The reference to the “unknown god” in Acts 17:23 refers to an altar the Apostle Paul saw while visiting Athens. The full verse reads: “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23, KJV)
To understand the context, Paul was distressed to see the city full of idols and false gods. The Athenians had altars set up to honor many different deities. One altar simply said “To the Unknown God”, meaning they wanted to make sure they didn’t leave any deity out. This gave Paul an opportunity to introduce them to the one true God.
There are a few key points to understand about this unknown God:
- The Athenians erected the altar out of ignorance and superstition. They feared there was some deity they were unaware of and might offend.
- The unknown God to the Athenians was in fact the God of the Bible that Paul served and proclaimed.
- Paul used their altar and inscription to connect with the Athenians and preach the gospel.
- By saying “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship…” Paul implies God cannot be truly worshipped through idols or fear, but through knowledge and spirit.
In his message to the Athenians, Paul identifies the unknown God as the Lord of heaven and earth who cannot be contained in temples. He is the giver of life who determines the times and places where people will live. Paul proclaims this God now commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:24-30). The full speech shows Paul proclaiming God’s power as Creator and His desire for righteous living.
In summary, the unknown god referred to the God of the Bible that the Athenians did not know or recognize. Paul saw an opportunity to make Him known and call the people to repentance and true worship. The episode on Mars Hill demonstrates Paul’s evangelistic wisdom in contextualizing the message of the gospel for his audience while calling them to turn from idols to serve the one true God.
The Athenian Context of an Unknown God
The city of Athens during the time of Paul was characterized by its devotion to philosophy, art, and a multitude of idols and religious shrines. The historian Petrarch wrote that it was easier to find a god in Athens than a man. The abundance of idols was said to outnumber the people.
The Athenians prided themselves on having altars and monuments to all types of deities. In addition to Greek and Roman gods, they adopted foreign gods into their pantheon. The Jewish historian Josephus recorded, “the Athenians carefully attended to the worship of the gods so as not to overlook any, and erected altars, images, temples, and shrines for all of them.”
Despite the hundreds of altars throughout the city, the Athenians had an altar dedicated to an “Unknown God”. Various theories have been proposed for why they felt the need for such an altar:
- It was an attempt to cover any deity they might have neglected.
- A confession that the full nature of the divine was beyond their comprehension.
- Inscription added later to an altar whose original god was forgotten.
- Inspired by teachings about the hidden nature of the divine.
Regardless of the specific reason, the altar reflects the Athenian desire to avoid excluding any gods from their worship. The abundance of idols and shrines shows the prevalence of pagan polytheism and superstition. It was to this atmosphere that Paul proclaimed the one true God.
Paul’s Use of the Altar to the Unknown God
When Paul observed the altar to the unknown god in Athens, he used it as a bridge to connect with the Athenians and proclaim the gospel. The initial verses of Acts 17 describe Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica and Berea before arriving in Athens:
Acts 17:16-17 – Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
Paul reasoned and debated in the public square trying to persuade people to turn from idols to the true God. He also preached in the synagogues to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles.
When given the opportunity to speak before the Areopagus council on Mars Hill, Paul says:
Acts 17:22-23 – Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Paul masterfully uses the altar to transition to introduce them to the God they do not know. He goes on to describe the Lord of heaven and earth and call them to repentance. Paul took something familiar to them and gave it new meaning by connecting it to the true God.
This passage gives us insight into Paul’s cultural awareness and creativity in presenting the gospel. He contextualized his message but did not compromise the truth. As John Stott wrote, “All Christian communicators need Paul’s sensitivity, versatility, and imagination.” Paul modeled how to communicate the unchanging gospel effectively within diverse cultural contexts.
The Identity of the Unknown God
After mentioning the altar to the unknown god, Paul identifies this God as the one who:
- Made the world and everything in it (v. 24)
- Is Lord of heaven and earth (v. 24)
- Does not live in temples built by human hands (v. 24)
- Determines the appointed times and boundaries of nations (vv. 26-27)
- Made every nation from one man (v. 26)
- Is not served by human hands but gives life, breath, and everything to all (v. 25)
- Commands all people everywhere to repent (v. 30)
This description clearly identifies the unknown God as the God of the Bible. Paul highlights God’s role as Creator and Sustainer of all life and His sovereignty over human history and nations. He defies the man-made idols of Athens by showing that the true God cannot be contained in shrines or served through rituals. The call to repentance sums up the heart of Paul’s gospel message to both Jews and Gentiles.
By connecting the unknown god to the God of Scripture, Paul argues persuasively against Athenian idolatry. He takes their practice of honoring many gods and shows there is only one true God worthy of worship. This bold aproach in the heart of pagan polytheism demonstrates Paul’s courage and conviction in proclaiming the gospel.
Ignorant Worship vs True Worship
An important distinction Paul makes is that the Athenians had been worshipping in ignorance. Though they had an altar to an unknown god, they did not actually know the one true God.
Paul states “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23). Their worship was misguided because they did not know God’s identity or nature. They feared missing an unknown deity, yet the God who created them remained unknown to them.
True worship requires knowing God for who He has revealed Himself to be. We cannot worship properly while ignorant of the Lord’s identity, values, and will. Paul invited them into true worship by making the unknown God known.
In his Mars Hill sermon, Paul says God made humanity to seek and find Him: “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:” (Acts 17:27). Proper worship involves seeking and finding, not ignorant veneration of an unknown deity.
Paul’s ministry demonstrates that those who don’t know God are still responsible to seek, know, and obey Him. God has clearly revealed Himself not only in creation but through His Word, prophets, and ultimately through His Son Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-2). We can worship properly by seeking God as He has made Himself known.
Paul’s Dialogue and Proclamation
When Paul claims to declare the unknown god, he engages in both dialogue and proclamation. By dialoguing with the Athenians about their altar, he finds common ground to discuss the nature of God. But he does not compromise on the exclusivity of the one true God or relax his call to repentance. Paul both listens to his audience and authoritatively proclaims the gospel message.
Effective ministry requires a combination of dialogue and proclamation. We enter into genuine dialogue to understand people’s beliefs and backgrounds, looking for bridges to communicate truth. But we must also retain the confidence to declare the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and call for repentance and discipleship.
In a pluralistic culture, standing for truth while dialoguing graciously is challenging. We can learn from Paul’s boldness and creativity. He listened and understood, but refused to minimize or relativize the gospel. This gives us a model for engaging culture without compromising biblical truth.
Conclusion
The reference to the “unknown god” in Acts 17 provided a gateway for Paul to proclaim the identity of the one true God to the pagan culture of Athens. He used their religious curiosity to expose the folly of idolatry and call people into a relationship with God through repentance and faith.
All people worship, but many remain ignorant of the God they express devotion towards. False ideas about God lead to improper worship. By making the unknown God known, Paul guided the Athenians towards true worship and saving knowledge of the Lord.
This passage represents a powerful example of contextualizing the unchanging message of the gospel within diverse cultural settings. Paul’s ministry in Athens reminds us to combine gracious dialogue, creative communication, and bold proclamation as we share the good news of Jesus Christ with our world.
