Acts 17:28 · Bible study
Acts 17:28 Commentary: Paul's Use of Greek Poetry
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul quotes Greek poets to teach God's immanence without pantheism. An exegetical study of Acts 17:28 with Greek grammar and history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: All human existence, movement, and life depend on God's continuous sustaining power, not on any inherent self-sufficiency.
- Key words: ζῶμεν (we live, present active), κινούμεθα (we are moved, present passive, showing God as agent), ἐσμέν (we are, present active). All three tense-forms stress ongoing dependence.
- Main debate: Does Paul's use of Greek poets risk endorsing pantheism, or does he redeem their words for theistic truth? Virtually all commentators argue the latter.
- Theological theme: Divine immanence without pantheism, God is present and active in sustaining creation while remaining distinct from it.
- Best use: Foundational for teaching on providence, common grace, and how Christians can engage culture without compromising the gospel.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
for in Him we live, and move, and are; as also certain of your poets have said: For of Him also we are offspring.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
for in him we live and move and exist; as also some of the poets amongst you have said, For we are also his offspring.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For in him we live and move and are: as some also of your own poets said: For we are also his offspring.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque en él vivimos, y nos movemos, y somos; como también algunos de vuestros poetas dijeron: Porque linaje de éste somos también.
Porque nele vivemos, e nos movemos, e somos; assim como também alguns de vossos poetas disseram; porque também nós somos descendência dele.
car en lui nous avons la vie, le mouvement, et l’ être. C’ est ce qu’ ont dit aussi quelques-uns de vos poètes: De lui nous sommes la race…
Denn in ihm leben, weben und sind wir; wie auch etliche Poeten bei euch gesagt haben: “Wir sind seines Geschlechts.”
Want in Hem leven wij, en bewegen ons, en zijn wij; gelijk ook enigen van uw poeten gezegd hebben: Want wij zijn ook Zijn geslacht.
Difatti, in lui viviamo, ci moviamo, e siamo, come anche alcuni de’ vostri poeti han detto: “Poiché siamo anche sua progenie”.
Albowiem w nim żyjemy i ruszamy się, i jesteśmy, jako i niektórzy z waszych poetów powiedzieli: Żeśmy i my rodziną jego.
ибо мы Им живем и движемся и существуем, как и некоторые из ваших стихотворцев говорили: "мы Его и род".
我們生活、 動作、 存留，都在乎 他。就 如 你們 作詩的，有人說：『 我們也 是 他所生的。』
For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 17:28
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Acts 17:28 boldly asserts humanity's total dependence on God for existence, movement, and life itself, while carefully avoiding pantheism. The Greek verbs are present tense, describing continuous, ongoing action: ζῶμεν (we live), κινούμεθα (we are moved, a passive form showing God as the mover), and ἐσμέν (we are). Calvin notes that Paul moves downward through life, motion, and bare being to show that even our lowest existence depends on God. The phrase 'in him' (ἐν αὐτῷ) is understood by Barnes, Gill, and the Cambridge Bible as instrumental, 'through him' or 'by him', denoting God as the sustaining source, not a pantheistic substance. Paul takes the quotation from Aratus (and Cleanthes) at face value: some Greek poets glimpsed the truth that we are God's offspring (γένος). But as Jamieson-Fausset-Brown explain, Paul reorients a sentiment the poets meant pantheistically to teach 'a pure, personal, spiritual Theism.' The verse does not endorse their entire worldview; it baptises their language into service of the true God. This means every breath you take is a gift from a God who is closer than you think, not a force to be absorbed into, but a Person to be sought.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Christian theistic reading: God sustains all creation distinct from himself. Paul uses the poets' language but corrects their pantheistic implications, as shown by the surrounding context (vv. 24-25, 29-31).
- Pantheistic reading (rejected by commentators): Some interpreters have taken Paul's words to imply that everything is part of God, but virtually all supplied commentators explicitly reject this as a misreading, noting that Paul carefully distinguishes Creator from creature.
