Acts 17:31, commentary and pictures

God has fixed a definite day, still future, in which He will judge the whole world with perfect fairness and impartiality. That judgment will be carried out by the Man He ordained, His Son Jesus Christ, to whom all judgment is given for the living and the dead. By raising Jesus from the dead He has given all men proof and assurance that this judgment will surely take place. It does not happen at death, but before anyone receives the reward of heaven each life is examined from the books of record and every person is judged and rewarded according to his works and the light he has received. Because the times of overlooked ignorance are ended, God now commands all men everywhere to repent and prepare to meet Him in peace, for the appointed day that closes the world's history is near at hand.

Paul Preaching at Athens

Paul stood on Mars Hill, the Areopagus, in the very heart of pagan Athens, speaking to Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, to the men of Athens, great and learned men, an art-worshiping people. The address recorded in Acts 17:22-34 was delivered before the court of the Areopagus at Athens. His attitude, surroundings, and words were to be handed down through all coming generations bearing witness to confidence, courage, and victory for Christianity.

He spoke with unshaken confidence and courage in loneliness and adversity. With tact born of divine love he carefully drew proud, self-sufficient hearers away from heathen deities instead of directly attacking their gods, revealing the true God who was to them unknown and rebuking idolatry and sin. He met reasoning with reasoning, science with science, and philosophy with philosophy. With intellectual acquirements and oratorical style he met false philosophy with true philosophy, eloquence with eloquence, logic with logic, and oratory with oratory, adapting his teaching to his audience and spending much time discussing natural religion.

He reached the warning about judgment after declaring the Unknown God as Creator and Lord of heaven and earth who gives life and breath to all, who made all nations and set their times and bounds so they would seek Him, and who is not like gold or silver or stone. Preaching this judgment and resurrection proves he was no novice, but able to meet every class from men of renown to heathen idolaters. He publicly proclaimed the faith of Christ before the sages of Greece with noble firmness and winning power, and by knowledge and eloquence he put to silence the arguments of proud philosophy. The evidences of Christianity he presented are not of human invention but come from God, bear divinity's stamp, are of heavenly origin, and no power on earth can quench them. Signs and miracles gave unmistakable evidence of the divine character of the faith he proclaimed. He remained faithful in proclaiming God just as he did later under threat of Nero's sentence, grounded in a faith that reaches beyond what is seen and grasps eternal things.

He also reasoned with rulers about righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come, and they trembled as if already facing the terrors of the day of God. Proclaiming the resurrection from the dead caused some to mock and others to delay hearing more. Although his argument could not be controverted, few accepted the gospel. His labors at Athens were not wholly in vain, for Dionysius, one of the most prominent citizens, and some others accepted the gospel message and united themselves fully with the believers, a victory gained for Christianity.

The small fruit taught that human education and literary science leave men in darkness, and that something above the world's wisdom is needed even from men of learning. The Spirit must come into the work and sanctify every intellectual development in order to convict and convert sinners, so that faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God received from a higher source through Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This approach of argument and discussion of philosophy and science persuaded few, and Paul thereafter preached more simply, pointing sinners to Christ as Saviour. Afterward he determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, because a short lifetime leaves time for nothing else.

Appointed Day and Judge

The true God is the living center of government, with creative power and overruling providence, and He has fixed a definite, specific day for judgment. That day was still future when Paul spoke on Mars Hill, and in it God will judge the world in righteousness, with fairness and impartiality. The judgment will be by the Man He ordained, His Son Jesus Christ, into whose hands all judgment is given. He is appointed to judge the living and the dead.

Jesus ascended to heaven as a man, and as a man He is the substitute and surety for humanity. As a man He lives to make intercession, prepares a place for all who love Him, and will come again with power and glory to receive His children. Having a human judge is cause for joy and thanksgiving, and it gives lasting assurance that the whole unfallen universe is interested in the great work He came to accomplish, the salvation of man. Christ became that substitute and surety, Redeemer and Intercessor of fallen man, by offering His own life when death was proclaimed as sin's penalty. By that offering man is given a second probation, with privilege and power to form character after the divine image. His work as surety does not lessen or detract from obligation to the divine law, and the coming judgment upholds that law undiminished.

Because God's infinite love was expressed by the cross of Calvary in giving His life for human agents, no wrong committed in dealing with them will be passed over. In this appointed work God is Saviour of men, not destroyer, but restorer to renew His own image in men. He works to encourage, to enlighten, to sanctify, to elevate, to ennoble, and those who do not with all their powers cooperate with Christ in this work will never see the kingdom of heaven. By raising Christ from the dead God has given assurance and proof to all men that this judgment will take place. That resurrection assures everyone, from the poor and humble to philosophers and rulers, of the coming just judgment of the whole world.

The ages of darkness before the coming of Christ, when the divine Ruler passed lightly over and overlooked heathen idolatry, are ended. Now through His Son He sends the light of truth and commands all men everywhere to repent unto salvation. He requires it not only from the poor and humble but also from proud philosophers, rulers, and princes of the earth.

Future Investigative Judgment

The appointed day is a future, definite and specific time, still future when Paul spoke, in which God will judge the world in righteousness through Jesus, the Man He ordained, and by raising Him from the dead He has given assurance and proof to all people that this judgment will take place. That judgment does not take place at death.

Before anyone receives the reward of heaven or enters the mansions of the blest, each person's case must be investigated, and character and deeds must pass in review before God. All are to be judged from the record of their lives according to the things written in the books, and rewarded as their works have been, whether according to works or according to things done. A future fixed judgment proves the dead are not already enjoying heaven or suffering hell, for then no future judgment would be needed. If the dead already went to bliss in heaven or torment in hell at death, a future judgment bringing commendation to the righteous and sentence upon the wicked would be solemn mockery without wisdom or justice.

The Lord Jesus Christ will judge the world before the judgment seat of Christ, where if people serve sin they will meet the reward of transgressors of Jehovah's law. He can read the purpose of every life, see through every soul, discern the thought of every heart, and estimate the feelings prompting every action. All the slighted, refused and rejected invitations of a gracious God will be presented to every individual. The sentence then given will fix the destiny of the soul either in eternal bliss or in punishment with the fiery element of God's wrath, closing the history of the wicked forever.

Second Coming Is Near

Christ Himself tells when the appointed day of judgment will be ushered in, not by the conversion of all the world but by this gospel of the kingdom being preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then the end shall come. By giving that gospel to the world it is in human power to hasten the Lord's return, for men are not only to look for but to hasten the coming of the day of God. Had the church done her appointed work as ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned and the Lord Jesus would have come with power and great glory.

Satan has blinded understanding and caused professed followers to neglect their weighty responsibility and lose their first love, allowing a hard selfish spirit to hinder the work. Against this, God imbues workers with the Holy Spirit, gives increased light, and places angels beside every worker who with single eye to His glory visits house to house and opens the Scriptures to darkened thirsting souls, using even the most humble men though they have not been ordained. His power goes with those who proclaim the gospel. When asked when the Lord will come, the answer to give is that God has set a time to judge the world in righteousness through the appointed Man, proved to all by raising Him from the dead. Those who claim to believe the gospel must therefore work most earnestly with every entrusted talent of influence, means, or ability to advance the truth in all its lines, so a people may be prepared to stand witnessing that Christ is their personal Saviour.

The Day of Judgment is near at hand and the Lord is soon to come. Fire and flood and earthquake are His warnings to the inhabitants of the earth of His soon approach. The appointed day that brings the world's history to its close is drawing near though its day and hour are unknown, and it will come suddenly and unexpectedly with every person's destiny then fixed. The warning is certain and solemn and points to Christ's soon coming with the assurance that the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and that coming should be expected. Yet worldly people and professed Christians may fail to understand or reject it.

The people of the world must be led with more determined effort to see that the judgment is near and to know the time of their visitation, by circulating everywhere carefully prepared literature on the significance of the scenes now witnessed, with understanding quickened by the Holy Spirit and full consecration to give the last message of mercy. Christ's coming is a day of judgment in which the world is judged in righteousness, and those who were unfaithful and whose works could not endure God's searching judgment feared meeting Christ and so resisted the message of His coming. God will judge the world in righteousness before Christ comes, and before that judgment He sends a warning about neglect of the fourth commandment so people can be enlightened, repent of breaking His law, and show allegiance to the Lawgiver. People are accountable for the light given to them, and those who died before the Sabbath commandment's claims were made known were not guilty of violating it.

Judged by Works and Light

On the appointed day each person will be rewarded according to the things done in the body, whether good or evil, for every work with every secret thing will be brought into account. That judgment will separate the wheat from the tares, the faithful from the unfaithful, with each one receiving as his deeds deserve. In that separation those who harmed God's cause from within as spots, tares, and wolves by false witness and cruel attacks on character, who tore down and destroyed the reputation of God's servants, will be revealed as hypocrites who knew all along they were acting unjustly and cruelly and delighted in making lies and bearing false witness against neighbors, and testimony from their own lips will clear the innocent from suspicion.

God is particular about the behavior of every soul toward Himself and His law, going into particulars of words spoken in the family circle and the spirit shown toward believers and unbelievers. He examines home life and business life between man and man and neighbor and neighbor, and whether they are doers of the Word. Everyone will be judged by the Word of God by the standard of what they ought to have been and what they ought to have done with the privileges bought with the blood of the only begotten Son. As servants of Jesus men are responsible to be doers of His words, to walk in the light as Christ is in the light, and to represent Christ to the world, and in the present hours of probation each person is individually deciding his own destiny for that day.

All will be judged according to the light that has been given. God sends forth His ambassadors with a message of salvation, and those who hear will be held responsible for the way they treat the words of His servants. Those who are sincerely seeking truth make careful investigation, in the light of God's word, of the doctrines presented to them. The judgment holds every steward accountable with rigorous impartiality and fairness for blood-bought powers and talents lent by God to be improved to the utmost, and God demands His own with usury. To prove false to sacred obligations, to pervert abilities, to misuse and misapply talents, to rob God by not putting them to the very best use, and to waste the Lord's substance is not a small offense and does not leave a person guiltless, but brings condemnation rather than Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

That accounting will call stewards of means to give account for misusing entrusted talents, especially for long neglecting to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give comfort and relief to suffering humanity while spending money on pleasures and gratification of appetite in wine and liquor and rich food, and on extravagant houses and furniture and dress, leaving fellow beings without a pitying look or word of sympathy. The standard of sober-minded, exemplary conduct will condemn men, especially young men, who were given power, talents, education, and opportunity to cooperate with heavenly intelligences in saving souls for Christ yet misapplied, buried, perverted, and wasted their Lord's goods to gratify ambition and offer them at Satan's shrine. Every case will be fairly tried.

The verse is a simple, plain, sure, and steadfast warning against flattering oneself that God is not exact to punish wrongdoers who live in daily transgression of His law. His word is sure and firm and He will exactly punish wrong. This appointed judgment will be implemented upon those who keep picking flaws in the messages God has given, after He removes His Spirit from them. A just God will examine the life each person has lived, and in view of that judgment each person should now do his best and offer God consecrated service.

Repentance and Faithful Service

Because a day has been fixed to judge the world in righteousness, all are called to repent now and turn to God so they may meet Him in peace. The proclamation of Christ's second coming is given to wake people to that coming judgment and to their need for such preparation.

That appointed judgment meets those within the believers, in the history of the third angel's message, who injure God's cause as spots and tares and wolves by false witness and cruel attacks on the character of others. On that day each one will receive according to his deeds, with the wheat separated from the tares and the faithful from the unfaithful. Those who tore down and destroyed the reputation of God's servants will then be exposed as hypocrites, shown to have known all along that they were acting unjustly and cruelly while delighting to invent lies and bear false witness against their neighbors. By testimony from their own lips the innocent whom they falsely accused will be cleared from suspicion.