Atti 17:29

29 Essendo dunque progenie di Dio, non dobbiam credere che la Divinità sia simile ad oro, ad argento, o a pietra scolpiti dall’arte e dall’immaginazione umana.

Atti 17:29 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 17:29

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God
In the sense before given; for the apostle is not here speaking of himself, and other saints, as being the children of God, by adoption, and by regenerating grace, and faith in Christ Jesus, but as men in common with others, and with these Athenians:

we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver,
or stone, graven by art and man's device;
for men themselves, who are the offspring of God, and made after his image, are not to be compared to graven images of gold, silver, and stone, but are vastly preferable to them, they being formed by their art, and the device of their minds; and much less then should God, the Creator of men, and from whom they spring, be likened to, or represented by, any such thing; for so to think of God, is to think very unworthily of him; for if to think thus of ourselves, who are descended from him, would be a debasing of us, then much more to think so of God, the Father of spirits, must be a depreciating of him; and which by no means ought to be done, and argues great stupidity: if living rational creatures are not to be equalled to, and compared with, senseless statues, much less God, the former of men and angels.

Atti 17:29 In-Context

27 affinché cerchino Dio, se mai giungano a trovarlo, come a tastoni, benché Egli non sia lungi da ciascun di noi.

28 Difatti, in lui viviamo, ci moviamo, e siamo, come anche alcuni de’ vostri poeti han detto: "Poiché siamo anche sua progenie".

29 Essendo dunque progenie di Dio, non dobbiam credere che la Divinità sia simile ad oro, ad argento, o a pietra scolpiti dall’arte e dall’immaginazione umana.

30 Iddio dunque, passando sopra ai tempi dell’ignoranza, fa ora annunziare agli uomini che tutti, per ogni dove, abbiano a ravvedersi,

31 perché ha fissato un giorno, nei quale giudicherà il mondo con giustizia, per mezzo dell’uomo ch’Egli ha stabilito; del che ha fatto fede a tutti, avendolo risuscitato dai morti.