Paul’s Use of the OT in His Sermon on Mars Hill
Paul's sermon on Mars Hill reflects several broad Old Testament themes, each expressed in multiple passages. Here they are, with key Old Testament references for each theme:
• God as Creator of all things:
The theme that God is the creator of everything in heaven and on earth, sustaining all life, is foundational and appears in:
- Genesis 1:1-2:3 — God’s creative act bringing all things into existence by His word[1]
- Psalm 24:1 — "The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof"
- Isaiah 45:18 — God as the one who created the earth to be inhabited
- Nehemiah 9:6 — God made the heavens, earth, sea, and everything in them
• God’s sovereignty over time and nations:
God controls history, appointing when and where nations rise and fall, which affirms His lordship over all peoples:
- Daniel 2:21 — God changes times and seasons and sets up kings
- Psalm 22:28 — The Lord rules the nations
- Deuteronomy 32:8 — God determined the boundaries of peoples
- Jeremiah 10:23 — "It is not in man who walks to direct his steps" (implying divine sovereignty)[2][3]
• God's immanence and ongoing involvement with creation:
God is not a distant creator but actively involved in His creation:
- Genesis 3 — God engages with Adam and Eve after the Fall
- Psalm 139 — God’s intimate knowledge and presence
- Isaiah 40:28-31 — God’s power and unceasing care for His creation[1][3]
• God’s requirement of repentance and judgment:
The call to repentance in light of God’s sovereign rule and coming judgment is a recurrent Old Testament theme:
- Joel 2:12-13 — Call to return to God with all your heart
- Ezekiel 18:30-32 — Repent and turn from iniquity, lest you die
- Isaiah 55:6-7 — Seek the Lord and turn from wicked ways
• The universality and uniqueness of the one true God:
The declaration that God alone is the living God, unlike idols or other gods, is prominent:
- Exodus 20:2-3 — "I am the Lord your God... you shall have no other gods before me."
- Isaiah 45:5-7 — No god besides the Lord
- Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Shema, the oneness of God
• God as the God of all humanity, not just Israel:
This theme emphasizes God's concern for all people, which aligns with Paul's address to Gentiles:
- Psalm 67 — God’s salvation is for all nations
- Isaiah 49:6 — God’s servant will be a light to the nations
- Jonah 4:11 — God’s concern for Nineveh, a Gentile city[2][3]
These themes correspond closely to the ideas Paul presented on Mars Hill: God who made the world and everything in it, who does not dwell in man-made temples, who commands all people to repent because He has appointed the times and boundaries for all nations[Acts 17:24-31].
In summary, while Paul did not directly quote Old Testament texts, his sermon echoes these Old Testament motifs conveyed in the passages above.(Perplexity)
Here is a two-column reference matching the themes Paul presents in Acts 17 on the left with the corresponding Old Testament themes and representative passages on the right:
| Theme in Acts 17 | Corresponding Old Testament Themes & Passages |
|---|---|
| God is Creator of the world and all things | God as Creator who made heaven, earth, and all living things: |
| - Genesis 1:1–2:3 (Creation account) | |
| - Psalm 24:1 ("The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof") | |
| - Isaiah 45:18 (God created earth to be inhabited) | |
| - Nehemiah 9:6 (God made the heavens, earth, sea) | |
| God does not dwell in man-made temples | God transcends idols and temples made by human hands: |
| - 1 Kings 8:27 (God cannot be contained by temples) | |
| - Isaiah 66:1 ("Heaven is my throne...") | |
| - Psalm 115:4-8 (idols as powerless man-made objects) | |
| God sovereignly appoints times and places | God controls history, nations, times, and boundaries: |
| - Daniel 2:21 ("He changes times and seasons") | |
| - Psalm 22:28 ("The Lord rules the nations") | |
| - Deuteronomy 32:8 (God sets boundaries for peoples) | |
| - Jeremiah 10:23 (man cannot direct his steps apart from God) | |
| God commands all people everywhere to repent | Call for universal repentance and turning to God: |
| - Joel 2:12-13 ("Return to me with all your heart") | |
| - Ezekiel 18:30-32 (repent & turn from evil) | |
| - Isaiah 55:6-7 ("Seek the Lord while he may be found") | |
| God made all nations from one man | Emphasis on humanity’s unity and God as their Maker: |
| - Genesis 1:27 (God created all mankind in His image) | |
| - Acts 17:26 echoes Genesis and Deuteronomy ideas, emphasizing one origin | |
| God is not far from any one of us | God’s immanence and nearness to humanity: |
| - Psalm 139 (God’s intimate knowledge and presence) | |
| - Jeremiah 23:23-24 (God is both near and far) | |
| - Isaiah 57:15 (God dwells with the contrite and lowly) |
This table connects each main theme Paul used in his Mars Hill sermon to its Old Testament biblical foundation, showing continuity between his message and Jewish Scripture traditions. Paul’s argument revolves around God’s universal sovereignty, creative power, and call to repentance, deeply rooted in Old Testament revelation. GROK
The Apostle Paul's sermon at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Acts 17:16-34 contains no direct quotations from the Old Testament, as he tailored his message to a Gentile audience unfamiliar with Jewish scriptures. However, scholars identify numerous allusions and conceptual dependencies on Old Testament passages throughout the speech. Based on biblical commentaries and analyses, the following is a comprehensive list of these Old Testament passages, organized by the relevant verses in Acts 17, with the associated ideas or statements from Paul's sermon.
