The Unknown God- Revealed.

Paul went to Athens and there he found that the Athenians and strangers there spent their time in NOTHING ELSE but to TELL or HEAR some new thing.

Inquiring minds, thirsty for new things and certainly what Paul had to say was a new thing.

Paul had a captive audience as he began to speak among the people and he garnered their attention instantly when he told them about how he passed one of their altars with an inscription stating- TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  All around their city were many altars erected to the various gods people worshipped. Make no mistake these people openly worshipped strange gods and had whole temples erected to their worship. Worshipping gods was something very important to many of them, if not all. To have an altar dedicated to the UNKNOWN GOD was proof that they certainly did not want to leave out any god at all that might need to be worshipped. When Paul read that about the UNKNOWN GOD, he instantly knew who this God was and was going to let the Athenians and others there know.  The Unknown God did NOT desire any offerings such as most gods, because this Unknown God needed NOTHING from men. This Unknown God gives life to ALL, breath to ALL and ALL things. This Unknown God was the maker of heaven and earth and did not dwell in any temple made by man. This Unknown God was the Father of all men,  and as such He was not made of any gold, or silver, or any such thing.  Paul goes on to tell them that this God is available to ALL men, that He is there for them all! Going still further He tells them that they are this God's children, ALL of them! As being God's children and unaware of being such they were ignorant, but now they know of this God, their Father, He will no longer wink at their ignorance, they need to repent. This God will judge them in the righteousness of One sent to them, One who died for them and was raised up from the dead.

Having said this to the men there they were astonished at what they heard  and some didn't believe Paul at all, while others were curious and wanted to hear them speak again. 
 

Having finished speaking for the day, those who believed what Paul had said went with him.

Today in my estimation (which is far from a professional estimation) the majority of people have had the opportunity to know of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. The knowledge of God and Jesus is not a strange, new thing that is unknown to most. There are so many countries that are fighting against Christians, it is hard to believe that they don't at least have the opportunity to know the gospel.  If we do ever find someone who doesn't know of Christ we, like Paul, need to enlighten them to the truth, right?

People are choosing, as they always have, to believe as they desire. We can only hope and pray their desire like that of some of those Athenians listening to Paul is to know Christ.

People need to worship, and they are free to choose who they want to worship- God never forces worship for Himself, never.  May we believe in God who is not unknown to us.  All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!!! Now and forever!!!!

Act 17:21  (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.) 

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

Act 17:22  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. 

Act 17:23  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. 

Act 17:24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 

Act 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 

Act 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 

Act 17:27  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: 

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 

Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 

Act 17:32  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 

Act 17:33  So Paul departed from among them. 

Act 17:34  Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.