ACTS 14:17 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
“Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rains from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy — the natural revelation theology here (Romans 1:19-20) asserts that God testifies to himself through providential care (agathosyne, goodness) evident in agricultural cycles. Rain, crops, and sustenance are not merely physical necessities but theological signs pointing toward God's beneficence. The phrase fills your hearts with joy suggests God's providential care includes affective blessing, not merely material.
Church Fathers on Acts 14:17
Nevertheless, He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, giving you rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness. Acts 14:17 (c) See how covertly he puts the accusation in that He did good, etc. And yet if God did this, He could not have let them alone; on the contrary, they ought to be punished, for that, enjoying so great benefits, they had not acknowledged Him, not even as their feeder. From heaven, he says, giving you…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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