Combined Bible Commentary
Acts 17:27
See notes on verse 22
See notes on verse 22
ACTS 17:27 zhtei/n to.n qeo,n {A} The reading ku,rion undoubtedly arose from the careless substitution by a scribe of k=n= for ;=n=, an exchange that occurs frequently. In any case, the argument of K...
Verse Acts 17:27. _THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD_] This is a conclusion drawn from the preceding statement. God, who is infinitely great and self-sufficient, has manifested himself as the maker of t...
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD - Greek: to seek the Lord. The design of thus placing them on the earth - of gang them their habitation among his works - was, that they should contemplate his wisdom in...
CHAPTER 17 _ 1. The Gospel in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1)._ 2. The Gospel in Beroea (Acts 17:10). 3. Paul in Athens (Acts 17:15). Three cities in which the Gospel is next preached are before us in thi...
PAUL'S SPEECH TO THE AREOPAGUS. He opens with a compliment to the religiosity of the Athenians. He has walked up and down the city and marked the many objects of worship; he has also found an altar wi...
IN THESSALONICA (Acts 17:1-9)...
Paul stood up in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that in all things you are as superstitious as possible. As I came through your city and as I saw the objects of your worshi...
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK. To seek. THE LORD. The texts read "God". IF. App-118. HAPLY. at least. FEEL AFTER. grope for. Greek. _pselaphao._ Only here, Luke 24:39; Hebrews 12:18; 1 John 1:1
Speech of St Paul at Athens Taking notice of the extreme religious scrupulousness, which had led the Athenians to raise an altar to an unknown God, the Apostle declares to them the God whom alone the...
_that they should seek the Lord_ The best authorities read "_seek_ GOD." This was the lesson which God meant His creation and providence to teach, that through His works men should see Him. _if haply...
ΘΕΌΝ for κύριον with אABHL. _Vulg_. ‘Deum.’ 27. ΖΗΤΕΙ͂Ν ΤῸΝ ΘΕΌΝ, _that they should seek God_. This was the lesson which God meant His creation and providence to teach. Men were to behold Him through...
SPEECH OF ST PAUL AT ATHENS Taking notice of the extreme religious scrupulousness which had led the Athenians to raiso an altar to an unknown God, the Apostle declares to them the God whom alone they...
_A SERMON ABOUT THE ONE TRUE GOD ACTS 17:24-34:_ In his sermon Paul showed that the true God_ _ made the world and all things therein. This God is Lord of heaven and earth. He gives to all life, and b...
ΖΗΤΕΊΝ _praes. act. inf. от_ ΖΗΤΈΩ (G2212) искать. _Inf._ цели (RWP). ΨΗΛΑΦΉΣΕΙΑΝ _aor._ opt. _act. от_ ΨΗΛΑΦΈΩ (G5584) трогать, ощущать. Гл. передает идею поиск Бога в темноте, когда свет абсолютног...
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD,— Dr. Heylin renders this verse, _That they should seek God so as to feel and find him: who is indeed already not far from any of us._ The word 'Ει, here, says he, is th...
IN ATHENS. Acts 17:14 b - Acts 17:34. a. The brethren from Berea go with Paul as far as Athens and take back a command for the coming of Silas and Timothy. Acts 17:14 b -...
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: THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD - ('seek God' is the much better support...
19 The hill called the Areopagus (Latin, Mars' Hill), just a few steps above the Market Place, was a most fitting forum for the folly of God to defeat the wisdom of the world. At Rome Paul's weakness...
PAUL'S SPEECH. It is discreet and to the point. It deals not with the OT., with which his hearers were unacquainted, but with the truths of natural religion, many of which were understood (though only...
ATHENS. After leaving Berœa, St. Paul entered the Roman province of Achaia, which was at this time a senatorian province, governed by a proconsul, and of which the capital was Corinth. He first visite...
SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (CONTINUED) 1-15. Thessalonica and Berœa. 1. Amphipolis] 32 m. W. of Philippi. APOLLONIA] 30 m. W. of Amphipolis. THESSALONICA] now Salonika, was the capital of the provin...
GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE ACTS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 17 PAUL AND SILAS GO TO THESSALONICA, 17:1-4 V1 Paul and Silas travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia. They came to Thessalonica. There was...
SHOULD SEEK THE LORD, IF HAPLY THEY MIGHT FEEL AFTER HIM, AND FIND HIM. — The word for “feel after” expresses strictly the act of groping in the dark. From the Apostle’s point of view, anticipating in...
CHAPTER 12 ST. PAUL IN MACEDONIA. Acts 16:29; Acts 17:1; Acts 17:10 TROAS was at this time the termination of St. Paul's Asiatic travels. He had passed diagonally right through Asia Minor, followin...
CHAPTER 12 ST. PAUL IN MACEDONIA. Acts 16:29; Acts 17:1; Acts 17:10 TROAS was at this time the termination of St. Paul's Asiatic travels. He had passed diagonally right through Asia Minor, followin...
ζητεῖν = ὅπως ζητῶσι, telic infinitive, Winer-Moulton, xliv. 1. Κύριον, see critical note. Θεόν : the more fitting word before this audience Ramsay renders “the God”. εἰ ἄρα γε : “if haply,” A. and R....
THE ONE LIVING AND TRUE GOD Acts 17:22 The gospel preacher must avail himself of any circumstance in his surroundings that will enable him to arrest the attention of his audience. He must meet them...
At Thessalonica and Berea the apostle visited the synagogues, and again in each case persecution arose from the Jews. A sentence which fell from the lips of the leader of the mob shows with what rapid...
Paul's Sermon on Mars Hill The apostle began his sermon by noting that they were very religious, worshipping idols devoted to all types of gods, even an unknown God. Paul seized upon their recognition...
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might (p) feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: (p) For as blind men we could not seek out God except by groping, befo...
_Feel after him. Si forte attrectent eum, Greek: ei arage pselapheseian. It signifies palpare quasi in tenebris. (Witham)_...
PAUL AT ATHENS 16-33. While Timothy and Silas prosecute the work in the upper country, Paul and Luke spend the time at Athens, the world's grand emporium of science, literature, philosophy, and idolat...
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. (23) For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar wit...
We now enter on the missionary journeys, as they are called, of the apostle Paul. The work, under the Spirit, opens to the glory of the Lord. Not merely are Gentiles met in grace and brought into the...
_THE NEARNESS OF GOD_ ‘He is not far from each one of us.’ Acts 17:27 (R.V.) The words are taken from the great speech of St. Paul to the ‘men of Athens.’ Standing on Mars’ hill, in the metropolis...
− 27._That they might seek God. _This sentence hath two members; to wit, that it is man’s duty to seek God; secondly, that God himself cometh forth to meet us, and doth show himself by such manifest t...
In the last case it was the power exercised by the enemy over the passions of the Gentiles that caused the persecution of the apostles: at Thessalonica we again find the old and universal enmity of th...
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD,.... Or "God", as the Alexandrian copy and others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read; their Creator, and kind Benefactor, and who has appointed t...
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: Ver. 27. _They might feel after him_] Grope after him, as blind men, ψηλαφ...
Acts 17:27, 28. "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: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certa...
Acts 17:26, 27. "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; that they...
_That they should seek_, &c. As if he had said, This most wise and free government of the nations of men, God carries on through all ages for this purpose, _that they_ may be led to _seek the Lord_ Th...
SEEK THE LORD; the object of God in creation and providence is, that men may know, worship, and enjoy him. This they may do, for he is everywhere present, sustaining, upholding, and governing all thin...
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;...
The first part of Paul's speech:...
From Philippi Paul and his company travelled westward in Greece to Thessalonica (also in Macedonia). A Jewish synagogue being there, they attended this for three sabbath days, reasoning with the Jews...
SO THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD, IN THE HOPE THAT THEY MIGHT GROPE FOR HIM AND FIND HIM, THOUGH HE IS NOT FAR FROM EACH ONE OF US; Conclusion: 1. We should seek to know this God. God wants us to...
