Being then God’s offspring, 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.
God's image is engraved in the human soul, which cannot be painted; how much more absurd then to paint God Himself? To represent His Majesty by any visible shape, wood, stone, gold, is to transfigure His truth into a lie. The root is plain idolatry: men shape images only because they conceive carnal things of Him.
AI summary
Paul's task here differs entirely from his preaching to Jews: they needed Christ proved by prophecy; these refined idolaters needed first to know there is one true Creator and God alone worthy of worship. He had to lay the foundation before he could build.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 17:22-31
Since we ourselves, offspring of God and made in His image, vastly surpass any graven image of gold or silver, how much more contemptible it is to compare God, the Creator of men and angels, to senseless statues? To think so of Him is to debase Him, and argues great stupidity.
AI summary