Handelingen 14:16

16 Welke in de verledene tijden al de heidenen heeft laten wandelen in hun wegen;

Handelingen 14:16 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 14:16

Who in times past
For many hundred years past; even ever since God chose and separated the people of Israel from the rest of the nations, to be a peculiar people to himself: from that time he

suffered all nations to walk in their own ways;
of ignorance, superstition, and idolatry; which they devised, and chose, and delighted in: not that he gave them any licence to walk in these ways, without being chargeable with sin, or with impunity; but he left them to themselves, to the dim light and law of nature, and gave them no written law, nor any external revelation of his mind and will; nor did he send any prophets or ministers of his unto them, to show them the evil of their ways, and turn them from them, and direct them to the true God, and the right way of worshipping him; but left them to take their own methods, and pursue the imagination of their own hearts: but the apostle suggests, that the case was now altered, and God had sent them and other ministers of his, among all nations of the world, to protest against their superstition and idolatry; and to reclaim them from their evil ways, and to direct them to the true and living God, and his worship, and to preach salvation by his Son Jesus Christ.

Handelingen 14:16 In-Context

14 Maar de apostelen, Barnabas en Paulus, dat horende, scheurden hun klederen, en sprongen onder de schare, roepende,

15 En zeggende: Mannen, waarom doet gij deze dingen? Wij zijn ook mensen van gelijke bewegingen als gij, en verkondigen ulieden, dat gij u zoudt van deze ijdele dingen bekeren tot den levenden God, Die gemaakt heeft den hemel, en de aarde, en de zee, en al hetgeen in dezelve is;

16 Welke in de verledene tijden al de heidenen heeft laten wandelen in hun wegen;

17 Hoewel Hij nochtans Zichzelven niet onbetuigd gelaten heeft, goed doende van den hemel, ons regen en vruchtbare tijden gevende, vervullende onze harten met spijs en vrolijkheid.

18 En dit zeggende, wederhielden zij nauwelijks de scharen, dat zij hun niet offerden.