Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs

Raphael’s “School of Athens” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In his speech to the philosophers of Athens, the apostle Paul summed up this aspect of the Biblical teaching when he stated that the God who made the world and all things therein, who is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands, and does not let himself be served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He itself is the One who gives all life and breath and everything to everybody.

Act 17:24-25 The Scriptures 1998+  (24)  “יהוה {Jehovah}, who made the world and all that is in it, this One being Master of heaven and earth, does not dwell in dwellings made with hands.1 Footnote: 1See 7:48.  (25)  “Nor is He served with men’s hands – as if needing any – Himself giving to all life, and breath, and all else.

We should know that the Supreme Sovereign Lord of lord of lords, the Adonai Jehovah God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. It was this Elohim Divine Creator, Who decided exactly when and where those people would live.

In the Garden of Eden God made a promise that there would come a solution for the curse of God over man. It took some time before the world got that solution, because God wanted people to look for him Jehovah would sent to the world, and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. Today still there are many who do not want to see or find that sent one from God. But he is not far from any of us.  It is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are.

The solution against death is not made of gold, silver, or stone.  In the past people did not understand God, and He overlooked this. But now He is telling everyone in the world to change and turn to him.  He has decided on a day when he will judge all the people in the world in a way that is fair. Even this sent one would know that day but would know the function given to him and would warn people about this coming Day of God. For that warning Jehovah God would use a man He chose long ago. And He has proved to everyone that this promised one is the man to do it. He proved it by raising him from death!  When the people heard about Jesus being raised from death, some of them laughed. But others did know they would hear more about this from him later.

Act 17:26-33 The Scriptures 1998+  (26)  “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having ordained beforehand the times and the boundaries of their dwelling,  (27)  to seek the Master, if at least they would reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.  (28)  “For in Him we live and move and are, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’  (29)  “Now then, since we are the offspring of Elohim, we should not think that the Elohim is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by the skill and thought of man.  (30)  “Truly, then, having overlooked these times of ignorance, Elohim now commands all men everywhere to repent,  (31)  because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed,1 having given proof of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Footnote: 1See 10:42.  (32)  And hearing of the resurrection of the dead, some indeed mocked, while others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”  (33)  And so Sha’ul went out from among them.

We should be fully aware that with regard to the people God has been patient and that He has determined their allotted times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if they could find Him all groping, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being and by Him we received the grace of salvation by the death of the one sent by Him.

Their are thousands of artworks created in the art world depicting St Paul. This painting was created by the famous artist called Rembrandt. It hangs on the walls of the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The apostle Paul his speech is therefore as interesting as the Greek philosophers, the shortcomings of the prevailing religious and philosophical thought had been identified. They looked for a primary cause and a goal that could not offer their existing beliefs. This led to even more speculative thoughts. They found that if it is a rule that all that exists is created, that it inevitably follows that the creator must have also been made or restored. That led them to see as the primary cause more and more to abstract principles like ‘the good‘. But because perfection can not deal with the imperfect in their views without betraying him or itself, there was no involvement of these primary causes of the world that was caused. The imperfect man could do strive for perfection, but perfection is not interfered with at all there. It was in this world that Paul was talking about a God who created the world with a purpose and Who gave a command to the people, but also deals with that man. A collision was inevitable, and therefore that did not stay out.

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Preceding articles:

Between Alpha and Omega – The plan of creation

Different principle about the origin and beginning of everything

Next: Creation purpose and warranty

A Dutch version about this subject / Een Nederlandse versie over dit onderwerp: Gods vergeten Woord 13 Schepping 5 Een God die het ter harte gaat

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Additional literature:

1. Finding God amid all the religious externals
2. Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
3. People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
4. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
5. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
6. People Seeking for God 4 Biblical terms
7. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
8. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
9. People Seeking for God 7 The Lord and lords
10. A more than Great God to look for
11. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
12. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1
13. Doubting and going astray
14. Are people allowed to have doubts
15. Looking for Answers
16. sinking world….
17. Two new encyclopaedic articles
18. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying

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