| Geneva Study Bible Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given {r} assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (r) By declaring Christ to be the judge of the world through the resurrection from the dead. People's New Testament 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day. This call to repentance is urged because God hath appointed a day, the day of coming judgment, when the world will be judged through Christ. Of this the resurrection of Christ is an assurance. Raised him from the dead. If Jesus was raised, all men will be raised; hence, the assurance of a general judgment after death. Wesley's Notes 17:31 He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world - How fitly does he speak this, in their supreme court of justice? By the man - So he speaks, suiting himself to the capacity of his hearers. Whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead - God raising Jesus demonstrated hereby, that he was to be the glorious Judge of all. We are by no means to imagine that this was all which the apostle intended to have said, but the indolence of some of his hearers and the petulancy of others cut him short. King James Translators' Notes hath given...: or, offered faith Scofield Reference Notes Margin world "oikoumene" = inhabited earth. See Scofield Note: "Lk 2:1". Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world-Such language beyond doubt teaches that the judgment will, in its essence, be a solemn judicial assize held upon all mankind at once. "Aptly is this uttered on the Areopagus, the seat of judgment" [Bengel]. by that man whom he hath ordained-compare Joh 5:22, 23, 27; Ac 10:42. whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead-the most patent evidence to mankind at large of the judicial authority with which the Risen One is clothed. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 17:22-31 Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to the Jews. In the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the former, it was to lead them, by the common works of providence, to know the Creator, and worship Him. The apostle spoke of an altar he had seen, with the inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. This fact is stated by many writers. After multiplying their idols to the utmost, some at Athens thought there was another god of whom they had no knowledge. And are there not many now called Christians, who are zealous in their devotions, yet the great object of their worship is to them an unknown God? Observe what glorious things Paul here says of that God whom he served, and would have them to serve. The Lord had long borne with idolatry, but the times of this ignorance were now ending, and by his servants he now commanded all men every where to repent of their idolatry. Each sect of the learned men would feel themselves powerfully affected by the apostle's discourse, which tended to show the emptiness or falsity of their doctrines. | 