What is clear: All humans depend on God for their existence, life, and movement — this is the clear, non-negotiable claim of the verse.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'in him' (ἐν αὐτῷ) | All commentators agree that the phrase indicates God as the source and sustainer of life, not that creation is literally inside God as part of his substance. | Some (like Calvin) emphasise a locative sense, we are 'contained' in God by his power. Others (Barnes, Cambridge) read it instrumentally as 'through him' or 'by him.' The difference is subtle and complementary. |
| Use of pagan poetry | All agree Paul quotes Aratus (and Cleanthes) to find common ground with his audience, not to endorse their full worldview. | Some see this as a model for general 'natural theology', pagan thought contains truths that can point to God. Others stress that Paul corrects and redeems the poets' meaning, giving it a thist that they themselves did not have. |
| Theological underpinning: immanence and transcendence | Christians across traditions affirm that God is both near to creation (immanent) and distinct from it (transcendent). Acts 17:28 illustrates the near side. | Traditions differ on how to balance the two. Reformed theology (Calvin) stresses God's absolute sovereignty in sustaining all things. Catholic and Orthodox traditions (as represented in Thomas Aquinas and the fathers) also emphasise participation in God's being. The verse is used by both sides without controversy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul stands on the Areopagus, Athens' ancient council hill, facing Epicureans and Stoics. The Epicureans thought the gods were distant and indifferent, while the Stoics saw the divine as an immanent world-soul. Both would have found Paul's opening claim, that God made the world and does not live in handmade temples, challenging. He builds a bridge from their own culture. Earlier he noticed an altar inscribed 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD' (Acts 17:23). Now he quotes their poets.
The first quotation, 'For in him we live and move and have our being,' echoes a line from the Cilician poet Aratus (Phaenomena, line 5), who was a countryman of Paul. The same thought appears in Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus. These poets wrote within a Stoic framework, where Zeus (or the divine) pervades all things. But Paul pours new wine into old wineskins. He does not cite them as scripture; he points to a truth they stumbled upon, that all existence depends on a supreme Being. By saying 'some of your own poets,' he honours their wisdom while signalling he will correct it.
The second phrase, 'For we are also his offspring' (γένος), appears in the same line of Aratus. In the original, it referred to Zeus as ancestor of humanity. Paul turns this genealogical claim into a theological one: humanity is created by God and bears his image. This sets up his next argument in verse 29: if we are God's offspring, we cannot reduce the Divine Nature to gold or stone. Paul uses the poets’ own words to dismantle their idolatry. His method is not accommodation but strategic reclamation, he takes what is true in their tradition and lets it point toward the God they do not yet know.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Acts 17:28. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts. The two quotations (from Aratus and Cleanthes) have been consistently transmitted in the New Testament tradition.
Reception History
Acts 17:28 has been treasured across church history as a key text for understanding God's providential care. Early church fathers like Augustine used it to argue that God is not far from any of us, countering Gnostic views of a distant creator. In the Reformation, Calvin drew on the verse to emphasise that all creatures depend on God's immediate power, not a general 'first cause' but a present, personal sustainer. Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes, called it 'the truest philosophy as well as divinity.' The verse has also been central in discussions of Christian engagement with non-Christian culture. Missionaries in various eras have followed Paul's example of finding points of contact in local poetry and philosophy, using this passage as a warrant.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- In Him we live. Life itself is not self-generated; it is a continuous gift from God. Every heartbeat is borrowed from his hand.
- In Him we move. Even our smallest actions, walking, speaking, deciding, are sustained by his power. The Greek verb κινούμεθα is passive: we are moved. This includes both physical motion and the inner movements of mind and will.
- In Him we have our being. Our very existence at each moment depends on God's present, sustaining will. Remove his hand, and we cease to be.
Five-Point Outline
- Paul finds common ground. He quotes Greek poets to show that the truth of God's closeness is not foreign to their own best thinkers.
- God is the source of all life. As Psalm 36:9 says, 'For with you is the spring of life.'
- God is distinct from creation. Paul does not say we are part of God, only that we live in him as a fish lives in water, dependent and surrounded, but not identical.
- Human dignity flows from this connection. Being God's offspring (γένος) means we are made for relationship, not for idol worship.
- This truth calls for a response. Paul immediately moves to repentance and judgment (verses 30-31). Knowing God is near makes our choices matter.
