27
to seekζητεῖνGod,τὸν θεὸνifεἰperhapsἄρα γεthey might grope forψηλαφήσειανhimαὐτὸνandκαὶfind him;εὕροιενand yetκαί γεhe isὑπάρχονταnotοὐfarμακρὰνfromἀπὸeach oneἑνὸς ἑκάστουof us.ἡμῶν
Acts 17:27
Study it in the app“to seek God, if perhaps they might grope for him and find him; and yet he is not far from each one of us.”
Paul in Athens: God needs no temples and is not far from anyoneWho God Is
With the Greek beneath
Acts 17:27, word by word
- to seekζητεῖνzētein
seek
To go after something or someone until it is found.
Where else “zētein” appears- Godθεὸνtheon
God
The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.
Where else “theon” appears- perhapsἄραara
then, so
So then, therefore.
Where else “ara” appears- they might grope forψηλαφήσειανpsēlaphēseian
touch, handle
To touch, to handle.
Where else “psēlaphēseian” appears- find himεὕροιενheuroien
find
To come upon something or someone, after searching or by surprise.
Where else “heuroien” appears- he isὑπάρχονταhyparchonta
be
To exist, or to be already in a condition.
Where else “hyparchonta” appears- farμακρὰνmakran
far
Situated a long way off.
Where else “makran” appears- each oneἑνὸςhenos
one
The quantity one, or a single one within a group.
Where else “henos” appears- each oneἑκάστουhekastou
each
Each, each one.
Where else “hekastou” appears
The context
26and he made from one every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling,
27 · This verse (above)
28For in him we live and move and are, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
To study Acts 17 in a group
1. What it says
What did the people of Berea do with what Paul said, and what came of it? (vv. 10-12)
2. What it means
In Athens, Paul starts from the altar "to an unknown god" (vv. 22-23). Why does he begin with something they already knew?
3. How I live it
When talking with someone who thinks differently, how can you start from what you share and listen with respect?