The Unknown God of Mars Hill
The Original, Supreme Creator, God of ALL
“The One whom you worship without knowing Him, I proclaim to you”
Who was: The Unknown God of Mars Hill?
In Acts 17:22-34, the Apostle Paul encounters an altar dedicated to “the unknown god” (Greek: ἄγνωστος θεός, agnostos theos) on Mars Hill in Athens, Greece. Here’s what is known about this unknown god:
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Altar inscription: The altar had an inscription that read: “To the unknown god” (Greek: Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ).
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Pagan practice: In ancient Greek and Roman religions, it was common to erect altars to unknown or unidentified gods, in case they had unintentionally neglected to worship a deity.
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Fear of omission: The Athenians likely built this altar to avoid offending any god they might have overlooked, demonstrating their polytheistic beliefs.
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Paul’s sermon: Paul uses this altar as a starting point to preach about the God of the Bible, declaring that this “unknown god” is actually the one true God, creator of the universe, who can be known through Jesus Christ.
The above quick synopsis provided by Meta.AI
The Message of God brought to the Aeropogas, on Mar’s Hill:
Acts 17:22-34 (KJV) 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious [aka, very religious]. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 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. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
While we don’t know the specific identity or characteristics of this unknown god, Paul’s encounter highlights the Athenians’ recognition of a higher power beyond their known pantheon, leaving room for Paul to introduce them to the God of Christianity. This is also a case similar to the original, creator, God, Shang Di in China. Who was worshiped by the Chinese as the first recorded God in there, history, and wasn’t in competition with any other gods or idols originally. It wasn’t until later other gods and other idols were introduced into the pantheon of Chinese religion. This unknown God on Mars Hill also has no image, no idol statue. No man made figure. This is also the character in nature of Shang Di, the original God of China. He was: 1) without form, and 2) was the moral law giver, 3) the creator, and 4) the eternal judge of the people of China:
That raises a good question: could Shang Di, the imageless God of China; and THE UNKNOWN GOD ON MARS HILL, also, an image less God, in the city of Athens, Greece– COULD THEY BE ONE IN THE SAME God?
Is it possible that they could be the same God? just being worshiped in different cultures with different languages? Could these two god be actually the same as Jehovah God, and the Hebrew scriptures? Who is also the creator, God, the law, the moral law giver, and without an image, and also judge of all the Earth? It seems to me that there can only be one ultimate moral law, giver, and one ultimate creator of all, and one judge of all the earth. So if any of these claims are true, and they need to be the same person, as I see it logically.
These are just some interesting thoughts to ponder. Don’t think that I’m starting to teach heresy on approvable doctrines. But God has given us the ability to see and interpret things that he has placed into the hearts of men, and the history of the world, that we might see the eternity in his heart.
What is exceptionally interesting for me to note, is that the following passage reveals so much about the nature, attitude, and daily interactions that Paul the apostle would have on a daily basis, as he would enter into a new town and begin the ministry of Reconciliation of God to Men, and men to God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (KJV) 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
I find it noteworthy that many today do not take serious this work of the reconciliation and their personal involvement, devotion, and Direct duty to walk it out in their own personal relationships, both public and private.
As I understand it, a great portion of growth in the Christian faith is directly connected to an individual’s personal engagement with others, leading them to Christ.
Both the depth of faith, and breath of faith, comes through the experience of leading others to the savior. It is in and through this experience that a man begins to see the depth and difficulty, as well as the infinite power, beauty, and majesty in the work of Christ, and typically will put his shoulder to the plow, or run the other way. These are the only true real directions a man can take, or rather positions a man can hold to administering the ministry of a reconciliation of men to God.
In other words, there is a depth and understanding of the gospel that Paul had simply because he put it into action, that others will not have because they have chosen not to put their knowledge of the gospel into action.
This draws into question the whole idea:
How can a person be saved from hell,
and not want others to be saved from hell as well?
There seems to be a great chasm of disconnection: As I see it, between what a faithful and normal, skilled worker in the Kingdom of God looked like, that was trained in the Ministry of Reconciliation underneath the ministry of Jesus’ Apostles, and those that are trained in the modern Church, under the ministries of men who are seeking the adulation of their congregations, and not the exultation that comes down from heaven above. The two seem to be far far away from each other, and the deeper you go into the subject, it seems the deeper the chasm becomes.
There seems to be a popular idea amongst modern day Christians, that since they have received their own fire insurance policy, there is nothing else to be done. Once they get the policy, they have assurance of heaven, and nothing else is expected of them. But is this the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the gospel of the apostles, the gospel of Paul, the training of Timothy and Titus and Philemon? I don’t think so. Not even close.
They have said the sinners prayer. And that’s enough to get them into heaven. Therefore, there is no reason for them to study themselves to become approved, to become workmen approved by God, rightly dividing the word of truth. There is no reason to become a living sacrifice to God. There is no reason to run the race with perseverance. To enter the fight like a soldier. To plan the harvest like a farmer. And to do discipline on life like a marathon runner. North to pick up their cross and follow Christ. All these take phenomenal effort and grace and vision and passion and work.
