Unknown

 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
Acts 17:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.17.23.ESV

The Athenians were clearly hedging their best when it came to divinity. They were a very religious people, with lots of gods. But they clearly lacked confidence that they had the right belief system.

I love Paul's evangelistic method here, which could be described as 'beating ploughshares into swords'. Ploughshares are everyday things like an altar to an unknown god. The sword symbolises God's word, that the Holy Spirit uses to make people come alive spiritually.

Paul started with where the Athenians were at: agnosticism. He then took them from there in an attempt to cause them to put faith in the one true God. How could they have believed without Paul preaching to them?

As is often the case, when Paul spoke in Athens, most people were polite but unconvinced. Some were hostile, and a few believed. That's often the way when the gospel is proclaimed.

'Father God,  thank You for revealing Yourself to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please help us to faithfully proclaim Him, in His name, amen'

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