Acts 17:30
in Acts 17Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:
KJV
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
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This verse in Acts 17
Commentary
13 notes on this verseThe times of this ignorance God winked at - He who has an indisputable right to demand the worship of all his creatures has mercifully overlooked those acts of idolatry which have disgraced the world and debased man; but now, as he has condescended to give a revelation of himself, he commands, as the sovereign, all men every where, over every part of his dominions, to repent, μετανοειν, to change their views, designs, and practices; because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness; and, as justice will then be done, no sinner, no persevering idolater, shall escape punishment.
This site's exposition
the times of this ignorance God winked at
on Acts 17:30-31
God overlooked the times of past ignorance, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, the pivot from natural theology to the specific demand of the gospel that the whole speech has been building toward. He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man he has ordained, and has given assurance of it to all by raising that man from the dead, the resurrection Paul has already named as the offense that first drew philosophical attention in verse 18. The universal scope, all men everywhere, closes off any reading of the earlier verses as tolerant religious pluralism, and the speech ends in an unmistakable call to decision. The bench notes that unlike Paul's synagogue sermons, no Old Testament citation closes the appeal, since none would carry weight with this audience, and the resurrection itself stands as the only proof offered.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"Having observed the times of ignorance," and the following. He does not mean that none are punished for these things, but that none of those who wish to repent do so. For he is not speaking of those who have died, but of those to …
Again, putting it upon their ignorance, he says, "Now the times of ignorance God overlooked." Having agitated their minds by the fear, he then adds this: and yet he says, "but now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent."
But when he has agitated their soul by showing them to be without excuse, see what he says: "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent." What then? Are none of these men to be punished? None of them that are willing to repent. He says it of these men, not of the departed, but of them whom He commands to repent. He does not call you to account, he would say. He does not say, Took no notice; does not say, Permitted: but, Ye were ignorant. "Overlooked," i.e. does not demand punishment as of men that deserve punishment. Ye were ignorant. And he does not say, Ye wilfully did evil; but this he showed by what he said above - "All men everywhere to repent:" again he hints at the whole world. Observe how he takes them off from the parcel deities!
"Hear," again he replied: "Keep this flesh pure and stainless, that the Spirit which inhabits it may bear witness to it, and your flesh may be justified. See that the thought never arise in your mind that this flesh of yours is corruptible, and you misuse it by any act of defilement. If you defile your flesh, you will also defile the Holy Spirit; and if you defile your flesh and spirit, you will not live."
These words were spoken indeed to the Athenians: but it were seasonable that one should say to us also, "that all men everywhere must repent, because he hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world." See how he brings Him in as Judge also: Him, both provident for the world, and merciful and forgiving and powerful and wise, and, in a word possessing all the attributes of a Creator. "Having given assurance to all men," i.e. He has given proof in the rising (of Jesus) from the dead. Let us repent then: for we must assuredly be judged. If Christ rose not, we shall not be judged: but if He rose, we shall without doubt be judged. "For to this end," it is said, "did He also die, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive according to that he hath done."
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
He has in mind not the dead when he speaks of the times of "ignorance," but those to whom he preached. He also does not say: "You willingly committed evil," but rather: "You did not know." Thus, he declares this to the listeners, not demanding …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But now - This day, this hour, saith Paul, puts an end to the Divine forbearance, and brings either greater mercy or punishment. Now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent - There is a dignity and grandeur in this expression, becoming an ambassador from the King of heaven.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Tit 1:11) --a tacit allusion to the narrow precincts of favored Judaism, within which immediate and entire repentance was ever urged. The word "repentance" is here used (as in Lu 13:3, 5;
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the times of this ignorance - The long period when people were ignorant of the true God, and when they worshipped stocks and stones. Paul here refers to the times preceding the gospel. God winked at - ὑπεριδὼν huperidōn. Overlooked; connived at; did not come forth to punish. In Act 14:16 it is expressed thus: “Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways” The sense is, he passed over those times without punishing them, as if he did not see them. For wise purposes he suffered them to walk in ignorance that there might be a fair experiment to show what people would do, and how much necessity there was for a revelation to instruct them in the true know edge of God. We are not to suppose that God regarded idolatry as innocent, or the crimes and vices to which idolatry led as of no importance; but their ignorance was a mitigating circumstance, and he suffered the nations to live without coming forth in direct judgment against them. Compare the notes on Act 3:17; Act 14:16. But now commandeth - By the gospel, Luk 24:47. All men - Not Jews only, who had been favored with special privileges, but all nations. The barrier was broken down, and the call to repentance was sent abroad into all the earth. To repent - To exercise sorrow for their sins, and to forsake them. If God commands all people to repent, we may observe: (1) That it is their duty to do it. There is no higher obligation than to obey the command of God. (2) It can be done. God would not command an impossibility. (3) It is binding on all. The rich, the learned, the great, the frivolous, are as much bound as the beggar and the slave. (4) It must be done, or the soul lost. It is not safe to neglect a plain Law of God. It will not be well to die reflecting that we have all our life despised his commands. (5) We should send the gospel to the pagan. […]
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
GK ChestertonHeretics, Ch. 16: On Mr. McCabe and a Divine Frivolity (1905) (1905)
proposed
In short, Mr. McCabe is under the influence of a primary fallacy which I have found very common in men of the clerical type. Numbers of clergymen have from time to time reproached me for making jokes about religion; and they have almost always invoked …
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοὺς | tous | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| χρόνους | chronous | times | G5550 → | 53 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγνοίας | agnoias | of ignorance | G52 → | |
| ὑπεριδὼν | huperidon | having overlooked | G5237 → | |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νῦν | nun | now | G3568 → | 145 times |
| παραγγέλλει | parangellei | He commands | G3853 → | 31 times |
| τοῖς | tois | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώποις | anthropois | to men | G444 → | 549 times |
| πάντας | pantas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| πανταχοῦ | pantachou | everywhere | G3837 → | 6 times |
| μετανοεῖν· | metanoein | to repent; | G3340 → | 34 times |
τοὺςThe
tousG3588 →19766 times
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →176 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
χρόνουςtimes
chronousG5550 →53 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀγνοίαςof ignorance
agnoiasG52 →
ὑπεριδὼνhaving overlooked
huperidonG5237 →
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
νῦνnow
nunG3568 →145 times
παραγγέλλειHe commands
parangelleiG3853 →31 times
τοῖς<the>
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώποιςto men
anthropoisG444 →549 times
πάνταςall
pantasG3956 →1235 times
πανταχοῦeverywhere
pantachouG3837 →6 times
μετανοεῖν·to repent;
metanoeinG3340 →34 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:25God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
it leads to
- Romans 3:23–24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- 1 Peter 1:18–20
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- 1 John 4:10
And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- 1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
- Hebrews 9:14–22
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Romans 3:23–24
Through
Luke 24:47and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
it leads to
- Acts 5:31
God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
- Isaiah 49:6
He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light…
- Acts 20:21
testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Acts 5:31
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Acts
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); GK Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 16: On Mr. McCabe and a Divine Frivolity (1905); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 38; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 5 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.