Acts 17:21-31 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)… He "declares" to them God — I. IN RELATION TO THE UNIVERSE IN GENERAL. As — 1. The Creator of the universe: "God that made the world," etc. This would strike at once against the Epicureanism which regarded the universe as springing from a fortuitous concourse of atoms — the work of chance: and against the Stoicism, which regarded the universe as existing from eternity. 2. The Ruler of the universe: "He is Lord of heaven and earth." The universe is not like a great machine built to manage itself, it is an order of things kept in being and harmony by the unremitting agency of the Creator. 3. The Life of the universe: "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (cf. ver. 28). The deductions which the apostle draws from this are irresistible. (1) That God is unlocalised. "He dwelleth not in temples made with hands."(2) That God is independent. "Neither is worshipped with men's hands as though He needed anything." The heathens thought their gods needed their services. II. IN RELATION TO MANKIND IN PARTICULAR. 1. He gave to all mankind a unity of nature. "Made of one blood all nations of men." There are immense diversities subsisting between the European, the Mongolian, the Hottentot races that have led many scientists to conclude that they have descended from various stocks. Without touching on arguments of a scientific kind, we ground our belief chiefly — (1) On mental resemblances. The faculties of thinking, loving, hating, fearing, hoping, worshipping, self-commending, self-condemning, are common to the race. (2) On Scriptural statements. There is not a single passage in the Bible to suggest a doubt as to the homogeneity of the race, and the descent from one pair. The most brilliant names in science have maintained the unity of the race: Buffon, Linnaeus, Soemmering, and Cuvier, in natural history; Blumenbach, Muller, and Wagner, in anatomy; Pritchard, Latham, Pickering, among ethnologists; Adeling, W. von Humboldt, and Bunsen, among philologists; and Alexander yon Humboldt, "at whose feet all science had laid down its treasures," 2. He appointed to all mankind their boundary in life. "And hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." There is a boundary for every man in relation to — (1) The place of his existence. The sphere which individuals occupy is a sphere which God has appointed. Every man has an orbit of his own, and that orbit is appointed by Him. The same with nations. Nations have their geographic boundary, and these have been drawn by heaven. Though they may proximately grow out of the diversity of men's organisations, customs, laws, habits, still God hath made them. (2) Time. Men and nations have their day, and the length of that day even to the minute is determined. There is no room for chance in human history. 3. He requires from all mankind the recognition of His existence. "That they should seek the Lord," etc. (1) Man's distance from God. This distance is moral, and is to be overcome by effort on man's part. That they should seek the Lord. (2) God's nearness to man. This utterance is so pregnant as to require a separate discourse. 4. He is the Father of all mankind. "We are all His offspring." 5. He demands repentance from all (ver. 30). (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) |
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