Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 17:30 (New International Version)

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

Paul said this while speaking to the general public in Athens. This is a masterful way to speak with people who don’t know what Paul knows. He tells them,

You didn’t know any better. Now you do. Now is the time to change.

We can have long discussions about how God treated those who never heard the news of Jesus the Christ. Perhaps this verse is the cornerstone of such discussions, perhaps not. I take it as a simple statement in a sermon. A simple yet powerful statement.

Now is the time to change.