But the fire insurance policy believers don’t really have any of the same goods functioning inside of their souls. They just feel they are, as good as they are. And that’s good enough for the church they go to, so it must be good enough for God. Right? One problem with these nonchalant, casual believers in Christ, that rely on the sinners prayer sitting in the pew for the salvation. Miss the message of Revelation and chapters two and three: where Jesus himself rebukes, five of the seven churches, and calls them out into the place of repentance, and faith that was once handed down to the Saints that needs to be contended for in every generation. But, if nonchalant believers don’t read their Bible they won’t know what God has said in it regarding them. As such, they put themselves in the danger of being the foolish virgins who get blocked out of the kingdom of God, and the foolish goats that get separated from the sheep, and cast into the lake of fire, along with the devil and his angels, and these cases such nonchalant faith, didn’t cut the mustard. It didn’t cut it back then, and it won’t cut it today, that is: If the word of God is unchanging.
so it must be good enough. they have no real desire to share the gospel with others, so that others can go to heaven. This is very far away from the mindset of Paul the apostle, and ALL the early church leadership. This ungodly worldly mindset Walks in direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus and the ministry of the gospel. Jesus said:
John 7:16-18 (KJV) My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
In other words, I see Jesus saying here that those who put his words into action, will become knowledgeable of the doctrines that Jesus teaches.
But those who neglect to put his words into actions not only will not gain the wisdom of applying God’s word to their own lives, and the lives to those who live around them, but they will also lose what understanding they may have had at one point, because they have not done the will of God, in their own lives. “to him who has more shabby given, but to him was not, even what he had shall be taken away from him.”
In a farming context, those who sow very few seeds, will predictably generate a minimal harvest, or no harvest at all. This also applies to the care of the plants being prepared for harvest. The greater the caregiving to the plants, specially at the initial stages of life, the greater chance for the survival of the plants.
In Other words, our harvest will be in direct proportion to the amount of seeds that we sow: and the quality of the seeds that we sow, and the preparation of the soil, and the care of the seeds: Once they come forth into life.
No truly good, wise, practical, common sense, farmer would ever expect the seed to sow itself. Nor would he ever expect the seed that was has been sown to water itself. Nor would he expect the plants to weed themselves. Any farmer that took on such a mindset, would predictably have no harvest, or a very dismal and miserable harvest not so much that could sustain life. Refer to the mindset shared in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4)
And isn’t it the same with the gospel? Isn’t there a great need to sow a goodly amount of seeds? And a great need to water, those seeds? And to care for those tender plants? And to watch over the harvest? And nurture the young plants as they grow?
And the truth is yes and Paul saw this need. He didn’t take it for granted the God would save people apart from them hearing the gospel.
Paul didn’t take it for granted that anyone would enter the kingdom of heaven, without being exposed to the word of God. He didn’t expect a seed to sew itself. He didn’t expect the world to water the seed for him. He didn’t expect, the people in the world to weed out the weeds among the seeds. No. No. No. No.
Paul took Direct responsibility in his own heart. In his own mind. In his own soul. In his own spirit. He saw the need. And he applied the means necessary to bring forth the harvest.
Like a good soldier going into battle he prepared himself with weapons of warfare. Like a runner aiming to win a race, he disciplined his body, mind, soul, in every waking hour, and to run a good race, to bring home, a good harvest, to win a great battle, against the evil one, and enter into heaven on the final day, rejoicing in the great and glorious God, who gave him the strength, the favor, the encouragement, the wisdom, to run his race all the way to the end.
Paul was very grateful. And yet Paul was only doing his duty. Paul did not consider himself anything special. Paul did not ask to receive any better treatment than any other believer throughout the entire Roman Empire. No. Paul knew who he was. He knew the evil in his own heart, before Jesus came to him. Paul knew the power of self deception. Paul had inner chains and prison in his soul when not doing the will of God in his life. Therefore, Paul chose to face the threat of man-made prisons, rather than to return to the demonic prison he lived in before, receiving the gospel and being transformed into a new creature in Christ.
That brings up a very important question, if a man is a new creature in Christ, and the old life has passed away, and the old man has been crucified, died, and buried, why is so much of the old man’s life leaking into the present?
I would just make this comment here: that we are responsible to die daily, offering up the old man, and the old way of doing things, as a living sacrifice on a daily basis. The new man in Christ Jesus operates from a completely different mindset and gospel understanding. May we be able to adopt and engage in the entire work of the kingdom, that we may be just as fruitful as Paul in our own calling, in our own obedience, in our own working out of the salvation of God into our own families, community, and nation, where we have been chosen by God to bear witness to his word and his ways.
As a result of Paul’s transformed mind, Paul was excited on a daily basis, to be able to be used as an effective vessel, to pour out the word of God, even on hard hearts that cared not for him, nor for his gospel. Paul had seemingly had infinite patience, and infinite kindness, so it would seem, for many who rejected him, rejected his gospel, rejected his Jesus, and rejected the will of God for their own lives. This is also a quality of nature, given to the gospel witness person walking in the footsteps of the savior. He is wise as a serpent, but gentle as a dove. A very difficult thing to do in the flesh. In fact, quite an impossible task. But, with truth, and with living experience, even a violent man can be tempered into a loving, caring, soul-searching, new man, even as Paul was transformed.
