How does Acts 17:23 connect with the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3? Setting the Scene in Athens Paul walks through a city packed with idols. Everywhere he looks, statues celebrate one deity after another. Then he notices something unique: “ ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23) Paul seizes that moment to reveal the true God who created all things, the God who will judge all people, and the God who has made Himself knowable in Jesus Christ. Reading the Key Passages • Acts 17:23: “For as I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship in ignorance, I proclaim to you.” • Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Why the Unknown God Matters Paul’s discovery of the altar illustrates three spiritual realities: 1. Humanity senses there is more than the gods it invents. 2. Without God’s revelation, that longing remains unfocused—an “unknown” deity. 3. God graciously bridges the gap by making Himself known (John 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-2). Exodus 20:3—The First Commandment in Focus When God spoke from Sinai, He issued the foundational command: • Singular loyalty: “no other gods.” • Personal allegiance: “before Me” (literally “in My presence”). • Zero tolerance for rivals: Every invented god is automatically excluded. Connecting the Dots • The Athenians multiplied deities; God demands exclusivity. • Their “unknown god” shows ignorance; the First Commandment shows certainty. • Paul’s proclamation fulfills the command by revealing the only God worthy of worship. • Where Sinai says, “Do not add gods,” Paul says, “Stop guessing—here is the God you must know.” Timeless Lessons for Us Today • Idolatry wears modern clothes—career, relationships, technology—but the command still stands (1 John 5:21). • Ignorance is not innocence; God “now commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). • True worship shifts from seeking “something out there” to knowing the Father through the risen Son (John 14:6-7). Living Out Singular Allegiance 1. Examine the heart: What unnamed “altars” compete for affection? 2. Replace the unknown with the known: Fill mind and life with Scripture that reveals God’s character. 3. Proclaim what you know: Like Paul, introduce others to the One who says, “I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5). |
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