Acts Theology 35: Pagan Sources

"In him we live and move and have our being... For we are indeed his offspring." This verse, cited by Paul, refers to pagan poets' words but redirects their meaning to the biblical Creator, demonstrating that outside sources can be used to articulate biblical theology.
Historically, this quotation is identified as coming from Aratus's poem "Phaenomena," a pagan source. Biblical writers, both in the Old and New Testaments, would sometimes reference secular cultural material that was common knowledge to their audiences, such as the Baal cycle or the Greek poets, without endorsing the source as inspired or canonical. This was done to help communicate a theological point effectively within the cultural context of the listeners.
This practice illustrates that familiar cultural sources can be leveraged to articulate theological truths. While Christians can engage with external cultural material, Christ remains the ultimate authority, and Scripture is the ultimate judge of truth.
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