Paul knew that it was his own choice to go out daily, and to sow good seed, and that if he would sew the seed, and water, the plants, and do the will of God, even as the word of God had taught him, and the fellowship of the Saints had supported him, that he would, indeed create a harvest of souls for the glory of God.
And that is an experience that is like no other. People who like to seek out new adventures and new experiences, could never duplicate the joy, the peace, the exhilaration, the internal eternal connection between God and man, that comes from bringing people out of darkness into light. Out of the kingdom of the devil, into the kingdom of God. Out of the mindset of selfishness and pride, into the glory and Majesty and love of God. There is no comparison of this experience with anything in this world. Once a man gets a dosage of this in the veins of his soul, there is an addictive nature that he wants to see this work happening over and over again. This is the joy Paul speaks to the Philippians about over and over. Sharing with him the call to rejoice.
Paul also had the choice to not go into the garden, to not go into the Vineyard of the father, to not spend a day working for the benefit of the father.
There has been a teaching going around for quite some time that is full of heretical thinking that if God wants to save people, he will save them on his own. I don’t have to do anything. I’m not supposed to take the place of God. How dare I think that God would use me to save other men. This is nothing short of demonic. This is nothing short of audacity and devil headed wrong thinking.
I have come up against the Spirit too many times to tell even from men and women, who have an apparently great love for God, but don’t feel called to share the gospel with the lost. Or only have a spiritual relationship with God so that they don’t share until God specifically tells them to. Again I say, where does this teaching come from.? Who is the orchestrator, and the designer of such a teaching?
and harvest very few plants and comparison to our role models in the faith given to us through Christ to be examples for the entire body of Christ for all believers at all times. If we only understood the rudimental principles of the gospel, how dramatically transformed with our own lives be, and the lies of those around us actually becoming living witnesses and walking testimonies of the kingdom of God.
In my mind it seems that the value of the kingdom of God and the hope of the gospel: are deeply intertwined with this ministry of reconciliation that has been committed to us. If we don’t recognize it, honor it, give heed to it, and live it out in a way that is full of faith, full of hope, full of trust, full of humility, full of conviction, and full of God’s love, enabling to freely express God’s wrath in the midst of the message that brings the heart down to the serious place–then is it possible, we have never understand, and never grasped the reason, Jesus came to us in the first place?.
In my mind: We need to embrace the word of God for what it truly is: Not just another story, but “the story.” Not just another religion, but “the religion.” Not just another good idea, but the one good idea ever given from heaven to earth.
The bread that came down from heaven was called “Manna” and it’s sustained the people of Israel for 40 years, day and night, throughout their desert wanderings. No one died from hunger, or normal sickness (apart from the plagues God sent for rebellion and disobedience). Their sandals did not wear out, and their clothes did not wear out. How is that possible?
There is a supernatural element provided for in the covenant of God, watching over his people, and those who embrace that covenant enter into those supernatural elements and walk them out in a natural daily intercourse with those around them. This is the heavenly gospel that came down from heaven to earth. It is not a man centered gospel. It is not a feeling centered gospel. It is not a socially acceptable centered gospel. It is not a hypothetical or theoretical or philosophical centered religion.
In other words, we have been given a gospel that is: for all people, at all times, among all nations, tribes, tongues, and families. No one is excluded from this gospel, except those who disregard, disrespect, and disown it for themselves.
The message is clear that to him who has ears to hear, let him hear. To him who has eyes to see, let him see.
But let not the man of God, neglect his duty to sow his seed, prepare his soil, and bring in the harvest, even as Paul did, and as Peter did, and James and John and Matthew and Luke, and all who took part and the original gospel being shared and their day. Let them be our examples, and let us be as strict with our own disciplines, for they also will be our judges.
Paul brought the Gospel to the Athenians, even to those on Mars Hill, even to the top philosophers in their day: to the Aeropagus.
Paul had this revelation that the believers would judge the nations. Therefore, we should never take one another to court before the ungodly. This is a big deal. Not only to Paul, but to the one who sent Paul. And had him teach us his ways, his word, his life, his wisdom, and his will–to his people. And we are those he came to teach, if only we would have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a hard to believe, and a life that could be radically transformto his people. And we are those he came to teach, if only we would have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a hard to believe, and a life that could be radically transform the word of God by the word of God. Even as Paul’s life was, even as James life was, even as Peter’s life was didn’t start out as any magnificent preacher, yet because of their faithfulness to follow in Jesus footsteps, God raised them up to be mighty through God, and blessed workers and God’s vineyard. Just like the first son in the parable of the two sons. Not like the second son, that said, “yes,” but then didn’t go: sort of like Judas, the apostle that denied Jesus and betrayed him. Judas just had a good start, but a terrible follow-through.
Compared to Paul, who had a terrible first start, known for imprisoning, and possibly torturing and the executing many faithful Christian followers of Christ. Paul did have a terrible beginning. But Paul had a blessed ending. May you and all those of your household be like Paul at the end. Amen.