Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that

in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the

objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN

GOD. (Acts 18:22-23)

To effectively communicate with others, you must somehow connect with them. In this passage,

Paul was speaking with a group of people who probably thought rather highly of themselves and

their impressive knowledge; and rather than pointing out where they were wrongheaded, he

started with what they no doubt considered a compliment: “I perceive that in all things you

are very religious…”

He shared that he came to that conclusion as he strolled through the city and saw objects of

their worship everywhere – even an altar TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Paul’s listeners must have

been feeling pretty good about now – probably nodding and smiling at each other, looking

forward to what brilliant ideas Paul might add to their wealth of knowledge.

Paul could no doubt see that he had the attention of his audience, so he told them: “Therefore,

the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” (Acts 18:23). In other

words, Paul was saying, “Listen up! I’m getting ready to introduce to you the God that Is

knowable, the God who knows you and wants you to know Him.”

Without missing a beat, Paul plowed on, explaining who this knowable God is: “God, who

made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell

in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He

needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25).

Vince Lombardi, former coach of the Green Bay Packers, after a disappointing loss at the end of

the previous season, realized his team needed to get back to the basics. So, at the first team

meeting of training camp, he held up a ball, and looked at his guys and said, “Gentlemen, THIS

is a football!”

Just as Coach Lombardi knew his team needed to master the basics, Paul also knew he

needed to present to his listeners some basic theology:

• God made the world and everything in it
• He is Lord of heaven and earth
• He doesn’t NEED anything
• He gives to all life, breath, and all things
• 

Sometimes, we too need to go back to the basics of our faith and find comfort in the truth of who

our God is. Would you join me today in acknowledging the perfection, the power, and the

provision of our Almighty God?

By Judy Shrout