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When the apostles went out to preach in the world of paganism, they
assumed one thing:
“the heathen do not know God” which was a theme from the Old
Testament (Jer. 10:25: Ps. 78:6 LXX).
Paul took up this O.T. theme when he praised the Thessalonians for
turning from pagan gods to worship the true and living God (1Thes. 4:5).
He told the Galatians that before conversion, they did not know God (Gal.
4:8-9).
But then he was in Athens, he went to Mars Hill and told the people there
that he saw an altar dedicated to “An Unknown God”.
“Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you”
(Acts 17:23-24).
To know the true God is synonymous with being converted.
It is also equivalent to knowing “the truth” (Gal. 4:9; 1Tim. 2:4-5;
Heb. 10:26).
Also see Titus 1:1.
Truth in the N.T. means right teaching or doctrine, right belief in
contrast to ignorance and error so that Paul can characterize his apostolic
activity as a “ manifestation of the truth” (2Cor. 4:2).
Even the gospel is called the word of truth (2 Cor. 6:7; Col. 1:5).
In their preaching, God is described as Creator (Acts 14:15-17).
Over and over we are reminded that He is the One who “created heaven
& earth (Rev. 10:6; 14:7) and all things (Eph. 3:9) and life (1Tim. 6:13).
The call to believe in the one true God is simultaneously a call to
repentance (Heb. 6:1 says belief in God or toward God).
Conversion and repentance constitute a unity in the Bible.
See Rev. 20:21; 16:9, 11).
The call to repentance has its basis in the fact that God is the Creator
but also the Judge of the entire world.
The proclaiming of the impending judgment pervades all the N.T. writings.
Even in Paul who so emphasized justification through faith, we find that
we will be judged by our works and deeds (1Cor. 3:13-15; 5:4; 2Cor.5: 10; Rom.
2:5-7).
The Apostles preached and wrote that everything depends upon being
faithful to the end (Heb. 3:6,14; 6:11; Rev. 2:26).
They also preached an urgency in that the night was far spend and the
“day is at hand” (Rom. 13:12) and “approaching” (Heb. 10:25; and that
"the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:8) and that the end of all
things is at hand (1Pet. 4:7).
Shouldn't this also be the message that we should preach in this time -- explaining the true God and His Son Jesus Christ -- that the time is short and people everywhere need to repent? See Acts 17:30.
-- David L. Antion for Guardian Ministries