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So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,
Acts 17:30 · New American 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:
  • 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,
  • 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 the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
  • Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
  • Luke 24:47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
  • Rom 3:25whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;
  • Eph 4:17–32This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
  • 1 Pet 4:3For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
  • Acts 26:17–20delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
  • 1 Pet 1:14–15as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance,
  • Acts 3:19“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
  • Rom 2:4Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
  • Acts 17:23For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.
  • Acts 20:21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
  • Eph 5:6–8Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
  • Rom 1:28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
  • Luke 13:5I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”
  • Acts 11:18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
  • Mark 1:15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
  • Ps 50:21You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.
  • Matt 3:2“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
  • Mark 6:12They went out and preached that people 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 produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.
  • Luke 15:10Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”
  • 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.