| Acts Verse | Statement/Allusion in Paul's Sermon | Old Testament Passages |
|---|---|---|
| 17:24 | God made the world and everything in it; Lord of heaven and earth; does not live in temples built by human hands | Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; 1 Kings 8:27; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 66:1-2; Jeremiah 10:12, 16 |
| 17:25 | God gives life and breath to all; does not need anything from people | Genesis 2:7; 1 Chronicles 29:14; Psalm 50:7-15; Isaiah 42:5 |
| 17:26 | From one man/blood, God made all nations; appointed their times/eras and boundaries of habitation | Genesis 1-3; Genesis 3:20; Deuteronomy 32:8; Psalm 74:17; Daniel 2:36-45 |
| 17:27 | People should seek God; he is not far from any of us | Psalm 14:2; Psalm 145:18; Proverbs 8:17; Isaiah 55:6; Isaiah 65:1; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Jeremiah 29:13 |
| 17:28 | In him we live and move and have our being (resonates with God's sustaining presence) | Psalm 139:7-10 |
| 17:29 | The divine being is not like gold, silver, or stone images shaped by human design | Deuteronomy 5:8; Psalm 115:2-8; Isaiah 37:19; Isaiah 44:9-20 |
| 17:30 | God overlooked ignorance in the past but now commands repentance | Isaiah 59:20; Jeremiah 15:19; Ezekiel 14:6; Ezekiel 18:30, 32 |
| 17:31 | God will judge the world in righteousness | Psalm 9:8; Psalm 96:13; Psalm 98:9; Isaiah 66:16; Jeremiah 25:31 |
A key point of discussion among New Testament scholars because Paul's sermon on the Areopagus (Mars Hill) is a masterclass in contextual theology. He is speaking to a pagan, philosophical audience (Stoics and Epicureans), so he doesn't use direct "Thus says the Lord" quotations from the Old Testament as he does when speaking in synagogues.
Instead, Paul relies on themes, concepts, and allusions that are deeply rooted in the Old Testament, but which he presents in a way his audience could grasp. He builds a bridge from their unknown god to the God of the Bible.
Here is a breakdown of Paul's arguments and the Old Testament foundations he draws upon.
Old Testament Allusions in Paul's Mars Hill Sermon (Acts 17:22-31)
While there are no direct quotations, the entire theological framework of the sermon is built on Old Testament truths.
| Paul's Statement (Acts 17) | Core Old Testament Concept | Potential OT Passages |
|---|---|---|
| v. 24: "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth..." | God as Creator of All | - Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." - Isaiah 42:5: "...God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it..." - Psalm 146:6: "...who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them..." |
| v. 24: "...does not live in temples made by man," | God's Transcendence | - 1 Kings 8:27: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!" - Isaiah 66:1: "Thus says the LORD: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me...?'" |
| v. 25: "...nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything..." | God's Self-Sufficiency | - Psalm 50:12: "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine." |
| v. 25: "...since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." | God as Sustainer of Life | - Genesis 2:7: "...the LORD God...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." - Isaiah 42:5: "...who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it." |
| v. 26: "And he made from one man every nation of mankind..." | The Unity of Humanity | - Genesis 3:20: Adam and Eve as the original parents. - Genesis 10: The Table of Nations, showing all peoples descending from Noah's family. |
| v. 26: "...having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place," | God's Sovereignty over Nations | - Deuteronomy 32:8: "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples..." |
| v. 27: "...that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him." | The Human Mandate to Seek God | - Deuteronomy 4:29: "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart..." - Jeremiah 29:13: "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." |
| v. 29: "...we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man." | The Folly of Idolatry | - Exodus 20:4: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image..." - Isaiah 40:18-20: "To whom then will you liken God...? An idol! A craftsman casts it..." - Psalm 115:4-8: A detailed mockery of idols made by human hands. |
| v. 31: "...he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness..." | A Future Day of Judgment | - Psalm 96:13: "...for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness." - Psalm 98:9: "...for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity." |
| v. 31: "...by a man whom he has appointed..." | The Appointed Messiah/Judge | - Daniel 7:13-14: The vision of the "one like a son of man" who is given dominion and authority. |
Why Allusions Instead of Direct Quotes?
Paul's method here is strategic and brilliant.
💡 Building a Bridge, Not a Wall Paul knew that quoting Hebrew scripture to a non-Jewish audience would be ineffective. It would have no authority for them and might alienate them immediately. Instead, he starts with what they do know:
- Their own altar "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" (v. 23).
- Their own poets, like Aratus and Epimenides (v. 28).
By grounding his message in their own culture, he captures their attention. He then fills their concept of an "unknown god" with the character and nature of the true God as revealed in the Old Testament: the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all. He presents a universal biblical worldview without using specific Bible verses, making it a powerful example of cross-cultural communication. Gemini 2.5 PRO
