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And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Acts 17:30 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
  • BSB Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere 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 14:16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
  • Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
  • Luke 24:47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
  • Rom 3:25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
  • Eph 4:17–32This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
  • 1 Pet 4:3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
  • Acts 26:17–20Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
  • 1 Pet 1:14–15As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
  • Acts 3:19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
  • Rom 2:4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
  • Acts 17:23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
  • Acts 20:21Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Eph 5:6–8Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
  • Rom 1:28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
  • Luke 13:5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
  • Acts 11:18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
  • Mark 1:15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
  • Ps 50:21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
  • Matt 3:2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
  • Mark 6:12And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
  • Matt 4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
  • 2 Cor 7:10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
  • Luke 15:10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
  • Rom 3:23For all have sinned, and come 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.