God had put the Jews under the control of Rome because the Jews lacked knowledge and the Greeks seek knowledge and understanding of all things. So basically God had put them in school to understand Him.
Athenians Called ignorant -
Acts 17:23 "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
Athenian belief that the Greeks are a special race is slammed:
Acts 17:24 A " The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth"
Athenian folk religion (city full of idols) is slammed
Acts 17:24 B "does not dwell in temples made with hands"
Epicuraen "atomistic" belief slammed
Acts 17:25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things
Greeks believed that they were a special race, up from the ground, not related to "barbarian" races. Their gods were distant and not immanent in the affairs of men.
Acts 17:26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation
Stoics were pantheists; did not believe in a distinction between the human and the divine. Saw no reason to seek gods.
Acts 17:27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us
Totally foreign to Greek idea of gods.
Acts 17:28 A "for in Him we live and move and exist"
Paul cites a Greek Poet to disagree with him (Paul knows that we are NOT all God's offspring, but that Jesus death and ressurection made a provision that a few could BECOME children of God". Pauls point - if you believe that we are God's offspring, what are all these idols doing all over your city?
Acts 17:28B-29 as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring.' "Being then the offspring of God, we a ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
Politely repeats the point he started with - Greeks are ignorant. Before, only the Jews were judged nationally for disobeying the gospel. Now, all men will be judged.
Acts 17:30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent. because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead"
Many men have made the error of thinking that Paul was building a bridge with the Athenians. In fact, he is calling them ignorant with every breath. Acts 17 does not contradict Romans 1. They are in complete agreement (both being written by God through Paul).
Rom 1:18-23 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident a within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not a honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four- footed animals and a crawling creatures.