The commentaries of M. John Calvin upon the Acts of the Apostles, faithfully translated…The commentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the Actes of the Apostles, faithfully translated…

24 God who hath made the world. Paul his drift is to teach, what God is. Furthermore because he hath to deal with profane men, he draweth proofs from nature it self: for in vain should he have cited testimonies of Scripture. I said that this was the holy mans purpose to bring the men of Athens unto the true God. For they were persuaded that there was some divinity: only their preposterous religion was to be reformed. Whence we gather that the world doeth go astray through bending crooks & boughts, yea that it is in a mere labyrinth, so long as there remaineth a confused opinion concerning the nature of God. For this is the true rule of godliness, distinctly & plainly to know who that God whom we worship, is. If any man will entreat generally of religion, this must be the first point, that there is some divine power or godhead which men ought to worship. But because that was out of question, Paul descendeth unto the second point, that The true God must be distinguished from all vain inventions. So that he beginneth with the definition of God, that he may thence prove how he ought to be worshipped: because the one dependeth upon the other. For whence came so many false worshippings, and such rashness to increase the same often times, save only because all men forged to themselves a God at their pleasure? And nothing is more easy then to corrupt the pure worship of God, when men esteem God after their sense and wit. Wherefore there is nothing more fit to destroy all corrupt worshippings, then to make this beginning and to show, of what sort the nature of God is. Also our Saviour Christ reasoneth thus. Joh. 4.¹ God is a spirit. Therefore he alloweth no other worshippers, but such as worship him spiritually. And surely he doth not subtly dispute of the secret substance of God: but by his works he declareth, which is the profitable knowledge of him. And what doth Paul gather thence, because God is the creator, framer and Lord of the world? to wit, that he dwelleth not in temples made with hands. For seeing that it appeareth plainly by the creation of the world, that the righteousness, wisdom, goodness and power of God, doth reach beyond the bounds of heaven and earth: it followeth that he can be included and shut up within no space of place.

24 God who hath made the world. Paul his drift is to teach, what God is. Furthermore because he hath to deale with prophane men, he draweth proofes from nature it selfe: for in vaine should he haue cited testimonies of Scripture. I said that this was the holy mans purpose to bring the men of Athens vnto the true God. For they were perswaded that there was some diuinity: only their preposterous religion was to be reformed. Whence we gather that the worlde doeth goe astray through bending crooks & boughts, yea that it is in a meere labyrinth, so long as there remaineth a confused opinion concerning the nature of God. For this is the true rule of godlines, distinctly & plainly to know who that God whō we worship, is. If any man wil intreat generally of religion, this must be the first point, that there is some diuine power or godhead which men ought to worship. But because that was out of question, Paule descendeth vnto the second point, that The true God must be distinguished from all vaine inuentions. So that he beginneth with the definition of God, that he may thence proue how he ought to be worshipped: because the one dependeth vpon the other. For whence came so many false worshippings, and such rashnes to increase the same often times, saue onely because al men forged to themselues a God at their pleasure? And nothing is more easie then to corrupt the pure worship of God, when men esteeme God after their sense and wit. Wherfore there is nothing more fit to destroy all corrupt worshippings, then to make this beginning and to shew, of what sort the nature of God is. Also our Sauiour Christ reasoneth thus.