In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul proclaims, "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything" (17:24-25).
Non-Catholics sometimes quote this passage to refute Catholic teachings on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the sacramental priesthood. Since the Eucharist is reserved in tabernacles and worshipped by the Catholic faithful, Catholics are said to be in conflict with Paul’s teaching that God "does not live in shrines made by man." The sacramental priesthood is said to be unbiblical, as God is not "served by human hands." The claim goes that Paul’s words oppose related Catholic teaching and practice.
Of course, understood in its proper context, this passage addresses neither tabernacles nor Catholic priests. On Paul’s second missionary journey, he traveled to Athens, where the pagans worshipped multiple gods. Even today, pagan temples and ruins can be found throughout much of the city. In Paul’s day, a site just below the Acropolis served as a type of court—the Areopagus. Paul had been preaching in the local synagogues and marketplace before he was brought to the Areopagus to explain his teaching. There in the Pagan temples and shrines, his words in Acts were significant to those pagan worshippers who with their human hands served the false gods who heard them.
In fact, Paul was not condemning Catholic tabernacles and priests. His belief in the Real Presence and the priesthood are evident elsewhere in his writings. For example, Paul could only have in mind the Real Presence when he asked, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Cor 10:16).
Also consider, "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself . . . For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Cor 11:27-29).
As for the sacramental priesthood, Luke attested to Paul’s Catholic belief in Acts:
[Paul and Barnabas] returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed. (Acts 14:21-23, emphasis added)
Elders here is translated from the Greek word presbyterous, from which we get the English word "presbyter," the official name of the office of Catholic priest.
Paul expected Titus (and others) to do likewise: "This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you" (Ti 1:5).
Reference: Catholic.com (This Article was taken from Catholic.com. No changes have been made to the text; it’s in the original format to preserve the explanation and integrity of the document. Written by a professional staff Apologist from Catholic Answers Live. I personally do not take credit for writing this article.)
