Paul at Mars Hill: Proclaiming the Unknown God

We gather around the image of Ima, the Hebrew word for mother, and remember that source and origin shape how we live. We trace Paul’s journey from Thessalonica to Athens and see how the living God confronts a culture of many gods and philosophies. We hear that God does not dwell in shrines sculpted by human hands but gives life, breath, and being to every person. We learn that humanity shares a single ancestry and that our kinship to God calls for a different way of thinking and acting than the worship of idols.

We observe Paul speaking on the Aeropagus where curiosity met skepticism. We note the persuasive appeal: the God proclaimed is Lord of heaven and earth, beyond craft and craftiness, the source who sets the times and boundaries of human life. We register the moral demand that follows knowledge of this Creator. Repentance becomes not mere sorrow but a deliberate turn away from fabricated gods toward the righteous reign revealed in the risen Christ. The resurrection functions as God’s assurance that judgment and restoration will come and that faith must bear action.

We name contemporary idols plainly: devotion to pleasure, to inner peace through self-reliance, and to technologies or ideologies that promise meaning apart from God. We refuse shallow substitutes and commit to knowing the triune God more deeply each day, living as creatures who move and have our being in the Maker. We take up the double task of receiving grace and inviting others to the same repentance and faith, trusting that some will scoff, some will listen, and some will join the journey of belief. We resolve to practice daily repentance, to speak with clarity and humility, and to recognize that the God who sought us in Eden still seeks relationship now through the crucified and risen Son.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Ima: mother as life’s source We embrace the Hebrew insight that mother names origin, and we let that image shape our theology of dependence. We remember that relationship and nurture precede doctrine, and that knowing God begins with acknowledging a source beyond ourselves. We practice gratitude for those who embody life’s origin in our communities. [15:12]
• 2. God beyond human shrines We accept that the Creator does not fit inside human art or imagination, and we orient worship toward a living, sustaining God. We refuse to confine divine activity to buildings or rituals alone, seeking instead to recognize God’s presence in creation and conscience. We cultivate habits that point us away from crafted idols and toward holy wonder. [34:24]
• 3. Repent because resurrection guarantees judgment We understand repentance as a decisive re-turn of life, grounded in the historical resurrection that guarantees both judgment and hope. We let the resurrection shape moral urgency without terror, knowing God’s call aims at restoration and righteous living. We live with accountability and humility, inviting others to the same transformation. [40:45]
• 4. Recognize modern idols and respond We name contemporary gods of pleasure, self-sufficiency, and convenience and examine how they shape our choices. We resist idolatries that promise fulfillment apart from God and practice concrete alternatives rooted in obedience and neighbor-love. We speak the truth plainly and extend grace as we call others to repentance. [42:10]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [12:04] - Guests and Announcements
• [13:19] - Be the Kingdom Preparation
• [15:12] - Ima: Hebrew for Mother
• [30:11] - Reading: Acts 17 Overview
• [33:17] - Mars Hill and the Aeropagus
• [40:45] - Call to Repentance and Resurrection
• [58:55] - Prayers and Lord’s Prayer

Bible Reading
Acts 17:22-31 (ESV)
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

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Observation Questions

1. In Acts 17:24-25, Paul emphasizes that God “does not live in temples made by man” and is not “served by human hands.” What specific contrasts does he draw between the living God and the idols of Athens?
2. How did Paul use the Athenians’ altar to the “unknown god” as a bridge to proclaim the true God (Acts 17:23)? [33:17]
3. The sermon highlighted modern idols like devotion to pleasure, self-reliance, and technology. What examples were given to illustrate these? [42:10]
4. According to Acts 17:30-31, why does Paul connect repentance to the resurrection of Jesus?

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Interpretation Questions

1. Paul says God “allotted the times and boundaries” of human life (Acts 17:26). How might this truth shape our understanding of purpose and dependence on God?
2. The Athenians were curious but skeptical (Acts 17:32). Why do you think some responded with belief, others with curiosity, and others with scorn?
3. The sermon described repentance as a “deliberate turn” rather than mere sorrow. How does the resurrection of Jesus make repentance both urgent and hopeful? [40:45]
4. In Acts 17:28, Paul quotes pagan poets to affirm God’s nearness. What does this suggest about finding common ground with secular culture while still calling people to repentance?

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Application Questions

1. Paul named the Athenians’ idols plainly. What “altars” in your life (e.g., comfort, success, control) might compete with wholehearted worship of God? How could you practically “turn” from one this week? [42:10]
2. The sermon urged daily repentance as a response to God’s grace. What habit or practice could help you regularly examine your heart and realign with God’s will?
3. How can you point others to the “unknown God” in your relationships or community—not through arguments, but by highlighting their innate longing for purpose or connection?
4. The resurrection assures us of both judgment and restoration. How might this truth change the way you interact with someone struggling with guilt or shame?
5. The sermon mentioned “cultivating holy wonder” instead of crafted idols. What ordinary part of creation (e.g., nature, relationships, creativity) could you intentionally appreciate this week as a reflection of God’s presence? [34:24]