The End of Ignorance, A Call to Missions

“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
–Acts 17:30-31

In Acts 17, we find Paul in Athens, beholding the many gods of the Greeks at the Areopagus, or Mars Hill. It was a center of religious learning and discussion, and among the altars erected to the many heathen gods, Paul found one designated simply “To the Unknown God.” It was a precaution in case there were a god that they had not discovered so that they might be careful to give him due reverence. Paul seized the opportunity to speak to them of the One True God, and began by proclaiming the supremacy and sovereignty of God, and His right to rule as He pleases over the nations, having determined their bounds and habitations. As a race of men that had rejected Him, Paul says that God had created all men that they might seek after Him, if indeed they could feel their way in the dark and find Him whom they had rejected.
Having established God’s sovereignty, Paul begins to explain the purpose of God in history. In the times of man’s ignorance, when he did not know of God, Paul says that God overlooked them. So the question is, what does Paul mean when he states that God overlooked the nations? Is he referring to their sin, or is it something for which we must probe a little bit deeper? And what are the implications of understanding this truth?

The Mystery of Christ

In the book of Ephesians, Paul begins by an in-depth exposition of the work of salvation, beginning with the sovereign grace of God in eternity past to its present manifestation of works in the life a believer. Beginning in Ephesians 2:11, Paul starts to take a slight turn and focus on the Gospel and its relation to Israel and the church. This line of thought continues on into chapter 3, where Paul makes some insightful statements. In Ephesians 3:4-6, Paul says:
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
So Paul tells us that the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Gospel is a mystery, by which Paul means that it was something that was not previously revealed. Paul states very clearly in verse 9 that “the plan of this mystery was hidden for ages in God.” Therefore, God had not intended to reveal His purpose in Christ to redeem for Himself a people among the Gentiles.

Examples in the Early Church

Throughout the New Testament, we find the early church seemingly in a bind over the subject. We as the New Covenant church read through the New Testament with our presuppositions about the church and take for granted the inclusion of the Gentiles in that promise, and often overlook the cultural and religious thought patterns that a first century Jew would have had. The Jews did not think in terms of Jews and Gentiles. Even the ministry of Christ was to the Jews, and not primarily to the Gentiles. Even when we get to the ascension of Christ, we find the Jews still asking if Christ would at this time establish the kingdom. Jewish believers still thought of the kingdom in carnal, nationalistic terms. That is why in the book of Galatians Paul addresses those who are seeking to “Judaize” the Gentiles. We find Peter marveling at the conversion of Cornelius and his household. We find that Peter’s report to the church was accepted with amazement and praise to God, that He had granted repentance to the Gentiles. In the meeting of the church leaders in Acts 15, James determined that, indeed, the Gospel was also for the Gentiles.

Implications

God’s intention in the New Covenant and in the promise of the Gospel through Jesus Christ was to redeem for Himself from among the nations a people for His glory and His praise. The outgrowth of the Gospel is missions. As we see in our text in Acts 17, although God in the past worked through Israel and overlooked the nations, now with the advent of Christ and the message of the Gospel, God has repented men from all nations to repent. We find this contrast in verse 30, in God’s overlooking of the nations is contrasted with His calling of all nations of men to repent. Whereas in the past, God’s people were from one nation of men that He called forth for His glory, in this New Covenant age God is calling for Himself a people from all nations. He no longer works through a physical, carnal nation, but through a spiritual people. The end of the age of ignorance is a call to missions. God is calling a people from all nations for His praise and glory. His call will go forth through the proclamation of the Gospel, and will redound to His glory and praise throughout all eternity.