He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, Acts 17:26 WEB
Chapter seventeen of the Book of Acts describes Pauls’s Journey through three Greek cities. In Thessalonica and Berea, Paul visited local synagogues, reasoning with Jews and Greeks alike, demonstrating with scripture that the Jesus he spoke of was in fact the promised Jewish Messiah.
In spite of trouble he encountered in Thessalonica, in both of these cities, Paul preached the word of God, persuading Jews and God-fearing Greeks alike to accept Jesus. Paul moved quickly from Thessalonica to Berea and on to Athens to avoid agitators that pursued his ministry in efforts to disrupt the effective spread of the gospel message of our resurrected Savior.
Upon arrival in Athens, Paul waited for Silas and Timothy to join him. While there, the idol worshiping of the Athenians troubled him. And so, Paul began teaching and preaching the good news of salvation through belief in the resurrected Christ.
We Are His Offspring
Paul’s preaching intrigued the philosophically minded Athenians. His message that all nations come from one blood appealed to them as some of the familiar poetry popular there asserted of the unseen God, “We are his offspring.”
Using this poetic phrase as a starting point of common ground, Paul reasoned that idolatry is foolishness. Although it makes sense that all men descend from a common ancestry of “one blood,” it does not follow that the offspring of the Creator should worship idols of silver and gold crafted by human hands.
Saved by the Blood Christ
From one blood, be it Adam, Noah, or Abraham, men descend, made in the image of God. By the blood of one man, Jesus Christ, men and women receive forgiveness from sin through repentance and belief according to the mercy and grace of God.
Forgiven for our sins, Jesus commands his followers to preach the gospel to all nations. Worldwide, those who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior are the children of God. As we read in John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name. WEB”
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the faithful who spread the good news of the resurrection of Christ. Thank you for saving me from my sin. Help me to share the truth of your love, calling sinners to repentance and salvation according to your word. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Word of God
