On the basis of what Paul has just said about the nature of God, he now has grounds for an attack against idolatry. Both by the particle with which Luke has chosen to begin this verse (see 1.6) and by the content of the verse itself, Luke indicates the beginning of a new phase in Paul’s argument. This significant shift in the argument may be introduced by a particle such as “then” or “therefore.”

In a number of languages it is difficult to speak of “God’s nature.” The closest equivalent is simply “we should not think that God is anything like an image of gold.” In such a context the term “God” is itself equivalent to “God’s nature.”

An image of gold or silver or stone is “an image made out of gold or silver or stone.” However, a term such as “made” may need to be more specific—for example, “an image smelted from gold or silver or an image cut from stone.”

In many languages one cannot speak of something being shaped by … art or skill. An image can, of course, be shaped “by a skillful and artistic person.” Therefore, it is the man who must be made the agent of the shaping, and terms such as art and skill must be made attributive to the person—for example, “shaped by a skillful artisan.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .