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Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
Acts 17:30 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
  • KJV And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
  • NKJV Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
  • NASB So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,
  • NLT “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

God overlooked past ignorance, but now commands everyone everywhere to repent.

Overview

With Christ revealed, the time of God's patient overlooking gives way to a universal summons to repent. The gospel leaves no room for excusing idolatry any longer. Repentance is commanded of all people, for God now calls the whole world to turn from idols to Himself through His Son.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Acts 14:16In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
  • Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
  • Luke 24:47and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
  • Rom 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.
  • Eph 4:17–32So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
  • 1 Pet 4:3For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.
  • Acts 26:17–20I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
  • 1 Pet 1:14–15As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
  • Acts 3:19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
  • Rom 2:4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
  • Acts 17:23For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.
  • Acts 20:21testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Eph 5:6–8Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
  • Rom 1:28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
  • Luke 13:5No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
  • Acts 11:18When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
  • Mark 1:15“The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
  • Ps 50:21You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
  • Matt 3:2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
  • Mark 6:12So they set out and preached that the people should repent.
  • Matt 4:17From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
  • 2 Cor 7:10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
  • Luke 15:10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
  • Rom 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 17:30YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 17:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.