Acts 17:30

Acts 17:30 — Does "Repent" Mean Turn From Your Sins?

Acts 17 is a great proof that we do not have to repent of our sins in order to be saved.

In Acts chapter 17 we see Paul preaching to a heathen group of people who are worshipping idols and have a distorted view of who God is. They are worshipping the unknown God. Verse 29: "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." He is saying quit thinking that these idols you are bowing down to are actually God.

Then verse 30: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." People use this verse to say see, God commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins. But look at the context. What Paul is doing here is explaining something these people did not believe before — something very different from the unknown god they had been ignorantly worshipping. He says they are ignorantly worshipping — meaning without knowledge, they have the wrong belief. They are bowing down to gold, silver, and stone graven by art and man's device and thinking that is God.

So when it says God commandeth all men everywhere to repent, it is not saying to quit drinking alcohol. What it is saying is change your belief. Quit believing in these idols. Quit bowing down to them and trusting in them, because that is not who God is. You must repent — change your mind about what you believe — in order to believe on Christ.

Repentance in Acts 17 is a change of mind about who God is, not a turning from sinful behaviour.

Pastor Matthew Stucky