Acts 17:23

For

(γαρ). Paul gives an illustration of their religiousness from his own experiences in their city.The objects of your worship

(τα σεβασματα υμων). Late word from σεβαζομα, to worship. In N T. only here and 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The use of this word for temples, altars, statues, shows the conciliatory tone in the use of δεισιδαιμονεστερους in verse Acts 17:22.An altar

(βωμον). Old word, only here in the N.T. and the only mention of a heathen altar in the N.TWith this inscription

(εν ω επεγεγραπτο). On which had been written (stood written), past perfect passive indicative of επιγραφω, old and common verb for writing on inscriptions (επιγραφη, Luke 23:38).To an Unknown God

(ΑΓΝΟΣΤΟ ΤHΕΟ). Dative case, dedicated to. Pausanias (I. 1, 4) says that in Athens there are "altars to gods unknown" (βωμο θεων αγνωστων). Epimenides in a pestilence advised the sacrifice of a sheep to the befitting god whoever he might be. If an altar was dedicated to the wrong deity, the Athenians feared the anger of the other gods. The only use in the N.T. of αγνωστος, old and common adjective (from α privative and γνωστος verbal of γινωσκω, to know). Our word agnostic comes from it. Here it has an ambiguous meaning, but Paul uses it though to a stern Christian philosopher it may be the "confession at once of a bastard philosophy and of a bastard religion" (Hort, Hulsean Lectures, p. 64). Paul was quick to use this confession on the part of the Athenians of a higher power than yet known to them. So he gets his theme from this evidence of a deeper religious sense in them and makes a most clever use of it with consummate skill.In ignorance

(αγνοουντες). Present active participle of αγνοεω, old verb from same root as αγνωστος to which Paul refers by using it.This set I forth unto you

(τουτο εγο καταγγελλω υμιν). He is a καταγγελευς (verse Acts 17:18) as they suspected of a God, both old and new, old in that they already worship him, new in that Paul knows who he is. By this master stroke he has brushed to one side any notion of violation of Roman law or suspicion of heresy and claims their endorsement of his new gospel, a shrewd and consummate turn. He has their attention now and proceeds to describe this God left out of their list as the one true and Supreme God. The later MSS. here read ον--τουτον (whom--this one) rather than ο--τουτο (what--this), but the late text is plainly an effort to introduce too soon the personal nature of God which comes out clearly in verse Acts 17:24.