“For on Him We Depend”

Abstract Most scholars have interpreted Acts 17:28a–c (“for in him we live and move and are”) within the context of the Aratus quotation in 17:28e. Yet in doing so, they overlooked the precise meaning of this statement and how it fits within the argument. This article considers the philological aspects and motifs contained in Acts 17:28a–c within their context. Thus, the statement expresses dependence on God by use of the Greek phrase ἔν τινι εἶναι , which appears widely across Greek literature. By taking the evidence from these sources into consideration, it becomes clear that the concise statement of Acts 17:28a–c bundles up various ideas of the Areopagus speech into one thought.