What you did was go into the web site and cut and paste the Introduction, and then under the web address you supplied, you paraphrased the writer's words in the second paragraph of the introduction. The crime is called plagiarism, meaning that when you are called to produce something you take a short cut and use someone else's material and call it your own. You're right, you weren't clear on the poet or his work, and there is no crime in that. Although, when you go one step beyond, and use someone else's work and then get caught and follow that up with "I wasn't quite clear exactly what so-and-so was," sure doesn't look very good.
Get caught? I had the citation immediately under the information that I quoted. The rest of your inferences are categorically untrue and you are just making them up -- talk about projection. What is your deal?
Well, which one is it? You weren't quite clear exactly what "Phaenomena," was, but you knew "it" was a part the Greek poet's work? So, if I understand you correctly, you had very little idea what Paul was quoting from, or how Paul was trying to use Aratus' Phaenomena. Also, you didn't know what the contents of that portion of Aratus' work meant. You see I knew that already, because of the way you answered my post to Brother Ed.
You had I then asked you to explain how you got that from Aratus' work.
Instead of doing that, you found the first website that came up in your search. You cut and pasted, took the second paragraph and expounded directly from what you found in it. You see, Paul is quoting from a portion of Aratus' work that speaks about how Zeus provides and controls the weather, for planting and harvesting. Yet, the apostle's main point is that his God is unlike Zeus, because the God of Paul needs no physical temples or idols. If you read the website you posted to us, the writer even goes on to say that Paul is trying to show the Athenians that the God of Paul is unlike the god Zeus. Reason being, the god Zeus requires physical temples, and altars. The God of the apostle doesn't dwell in temples made by men. Therefore the apostle tells the Athenians that they are too religious, because of their need of idolatry.
It's exactly as I stated. I'm familiar with the use of Greek poetry in Acts at Mars Hill, I figured this was related, but didn't have exact information. Read what I said again, his entire use of their works is multi-layered, and a good reason why we should take notes in our preaching today to always make sure our goal is understanding. They would best understand by using familiar subjects to them.
Well, then, to do that I would first have to e-mail the writer of the website.
Email the writer, please do. No crime here. I've done enough scholarly research papers to know how to use a citation, even on an informal forum like AFF.
In Jesus name
Brother Benincasa
www.OnTimeJournal.com