"that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us"That they should seek God" This is the reason why God created mankind (Ecclesiaste...
22-31 Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to...
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD: the apostle tells these philosophers, to whom he spake, the true use of their philosophy, to improve their knowledge of natural things, to beget in them by it an admira...
Acts 17:27 seek G2212 (G5721) Lord G2962 in G1487 hope G686 grope G5584 (G5659) Him G846 and...
EFFECTIVE MINISTRY IN ATHENS (17:15-34). His Berean guides saw Paul safely to Athens. This had not been where he was originally aiming for. After Thessalonica his intention had probably been to procee...
“And he made out of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek God, if haply th...
Acts 17:27. THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD. The older MSS. here read ‘God' instead of ‘the Lord.' The design of God's overruling providence was that men should seek after a knowledge of the Divine Rul...
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK GOD (Ζητειν τον θεον). Infinitive (present active) of purpose again. Seek him, not turn away from him as the nations had done (Romans 1:18-32).IF HAPLY THEY MIGHT FEEL AFTER H...
Acts 17:26 St. Paul at Athens. I. The Jewish nation had existed to be a witness for this universal fellowship among the nations. It had existed as a witness against that which tended to divide them a...
Acts 17:27 The Voice of History. I. History is the preacher of God. We may learn from it just the refutation of the fool when he hath said in his heart "There is no God." The blind man might as well...
CONTENTS: Founding of church at Thessalonica and the Jewish opposition. Paul and Silas at Berea. Paul at Athens and the sermon from Mars' hill. CHARACTERS: Christ, Paul, Silas, Jason, Caesar, philoso...
Acts 17:1. _When they had passed through Amphipolis._ Boiste adds the Roman name _Emboli._ It was built by Simon, the Athenian commander. It stood on an island formed in the river Strymon, and was cal...
PAUL STOOD UP. Many seem to think Paul made a great mistake in what he said to this group, and see a resolve never to repeat this error in what he says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. But this cannot be! Paul...
_And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athena _ PAUL AT ATHENS I. The place which the apostle visited. Athens. II. The feelings of which he was the subject. Not of admiration at the masterp...
_Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill._ NOVELTY ATTRACTIVE Yes, the people gathered in crowds round the statue, and looked at it again and again. It was not the finest work of art in the city,...
_That they should seek the Lord._ GOD THE CHIEF OBJECT OF SEARCH I. In what sense is it true that God is not far from any one of us? He is nigh-- 1. In the creation around us. 2. In the sense of c...
ACTS—NOTE ON ACTS 17:27 FEEL THEIR WAY TOWARD HIM implies a kind of groping in darkness, without really knowing how to find God. NOT FAR FROM EACH ONE OF US implies that God exists everywhere at the s...
ACTS—NOTE ON ACTS 17:22 Paul’s Areopagus address is the prime example in Acts 1:1 of preaching to Gentiles who have no knowledge of the OT....
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 17:22. TOO SUPERSTITIONS.—Somewhat superstitious (R.V.); better, _more god-fearing_, more religious (_sc._, than others)—_i.e._, unusually religious; though the word has both...
EXPOSITION ACTS 17:1 AMPHIPOLIS. This was the ancient capital of that division of Macedonia (Macedonia Prima); see Acts 16:12, note. It was situated on the Via Egnatia, thirty-four miles southwest f...
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews (Acts 17:1): Now Luke passes that off in one verse. From Philippi to Amph...
1 Kings 8:27; Acts 14:17; Acts 15:17; Jeremiah 23:23; Jeremiah 23:24
Might feel after. See on handle, Luke 14:39. Compare Tennyson : "I stretch lame hands of faith, and grope And gather dust and chaff, and call To what I feel is Lord of all." In Memoriam, 55...
If haply — The way is open; God is ready to be found. But he will lay no force upon man; they might feel after him — This is in the midst between seeking and finding. Feeling being the lowest and gros...