Acts 17

Acts 17:1-10

49. THREE WEEKS IN Acts 17:1-10 Acts 16 closes with Paul and Silas quietly departing from Philippi. The magistrates there were politically embarrassed when they found out that Paul and Silas, whom they had beaten and imprisoned, were Roman citizens. Had they chosen to do so, Paul and Silas could have caused them much trouble legally and politically. But after receiving public apology they left town quietly, once they had visited and comforted Lydia, the first European convert, and the brethren (Acts 16:39-40). Philippi would never be the same. God had graciously saved two households in that city.

The households of Lydia and the jailor formed the gospel church at Philippi. They had the responsibility now of continuing and propagating the faith of Christ. They must have assumed their responsibility with great zeal, because soon there was a strong, flourishing church there. The missionary trio (Paul, Silas, and Timothy) walked through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, one of Macedonia’s most populous and important cities. In all they walked about 100 miles to get to Thessalonica, apparently spending two nights on the road (Acts 17:1). When they got to Thessalonica they engaged in intensive evangelism, preaching in the Jewish synagogue there for three weeks in a row, every sabbath day (Acts 17:2). Traditionally, travelling rabbis were invited to speak at local synagogues as a matter of courtesy when visiting an area. Apparently, Paul was asked to speak for that reason. He was obviously well received. PAUL’S METHOD OF WAS BOTH AND (Acts 17:2-3). Paul was wise enough to adapt himself to his circumstances and to the needs of the hour. Sometimes he stood before an assembly and preached lengthy discourses (Acts 13:16-41). But there are other methods of preaching. At Thessalonica we are told that his preaching included three things: (1) He reasoned with them out of the Scriptures; (2) He opened, or explained the message of the Scriptures; and (3) He alleged that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. Paul’s first technique in preaching was .

The word translated “reason” here is the word from which we get the English word “dialog”. It has the idea of give and take conversation. The sense of Luke’s words is - Using the Old Testament, with which the Jews were thoroughly familiar, Paul reasoned with them. He listened to their arguments and patiently refuted them by the Word of God. His second tactic was OPENING, or explaining the Word of God. The word that is translated “opening” is very strong.

It means “to expand” or “to force open”. When the Scriptures were read, Paul opened up and explained their meaning. That is what preaching is. It is opening the Scriptures, and thus opening the understanding of one’s hearers to see that all the Scriptures speak of Christ’s sufferings, death, and resurrection glory (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44-47). Thirdly, the apostle’s method in preaching was . He alleged, or proved from the Old Testament Scriptures the necessity of Christ’s sin-atoning death and triumphant resurrection.

This word, “allege” means “to put along side”. In preaching at Thessalonica Paul compared spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13). He took a text from Isaiah and compared it with a text from Daniel, and put alongside of them some passages from the Psalms or one of the other prophets. Thus alleging, or proving from the Word of God the necessity of Christ’s redemptive work. SOME AND SOME NOT (Acts 17:4-9). Wherever Christ comes, and wherever he is faithfully preached there is a division because of him (John 7:43). The preaching of the gospel humbles some and brings them to repentance and hardens others (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). The difference between those who believe and those who believe not is the distinguishing grace of God (1 Corinthians 4:7). Some of the Jews, many of the Gentiles, and several women, being chosen, redeemed, and called by the grace of God were persuaded by Paul’s doctrine and identified themselves with Christ and his servants (Acts 17:4). However, those who believed not were by no means indifferent. Not only did they not believe the gospel, they set themselves in opposition to it. How often this is repeated!

Unbelief hardens into resentment, and resentment breaks out in malicious abuse. The unbelieving Jews apparently had connections with the criminal element in the city. They hired some street thugs to stir up trouble and assault the house of Jason, where Paul, Silas, and Timothy were staying (Acts 17:5). This stirring of violence and slander was caused by religious, churchgoing people. When they could not refute the doctrine of Christ and would not give up their false religion, their hearts, filled with hatred for God and his gospel, erupted in cruel and vicious attacks upon God’s messengers. Any preacher who has preached free grace to a congregation of freewill, works religionists, knows exactly what happened at Thessalonica!

The malicious mob did not find the preachers at home, so they arrested Jason and some of the brethren because of their association with God’s servants. Deliberately twisting Paul’s words and his doctrines, they accused the saints of God of insurrection and riotousness, as promoters of evil things (Acts 17:6-8).

Since the days of our Lord, this has been the common tactic of religious men against Christ and the gospel of his grace (Luke 23:2; John 19:12; Romans 3:8). Jason and the brethren were released after making bail (Acts 17:9). To avoid further trouble for Jason and the young believers at Thessalonica, Paul, Silas, and Timothy slipped out of town undercover of darkness and went to Berea (Acts 17:10). THE CHARGE MADE AGAINST GOD’S CHURCH BY HER ENEMIES WAS A CHARGE THAT GREATLY HONORED IT. The mob cried out against Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the believing men and women at Thessalonica, “These have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Would to God the church today had a reputation for turning the world upside down! Instead, the church today has made peace with the world, walks hand in hand with the world, and has married the world. Fire and zeal for the glory of God have been drowned in the flood of compromise and conciliation. Instead of setting the world on fire with the truth of God, the church today warms itself with the fires of the world, fires fueled by burning God’s truth!

The church of our day has betrayed Christ, betrayed the souls of men, and betrayed the gospel of the grace of God. All has been sold for the silver of praise, popularity, and worldly recognition! THE CHURCH TODAY NEEDS SOME MEN WHO WILL, WITH THE REASON, FORCE, AND OF HOLY , PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, AS PAUL DID IN THE AT . The basis of Paul’s appeal to men was the Word of God alone. He reasoned with his hearers out of the Scriptures (Acts 17:2). The Bible is the only source of divine truth in this world. God’s preachers appeal to no other authority (Isaiah 8:20; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The message Paul preached was Jesus Christ and him crucified (Acts 17:3; 1 Corinthians 2:2).

He showed from the Word of God the necessity of Christ’s substitutionary death. According to the Word of God four things necessitated Christ’s death on the cross: (1) God’s Decree (1 Peter 1:18-20; Acts 2:23); (2) Christ’s Voluntary, Suretyship Engagements (Isaiah 50:5-7; John 10:16-18; John 12:27-28); (3) The Old Testament Prophets (Mark 14:49; Luke 24:44); and (4) The Justice of God (Romans 3:24-26; Galatians 3:21). Paul boldly pressed upon his hearers the claims of Christ the King, demanding immediate and total surrender to him as Lord. Blessed are the people to whom God sends such a preacher!

Acts 17:10-15

50. THOSE NOBLE BEREANS Acts 17:10-15 Unlike so many at Thessalonica, when the people at Berea heard Paul preach the gospel they profited from the Word. The Bereans did not go to church half asleep, or with their minds wandering in a thousand directions. When they went to the house of worship, they went seeking a word from God for their souls. They listened attentively, turned to the passages cited, compared scripture with scripture, and received that which was taught from the Word of God with readiness of mind. The Bereans were determined to know the truth of God. It appears that everyone of them came to church with pencil and paper in hand. As Paul preached they took down the notes needed to fix his doctrine in their minds. When they went home, they searched the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit holds these Bereans before us as examples to follow. If you would receive spiritual good for your soul by the preaching of the gospel, you would be wise to hear the Word attentively, as the Bereans did. PAUL AND SILAS WERE SENT BY GOD TO BEREA WITH A MESSAGE TO DECLARE (Acts 17:10). By one means or another God always brings the messenger of mercy and the object of mercy together at the appointed time. Paul was sent to Philippi by a supernatural vision in the night because the time had come for the Lord to open Lydia’s heart. The apostle was beaten and imprisoned at Philippi because the time had come for the jailor and his household to be saved. The officials at Philippi pleaded with Paul and Silas to leave their town because the time had come when God would save some elect Thessalonians. Paul was driven from Thessalonica to Berea by persecution because there were many at Berea to whom God was determined to be gracious. The eye of faith sees the overruling hand of divine providence using the wicked deeds of men to move God’s servant to the place where God wanted him (Psalms 76:10). “The devil was out shot in his own bow,” Matthew Henry wrote. “He thought by persecuting the apostles to stop the progress of the gospel, but it was so overruled as to be made to further it.” Paul and Silas came to Berea as messengers commissioned by God. Knowing that God had sent him to preach the gospel at Berea, as soon as he got in town Paul found the local synagogue and began preaching! He was God’s ambassador and he knew it (Matthew 10:40; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). As such, he had a message from God and boldly delivered it (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 2:2). God’s ambassadors all faithfully deliver the message God has given them, the message of free and gracious salvation through the obedience and death of the sinners’ Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will not alter or trim his message for any reason.

God sent Paul and Silas to Berea at the appointed time of mercy for the calling of chosen sinners. As we shall see in Acts 17:11, grace had gone before them and had prepared the way for grace, for there were some chosen sinners at Berea seeking the Lord. These three things are certain: (1) Wherever there is a sinner seeking the Savior, there is the Savior seeking a sinner. (2) Wherever there is a sinner seeking light, there will be a gospel preacher bringing light. (3) Wherever there is a sinner seeking grace, grace has begun its work. No sinner will ever seek the Lord until grace causes him to do so (Romans 3:11). When Paul and Silas came preaching the gospel THE BEREANS THE WORD OF GOD WITH ALL OF MIND(Acts 17:11). There is nothing more delightful to a preacher than the privilege of preaching the gospel of Christ to people who are ready and anxious to hear it (Acts 10:33). Like Cornelius and his household, the Bereans had been prepared by God to receive his Word. Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit to tell us three things about them.

1. The Bereans were more noble than the Jews of Thessalonica. This was not a reference to their social status! Luke’s reference is to their attitude toward the Word of God and the preaching of the gospel. The Bereans reverenced the Old Testament Scriptures as the Word of God and that as the only source of Divine truth (Isaiah 8:20). Their minds were not hardened against the Word by their religious customs, doctrinal traditions, and philosophical opinions.

They were open to anything taught in the Scriptures. Our minds must always be open to “Thus saith the Lord,” and completely closed to all else. When the Bereans came to church, they came with the hope of hearing from God. They reverenced the worship of God and the ministry of the Word as God’s ordained means of doing their souls eternal good (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 4:11-14; James 1:17-19). 2. The Bereans received the Word of God with all readiness of mind. “This more noble disposition of mind and conduct was owing to the grace of God bestowed upon them” (John Gill). Blessed is the soul God causes to hunger, for he shall be filled. Blessed are those God causes to thirst, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed is the sinner God causes to seek, for he shall find. Notice, “They received the Word!” They did not ignore the Word. They did not find fault with the preacher. They did not argue with the Word. “They received the Word!” 3. They searched the Scriptures. As Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures the Bereans followed along, taking notes. When they got home, they searched the Scriptures daily, to see if Paul’s doctrine was according to the Word of God. All who care for their souls should do the same (John 5:39; 1 John 4:1). The gospel of Christ will bear scrutiny and examination. God’s servants want their hearers to examine what they preach and teach by the Scriptures. " MANY OF THEM “(Acts 17:12). The word “therefore” is important. It refers back to Acts 17:11. As a direct result of the diligent use of the means at their disposal, God gave the Bereans faith and salvation in Christ. It is written, “Seek and ye shall find!” God promises to be found by all who seek him (Jeremiah 29:13; Lamentations 3:25). No one ever yet sought the Lord in vain! Many of the Jews believed. Many of the Gentile women believed. And they, as faithful witnesses, persuaded their husbands to believe (1 Corinthians 7:16). Grace prepared the way! Grace brought the word of grace. And grace gave faith. Yet, in Acts 17:13-15, we are reminded that THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS HAS NOT CEASED OR EVEN . Though many believed, (the many who were chosen, redeemed, and called by the grace of God), many were offended. Persecution again broke out, forcing Paul to leave Berea too. Learn these four things from this brief history of the gospel at Berea.

1. To them who are called, to God’s elect, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:15-16; 1 Corinthians 1:21-23). There is no need for compromise. The message we preach is God’s means of grace to his people. To compromise the message is to destroy the means.
2. To the unbeliever the gospel of Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence (1 Peter 2:7-8). It is not possible to make Divine truth palatable to natural men. The only way God’s ambassador can deal with his enemies is to confront them and demand surrender on God’s terms.
3. Any preacher, or any church, that faithfully preaches the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ will suffer for it (Matthew 10:16-34). The world will never embrace those who faithfully declare the truth of God.
4. However, our God, the God we trust and serve, is still on his throne. Nothing should deter us in serving our God. He will arrange even the persecutions of our most implacable foes to do us good, to further his cause, and to increase his kingdom (Romans 8:28).

Acts 17:16-34

51. “THE UNKNOWN GOD” Acts 17:16-34 Because of the uproar in Berea and the threat of persecution there, certain of the Berean brethren escorted Paul safely to Athens. Luke was left behind in Philippi, Timothy in Thessalonica to minister to the new converts there, and Silas stayed in Berea where he was later joined by Timothy. They were all to meet in Athens and from there continue their missionary travels. In Acts 17:16 we find Paul waiting for his fellow laborers. The Apostle of Christ was alone in the city of Athens, the cultural, educational, philosophical center of the Gentile world. Walking through the streets of the city, his spirit was stirred with both anger and compassion, as he beheld “the city wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17:16). In the city of Athens it was easier to find a god than a man! Everywhere, down every street, in every corner, wherever a nook was found there was a statue of some pagan god or goddess. Someone estimated that there were more than 30,000 gods in Athens! With his soul on fire and his heart bursting with the message of free salvation by the grace of God in Christ, Paul went into the synagogue, into the streets, and into the market place, preaching “Jesus and the resurrection.” He preached that Jesus Christ is the one true and living God, incarnate, crucified, resurrected, and exalted (Colossians 1:12-20; Colossians 2:9-10; Hebrews 1:1-3), the only God and Savior of men. He preached the resurrection of the dead as a matter of certainty (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58), declaring that there is a day appointed when all people must meet the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10-11), to be rewarded by him with eternal life or eternal death upon the grounds of strict justice (Revelation 20:11-12). Paul spoke plainly and distinctly. Soon the whole city was talking about this strange preacher, his strange message, and the “strange gods” he preached. The controversy got so hot that Paul was brought to Areopagus, Mars’ Hill, for trial (Acts 17:17-23). Mars’ Hill was the highest court of the Athenians. This was the place where Socrates had been condemned for turning the people against their gods. Like a bold gladiator in an arena of lions, Paul stepped forward in the name of God, for the glory of Christ, to do battle with the powers of darkness.

His only weapon was the Word of God. But that was enough! The man of God boldly declared the Lord Jesus Christ, “THE UNKNOWN GOD”, to the assembled pagans at Mars’ Hill, without thought of cost or consequence. May God raise up such men to speak for him today! Note: The Apostle took the Athenians idolatrous inscription “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”, and applied it to the true and living God with good reason. Though the Lord God has plainly revealed himself in his Word and in the Person and work of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one true and living God is yet unknown to most people. A STERN (Acts 17:22-23) - Most of the commentators in recent times have tried to tone down the language Paul used to make it less condemning, suggesting, “It would not be in order for an invited speaker to insult such an august body.” But there is no way to honestly translate Paul’s language into conciliatory words. It was Paul’s intention to condemn the idolatry of the men. When he stood before this august body, the Apostle sternly condemned the learned, philosophical religious customs of the Athenians as foolish idolatry. Human religion takes on many forms. It is always very tolerant and compromising, so that almost anything is acceptable as a religious practice or doctrine. The only thing that is always offensive to religious men and women is the plain declaration of the fact that salvation is by the free and sovereign grace of God alone, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only sin-atoning Substitute for sinners. This is the doctrine of the Bible (Psalms 37:39; Isaiah 53:1-12; Jonah 2:9; Romans 3:24-28; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). Any doctrine that is contrary to this message is a false gospel, damning to the souls of men and idolatrous (Galatians 1:6-9). But this gospel, the message of salvation by grace through the merits of the crucified Substitute, is offensive to men (Galatians 5:11). Paul spoke plainly. He did not come to Mars’ Hill to play patty cake. He came to lay the axe to the root of the tree; and he did. His opening words were an unflinching condemnation of idolatry - “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious,” literally, “too religious!” Though the Athenians had over 30,000 gods to whom they gave homage, only three religious groups are mentioned in this chapter. Those three groups essentially embrace the tenets of all false religion. THE JEWS worship Jehovah, the one true and living God. They keep the religious practices of the Mosaic law. They live by the rule of the ten commandments. Their religion requires them to be morally upright. They refuse to worship graven images. But their religion is a vain pretense and an idolatrous substitute for Divine worship. They reject the revelation of God concerning his Son, refuse to be saved by the merits of the crucified, risen, exalted Son of God, refuse to bow to Christ the Lord, and refuse to be saved by grace alone. Christ is the Door. He is the Way (John 10:9; John 14:6). There is no other. To reject him is to choose idolatry! THE were a band of philosophical liberals. They did admit God’s Being, or some sort of a god’s being. But they thought God was somewhat like themselves, good but not great, gracious but not glorious. They denied creation and the resurrection. The Epicureans lived for pleasure. THE STOICS were philosophical conservatives. They believed in creation by God, some god. They believed in the resurrection of the body. They taught moral virtue. They believed in the power of the human will, and of course denied God’s sovereign rule of the world. The people of Athens, all three groups, were very religious and very lost. Though they called him a “babbler”, a nit-picker, for doing so Paul told them their religion was a dark, damning delusion. A (Acts 17:24-29) - The Apostle confronted the men of Athens with the claims of God’s character at the very points where they were most rebellious. He declared four things about the character of God that are essential to true worship.

1. God is the Creator and Original Source of all things (Acts 17:24; Romans 11:36).
2. God is absolutely sovereign over all things (Acts 17:24; Daniel 4:35-37).
3. God is Spirit (Acts 17:25). He requires that we worship him in spirit and in truth. He has no regard for imaginary, idolatrous, “holy things” or “holy places” (John 4:23-24; Isaiah 1:10-14).
4. God sovereignly rules and disposes of all men according to his own purpose in predestination (Acts 17:26-29). A COMMAND (Acts 17:30-31) - When Paul says, “The times of this ignorance God winked at,” his meaning is, “In ages past God passed over the Gentiles in judgment, but now, in this gospel age, he commands all men everywhere to trust his Son,” before whom all men must soon stand in judgment. A SOLEMN (Acts 17:32-34) - When the message was finished and the day was over “some mocked”. Some hesitated, wavering in indecision and unbelief, they lost the opportunity they had. They never heard God’s servant again! But there were some who believed the gospel (Acts 17:34). When Paul’s work at Athens was done, he left and went to Corinth, confident of God’s blessing upon the message he preached (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

Acts 17:24-31

52. GOD, MAN, AND THE DAY OF Acts 17:24-31 In these verses the Apostle Paul describes the character of the only true and living God and the responsibility of men before him. Obviously, he does not tell us everything about God’s character. The infinite God can never be fully known by finite man. But the Apostle’s purpose in this passage is to distinguish God from all the false gods worshipped by men. He does this by declaring seven things.
53. THE LORD OUR GOD IS THE CREATOR AND RULER OF ALL THINGS (Acts 17:24). He who created all things owns all things, rules all things, and disposes of all things as he will (Matthew 20:15; Psalms 15:3; Psalms 135:6; Daniel 4:34-35; Romans 11:36). Everything and everyone in the universe is absolutely governed by God for the accomplishment of his will (Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 45:7; Proverbs 16:4).
54. THE HOLY LORD GOD CANNOT BE IN TEMPLES OR BY ACTS OR OBJECTS (Acts 17:24-25). God is Spirit. All who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24; Philippians 3:3). It is true, in the Old Testament, God did establish his worship in the tabernacle and later in the temple at Jerusalem. However, like the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the laws of Israel, temple worship was a temporary, carnal ordinance designed to portray what Christ would do for the redemption and salvation of his people. Now that he has finished his work, the carnal ordinances have been abolished forever (Colossians 2:8-23; Hebrews 10:1-14). Any worship of God in “holy places”, the use of images, icons, or crosses is nothing less than idolatry (Acts 17:29). All true worship is spiritual worship.
55. GOD , FROM , ALL THINGS THE LIVES OF ALL PEOPLE UPON THE EARTH (Acts 17:26). Before the world was made he determined that all men would spring from one man, our father Adam. He “hath made of one blood all nations of men.” All the races of men in the world have their origin in one man. In reality we are not many races, but one race with many distinguishing traits. This verse also declares that God determined the time and place of every man’s birth, the length of his life, the space which each would occupy upon the earth, and the time and means of every man’s death (Job 7:1).

Fully recognizing the responsibility of all men to properly take care of their health, it must be understood that the most careful shall not extend his life and the most careless shall not shorten his life by so much as a tithe of a second. Our times are in God’s hands! 4. IT IS OUR TO SEEK THE LORD IN THE TIME HE HAS US (Acts 17:27). Every person has one life to live, one death to die, one judgment to face, and one eternity to spend. If we hope to spend eternity in the bliss of God’s eternal glory, we must seek him now, while we have both the opportunity and the ability to do so. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 5:6). “The Lord is good to the soul that seeketh him” (Lamentations 3:25). 5. THE LORD GOD IS NEAR EVERY ONE OF US (Acts 17:27-28). The Lord God is omnipresent, everywhere present at one time, in all the fulness of his glorious, triune Being! God is the infinite Spirit. He has no limitations. He is near us all, believers and unbelievers, so near us that “in him we live, and move, and have our being” (See Psalms 139:7-12).

Augustine wrote, “God is an infinite circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere!” Nothing is more serious and sobering than the realization that we are always in the presence of God! When our father Adam rebelled against God and died spiritually, we died in him, because we sinned in him (Romans 5:12). This spiritual death is the separation of our souls from God. Because man is far off from God, he imagines that God is far off from him; but it is not so. The living God is “not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being.” God is everywhere! He is so fully present in all places that he is especially near to every person on earth.

God is as much with you as if there were no other persons in the universe but you and God! Yet, his being near you does not make him far off from anyone else. God is so near to every person that he observes us with exactness. He clearly perceives the inmost, secret thoughts and intents of every heart. He feels for us. He thinks of us.

He is near us in all the power of omnipotence, ready to intervene and help us. He is near us in all places and at all times. By day and by night he surrounds us. Understand Paul’s words and be filled with awe - “He is not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being.” This is a matter of great assurance and peace to the believer. “The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:4). He is near to preserve us in trial, to protect us from danger and to provide for our every need. He is near to hear our prayers and answer them, to commune with us and make himself known to us, and to renew and revive us with his grace. As the fish finds all it needs in the pond, so the believer finds all he needs in Christ, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. If the Lord is near, then all is well (2 Timothy 4:9-18). This is a matter of great encouragement to those who know their need of Christ and seek him. Paul’s argument is - The Lord is near everyone of us so that all who seek him may feel after him and find him (Acts 17:27-28). If the Lord is near and you seek him, you will surely find him (Romans 10:6-10; Jeremiah 29:13). If you seek him, you may be assured of the fact that he is seeking you. Otherwise, you would never seek him. And when the sinner seeks God and God seeks the sinner, the two will soon come together! The Lord is near to save, to pardon, and to justify all who seek him. This is a word of warning to every rebel. “He be not far from every one of us.” All sin, all rebellion, all unbelief is committed in the immediate presence of the holy Lord God! It is impossible for any sinner to escape the wrath of God, who is near to everyone of us, except by taking refuge in Christ, who is himself the omnipresent God. 6. GOD ALL MEN TO REPENT (Acts 17:30). When Paul says that God “winked at” the ignorance, idolatry, and unbelief of the Gentiles in ages past, he does not mean that God ignored it, or did not notice it, or excused it. He means, in those days God passed by the Gentile nations in judgment and revealed himself only to the children of Israel. But now, in this gospel age, God “commands all men everywhere to repent.” Because it is the commandment of God, it is also the duty of all men to repent of their sins and trust the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:23; Ezekiel 36:31). All who obey the command of the gospel shall be saved. All who refuse to obey shall be damned (Proverbs 1:22-33). 7. AT THE DAY GOD WILL JUDGE ALL MEN IN BY THE GOD-MAN JESUS CHRIST (John 5:28; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Revelation 20:11-15). The day of judgment will be the day of settling. In that great day everyone will receive exactly what justice demands, exactly what he lawfully deserves. When the books are opened and each person is examined by the omniscient eye of strict justice, the unbelieving, standing before God without a Substitute, will be rewarded with everlasting wrath, in exact proportion to their measure of wickedness. The redeemed, being totally free from sin and perfectly righteous in Christ their Substitute, shall inherit all the fulness of heaven’s glory, because justice declares they are worthy!