17, 18. Why should humans feel drawn to God, and what can we learn from the way Paul appealed to his audience?

¹⁷ Humans should feel drawn to God. Because of Him, Paul said, “we have life and move and exist.” Some scholars say that Paul was alluding to the words of Epimenides, a Cretan poet of the sixth century B.C.E. and “a figure significant in Athenian religious tradition.” Paul gave another reason why humans should feel drawn to God: “Some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’” (Acts 17:28) Humans should feel a kinship with God; he created the one man from whom all humans descend. To appeal to his audience, Paul wisely quoted directly from Greek writings that his listeners no doubt respected.e In harmony with Paul’s example, we may at times make limited use of quotations from secular history, encyclopedias, or other accepted reference works. For example, an appropriate quote from a respected source might help to convince a non-Witness about the origin of certain false religious practices or observances.