Illustration Hooks
- A fish in water does not notice the water, yet could not survive outside it. We live in God's sustaining presence every moment, even when we forget him.
- A lamp plugged into an electrical socket draws power continuously from a source it cannot see. Cut the connection, and the light goes out.
- A child resting in a parent's arms does not earn the embrace; it simply receives it. Our existence is a constant, unearned gift.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Doesn't this verse sound like pantheism, that everything is God?
- How can Paul quote pagan poets? Doesn't that risk endorsing their beliefs?
- If God is so close, why does he often feel far away?
Leading a Discussion
Paul's speech on Mars Hill is a masterclass in communicating the gospel to people who do not share your worldview. In Acts 17:28, he reaches into the Athenians' own poetry to make his point. This passage invites us to think about how God is present in the world and how we can connect the gospel to the culture around us.
Discussion Questions
- What words does Paul use to describe our relationship with God in verse 28? List them. (Observation)
- Why do you think Paul quotes Greek poets instead of only using the Old Testament? What does that tell you about his audience and his method? (Observation/Interpretation)
- The Greek verb for 'move' (κινούμεθα) is passive, 'we are moved.' How does that change the way you understand your daily actions? (Interpretation)
- Paul's source material (Aratus and Cleanthes) originally referred to Zeus. Does it bother you that Paul uses pagan poetry? Why or why not? (Interpretation)
- How can we affirm that 'in God we live and move and have our being' without slipping into pantheism (the idea that everything is God)? (Interpretation)
- What are the 'poets' of our own culture, songs, movies, social media, that express truths we can connect to the gospel? Give an example. (Application)
- If you truly believed that God holds you in existence at every moment, how might your attitude toward tomorrow change? (Application)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 25:29 | Though men may rise up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies as from a sling’s pocket. |
| Job 12:10 | in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? |
| Psalms 36:9 | For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light. |
| Psalms 66:9 | who preserves our life among the living, and doesn’t allow our feet to be moved. |
| Daniel 5:23 | but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways. |
| Luke 3:38 | the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. |
| Luke 20:38 | Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.” |
| John 5:26 | For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke focuses on God as the immediate, ongoing source of all existence — life, movement, and being itself depend entirely on His present, sustaining energy. He also highlights that Paul quotes Greek poets to show even pagan writers recognized humanity as God's offspring, proving the truth is accessible to all.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights Paul's argument that total dependence on God is the common ground he shares with his Greek audience: the same poets they honor already said humanity is God's offspring. Paul uses their own literature to overturn Epicurean denial of divine providence, showing that even pagan poets understood God as the source of every breath and movement.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses the literal force of the word "in," arguing that we are genuinely contained within God because his Spirit sustains all creation. He arranges being, moving, and life in ascending order, giving life the highest rank in humans because they possess reason, which other creatures lack.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Paul used a quotation from Aratus, a poet from his own region of Cilicia, to show the Athenians he shared their literary culture. This strategy illustrated how he became all things to all people, using their own respected sources to gain a hearing and point them toward the true God.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note observes that Paul appeals to heathen poets to confirm the truth that all people live, move, and exist in God. Even pagan writers accidentally testified to the Creator and to humanity as His offspring, making the Athenians without excuse for their ignorance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that even pagan Greek poets like Aratus and Cleanthes spoke of being God's offspring, but Paul redirects that phrase to the true Creator. He also insists that every motion of body or mind comes from God's sustaining power, while the disorder and sinfulness of those motions come from ourselves or the devil.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that Paul’s statement goes beyond saying God sustains life or existence. Rather, God is the living, immanent source of all life and movement in human beings. The apostle takes a Greek poet’s pantheistic line and redirects it to teach a pure, personal, spiritual Theism.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that Paul's phrase "we are also his offspring" is a direct quotation from Aratus, a poet from Paul's own home province of Cilicia. The same idea appears in Cleanthes' hymn to Jove, confirming that Paul deliberately cited familiar local poetry to connect with his audience.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that the phrase captures every creature's constant dependence on God, whose presence is intimate and powerfully active in all existence. He also highlights that the same words appear in the pagan poet Aratus and in Cleanthes’ hymn, calling this a fine example of natural religion from the ancient world.