Acts 17:23

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

As I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So, you are worshiping in ignorance the very one I proclaim to you.

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Referenced Verses

  • John 4:22 : 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.
  • Acts 17:30 : 30 In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
  • John 17:3 : 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
  • Gal 4:8-9 : 8 But in the past, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now, having come to know God—or rather, having been known by God—how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, whose slaves you want to be once more?
  • 2 Thess 2:4 : 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
  • 1 John 5:20 : 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
  • 1 Tim 1:17 : 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
  • Eph 2:12 : 12 were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
  • John 17:25 : 25 Righteous Father, though the world has not known You, I have known You, and they have known that You sent Me.
  • Rom 1:20-25 : 20 For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23 And they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is forever praised. Amen.
  • Rom 1:28 : 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
  • 1 Cor 1:21 : 21 For since in God’s wisdom the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
  • 1 Cor 8:5 : 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—just as there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'—
  • 2 Cor 4:4-6 : 4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Jesus Christ.
  • John 8:54 : 54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, whom you claim as your God.
  • Ps 50:21 : 21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought I was like you. But I will rebuke you and lay the case before your eyes.
  • Ps 147:20 : 20 He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!
  • Matt 15:9 : 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Acts 17:15-22
    8 verses
    87%

    15Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible, they departed.

    16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was deeply troubled as he observed the city full of idols.

    17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout people, and every day in the marketplace with those who happened to be there.

    18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, 'What is this babbler trying to say?' Others remarked, 'He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,' because he was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.

    19They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

    20For you bring some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.

    21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

    22Paul then stood up in the middle of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

  • Acts 17:24-25
    2 verses
    78%

    24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands.

    25Nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything else.

  • Acts 14:11-16
    6 verses
    75%

    11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, 'The gods have come down to us in human form!'

    12They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

    13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates, intending to offer sacrifices with the crowds.

    14But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

    15They cried out, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We are also humans with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.'

    16In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

  • Gal 4:8
    72%

    8But in the past, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who by nature are not gods.

  • Acts 19:25-27
    3 verses
    72%

    25He gathered them together, along with others who worked in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that we gain a good income from this business.

    26You see and hear that not only in Ephesus but almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not really gods.

    27Not only is there a danger that our trade might fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis might be discredited, and her magnificence, whom all of Asia and the world worship, might be destroyed.

  • Acts 17:27-30
    4 verses
    72%

    27He did this so that they would seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel their way toward him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

    28For in him we live and move and have our being, as some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'

    29Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone—an image formed by human skill and imagination.

    30In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

  • Acts 24:11
    71%

    11You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

  • Acts 19:37
    71%

    37For you have brought these men here, who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of your goddess.

  • 1 Thess 1:9
    71%

    9For they themselves tell about how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

  • Acts 3:17
    70%

    17And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.

  • Acts 19:35
    70%

    35When the city clerk had calmed the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell from heaven?

  • Acts 21:28-29
    2 verses
    70%

    28Shouting, 'Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. And now he has even brought Greeks into the temple, defiling this holy place.'

    29They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with Paul in the city and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

  • Rom 1:19-21
    3 verses
    69%

    19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

    20For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

    21For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

  • Acts 21:19
    69%

    19After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of everything God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

  • Acts 16:17
    68%

    17She followed Paul and us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!'

  • Acts 18:13
    68%

    13They said, 'This man persuades people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.'

  • 1 Cor 12:2
    68%

    2You know that when you were Gentiles, you were led to speechless idols, however you were led.

  • Rom 1:23
    68%

    23And they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things.

  • Acts 14:18
    68%

    18Even with these words, they barely restrained the crowds from sacrificing to them.

  • Acts 17:1
    67%

    1After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

  • 1 Cor 14:25
    67%

    25The secrets of their heart are revealed, and they will fall facedown and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is truly among you!'

  • 1 Cor 3:16
    67%

    16Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

  • Acts 28:22
    67%

    22But we would like to hear from you what you think, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.

  • Rom 10:2
    67%

    2I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but it is not based on true knowledge.

  • Rom 1:13
    67%

    13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now), in order that I might have some fruit among you, just as I have among the other Gentiles.

  • Gal 1:22
    67%

    22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

  • 1 Cor 1:21
    67%

    21For since in God’s wisdom the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

  • 1 Cor 8:4
    67%

    4So then, concerning eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and there is no God but one.

  • Eph 4:17
    67%

    17Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds.