Acts 17:30 Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now charges all men everywhere to repent, (31) Because He has set a day in which He is to judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He has designated, having furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.
This day of Christ's judgment on earth will be brought in by His coming back. He has been designated by God to execute this judgment, and God's raising Him from among the dead is strong proof of this. Paul's preaching in Acts 17 surely fit the situation of the Greeks in Athens. Much of what Paul said was directed at the Epicureans... The Epicureans say that there is no Creator or Provider. They also claim that we should pursue sensuous pleasures without regard for the future. It is likely that Paul had the Epicureans in mind when he said, "If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor. 15:32). If there is no resurrection, we the believers shall have no hope in the future and become the most miserable of all men (1 Cor. 15:19). If so, we had better enjoy our life today, forgetting the future, like the Epicureans. In his preaching in Acts 17 Paul seemed to be saying to the Epicureans, "There is a Creator, and He is the Provider who gives to all life, breath, and all things. You are God's offspring, for you were produced of Him and derive your human life from Him. Because you have a human life, you live, move, and have your being in Him. You also need to know that there will be a judgment in the future. This future judgment is related to the resurrection of the Man Jesus. God has designated Jesus to be the One to judge everyone, and He has furnished proof of this by raising Him from among the dead. In the past God allowed you to go your own way. But He has sent me here to tell you that you now need to repent."
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Acts, pp. 411-412. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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