabit the whole earth, not only portions of it)

o   having marked out definitely (set or separated the boundary, horizon, limits, the limited-area relative to)

§  the specific times (the seasons, occasions, the opportune times) which He arranged (put/set in order and they have not changed since He marked them out) towards/with all of mankind

§  and the marked boundaries of their dwelling-down-place (the definite limits, horizons, limited areas of their permanent dwelling place, their habitat, habitation – God did not do this arbitrarily or haphazardly!)

·         to seek after God (for the purpose that they would look for Him) if in correspondence to seeking after Him, they would touch after Him (feel after Him as though with their hands stretched-out searching for God)

o   and they would then find (locate) Him,

·         and indeed being-from-the-beginning not distant from each one of us (emphatically from the start God is not far away from any one of us; in other words, people would not have to spend their whole lifetime looking for God because they would find Him quickly since God makes Himself known).”

God has given mankind freedom of will – it is each individual’s decision to seek after God.

[Reference: Genesis chapters 1 – 4, 11:8; Exodus 20:11; Deuteronomy 4:29, 32:8; Psalm 74:16 and 17, 145:17-20; Isaiah 42:5, 55:6; Matthew 11:25; Acts 1:7, 7:48, 14:17, 19:24; Romans 1:19 and 20, 5:6, 10:18; I Corinthians 3:16 and 17, 4:5; II Corinthians 6:2 and 16; Ephesians 1:10, 2:19-22; I Thessalonians 5:1; I Timothy 2:5 and 6; Titus 1:3; Hebrews 9:9 and 10; I Peter 1:5 and 10-12.]