25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
17:25
Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands,
The third description of God is that He does not need anything; He is self-sufficient. He does not need mortal help for anything.
The apostle qualified the God of creation as not worshiped with men’s hands; that is, as idols. God is transcendent and distinct from creation; although He is immanent in creation, He is not a part of it.
as though He needed anything,
God has no need; He is self-contained. He is not like a human being who relies on others for the necessities of life. The Giver of all does not depend on anything (1 Chr 29:14). Far from asking His creatures to supply any lack He may have, God meets their needs. The God who does not need anything provides everything. He does not need us; we need Him.
since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
The fourth description of God is that He providentially sustains the universe—“all things.”
God is the origin, the means, and the end of all things (Ro 11:36). He gives not only to believers (1 Ti 6:17; Jas 1:17) but to non-Christians as well (Mt 5:45). This is what theologians call “common grace.”
PRINCIPLE:
We see the folly of idolatry in a transcendent and infinite God.
APPLICATION:
Biblical truth is purely theistic. Paul taught monotheism, which stands in opposition to pantheism. Since God is self-sufficient, He is above and independent from creation (Isa 42:5; Ps 50:8-13). He is the first cause of creation. The idea of an absolute God beyond creation was difficult for the Athenians to grasp. They believed divinity was found in nature and humanity. There is a fundamental contrast between pantheism and monotheism. The God of the Bible is the giver of life (Isa 42:5; Ps 50:7-15), Someone who stands above creation and to whom creation is responsible.
