Acts 17:23 Commentary: From Unknown God to True God

Athens in Paul’s day was the intellectual capital of the Roman world, a city thick with temples, altars, and statues. Paul walked through the city (διερχόμενος, “passing through”) and carefully observed (ἀναθεωρῶν, “fully observe”, Vincent, Cambridge Bible) the objects of worship (σεβάσματα, meaning sacred objects, altars, images, not the act of devotion, Barnes, Vincent). One altar caught his eye: a βωμός (bōmos), a word used in the New Testament only for a heathen altar; the legitimate altar of God is called θυσιαστήριον (Vincent). This distinction reinforces that Paul stood on foreign religious ground.

That the Athenians erected altars “to an unknown god” (or “to unknown gods”) is historically attested. Pausanias mentions “altars to gods styled unknown” at Athens; Philostratus notes “altars for unknown gods” there; Lucian swears “by the unknown God at Athens” (Barnes, Cambridge Bible). The practice likely arose from religious caution: the Athenians wanted to cover any deity they might have overlooked, avoiding divine anger by dedicating altars to any god still unacknowledged. Some interpreters (Gill) suggest this altar may even have been meant for the God of Israel, whose name was not pronounced.

Paul stood before the Areopagus, the council that heard new teachings (v.19). The setting was both scholarly and sceptical. By seizing on the altar, Paul showed deep knowledge of their culture and then used it to announce the God who made the world and everything in it (v.24), contrasting sharply with the human-made temples and altars around them. This historical context reveals Paul’s method: he did not begin by quoting Scripture; he began from something the Athenians themselves had built.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Acts 17:23. The Greek text is stable across the major manuscript traditions. The only discussion concerns the wording of the altar inscription (singular vs. plural), which is a matter of historical background, not manuscript variation.

From the early church onward, Acts 17:23 has been read as a model for evangelism among those outside the biblical tradition. Jerome raised the question of whether Paul adjusted a plural inscription to suit his argument, a claim rejected by Calvin and Clarke as inconsistent with Paul’s integrity. Wesley speculated the altar was set up by Socrates as a covert way to honour the true God. Later commentators like Gill and Matthew Henry saw the altar as evidence of humanity’s innate longing for God, even in paganism. In modern mission studies, this verse is regularly cited as a paradigm for contextualisation: honour the seeker’s culture while correcting their ignorance. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions have all appealed to it when discussing natural theology and the point of contact between general and special revelation.

Three-point outline

1. Observation with respect. Paul walked the city, looked carefully, and saw what the Athenians valued. He did not mock their devotions; he studied them.
2. Connection through common ground. Paul used the “unknown God” inscription as a shared starting point. He affirmed their religious impulse but prepared to correct its direction.
3. Proclamation with clarity. He did not stay on the altar; he moved to the God who made the world, who cannot be contained in temples, and who commands repentance.

Five-point outline

1. Walk: Paul moves through the city, engaged, not isolated.
2. Observe: He notes the objects of worship without prejudice.
3. Find: He spots the altar to an unknown God.
4. Connect: He uses the inscription as a text for his sermon.
5. Announce: He formally declares (καταγγέλλω, a public proclamation) the true identity of that unknown God.

Illustration hooks

• A friend who says “I’m spiritual but not religious” and prays to “the universe”, how do you find the altar in their life?
• Walking through a shopping district filled with “wellness” products, crystals, and self-help books, what equivalent do we see of people trying to cover all spiritual bases?
• The question “If there is a God, why is there suffering?”, people often already acknowledge an unknown higher power; the challenge is to put a face and name on it.

Questions your congregation is asking

• When I talk to someone of a different faith, do I need to start by correcting them, or can I find a starting point we both accept?
• How do I announce the true God without sounding arrogant or dismissive of others’ experiences?
• What do I do when the other person’s “unknown god” is a vague concept, not a personal being?

In this passage Paul shows us what it looks like to meet people where they are. He does not begin by condemning Athenian religion. Instead, he uses their own altar to start a conversation about the living God. This small group discussion will help you think about how to do similar bridge-building in your own context.

Discussion questions

1. What do you notice about Paul’s attitude as he walked through Athens? Look at the words “passing through” and “beholding” (ἀναθεωρῶν). What does this tell you about his posture?
2. Why do you think Paul chose to mention the altar to an unknown God specifically? How did this help his argument?
3. Paul says the Athenians worship “in ignorance” (ἀγνοέω). In what ways do people today worship God without knowing him?
4. How does Paul’s approach in Acts 17:23 differ from his approach in a synagogue, where he would start from the Scriptures? What does this teach about adapting to different audiences?
5. What are the “altars” in our own culture that might point people toward God even if they don’t know it yet? Think of phrases, longings, or questions people use.
6. Paul eventually gets to the cross and resurrection (v.31). How long can you stay on common ground before you need to announce the specific news of Jesus?
7. What is one step you can take this week to better understand the beliefs of someone you know, before you try to share your own faith?