The times of ignorance God overlooked...

[charliedale]

Pastor Mike,

I believe and teach that those who do not hear the gospel will be lost and will go to hell. I don't take joy in that, but it seems that the Bible teaches it. Romans 1 teaches that we are without excuse because nature itself testifies about God but that we have each rejected God and chosen sin. Romans 10 says that you can't be saved unless you believe on Christ and that you can't believe on Christ unless you hear the gospel.

But, does Paul contradict his teachings in Romans when he says in Acts 17:30 "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."

What does it mean that "God overlooked"? Is ignorance of the gospel an excuse? Did this possibly only apply to the ignorant who lived during Old Testament times?

[kurtmanteufel]

Nov 10, 2010 11:30:00 GMT -5 charliedale said:

"The times of ignorance God overlooked..."

Interestingly, the NIV translates this as "In the past God overlooked..."

Hmmmm...

[Mike Miller]

The key to this, Charlie, is verse 31. Paul is explaining that God has overlooked ignorance in that He has not yet had a day of judgment (or a day of reckoning for sin) for those he is addressing, but that day is coming. Therefore, this ties in perfectly with Romans 1 in that people ultimately have no excuse. Right now, if you are in Christ, it's only because there was a time when God overlooked your sin. You had the opportunity to repent and come to Christ. But that time is growing shorter all the time. Right now is the time to repent. God has been gracious, but when the day of reckoning comes, it will be too late. He is telling those to whom he is speaking that they didn't know the Gospel. They didn't even know the one true God, but now they do. Now they know they need to repent. God had given them a time of ignorance, but their judgment is coming. Everyone needs to repent--even the Athenian philosophers. Even they will not escape judgment.

[charliedale]

Thank you, Mike. What a humbling thought that God overlooked my time of ignorance, but He saved me through Christ.