John Calvin Commentary Acts 17:31

"inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." — Acts 17:31 (ASV)

Because he hath appointed a day. He makes mention of the last judgment, that he may awaken them out of their dream. For we know how hard a matter it is for men to deny themselves. Therefore, they must be violently forced to repentance, which cannot be done better than when they are cited to appear before God's judgment seat, and that fearful judgment is set before them, which they may neither despise nor escape.

Therefore, let us remember that the doctrine of repentance then takes place when men, who would naturally desire to flatter themselves, are awakened with fear of God's judgment. Let us also remember that none are fit teachers of the gospel but those who are the criers or heralds of the highest Judge, who bring those who are to come before the Judge to plead their cause, and denounce the judgment hanging over their heads, even as if it were in their own hand.

Neither is this added in vain, in righteousness, or righteously. For though all men in the world confess that God is a just Judge, yet we see how they, for the most part, pamper and flatter themselves; for they will not allow God to demand an account further than their knowledge and understanding reaches.

Therefore, Paul's meaning is that men profit themselves nothing by vain flattery, because they will not prejudice God's justice in this way. This demonstrates that whatever seems good in the sight of men is an abomination before God, because He will not follow the decrees of men, but that form which He Himself has appointed.

By the man whom he hath appointed. It is not to be doubted that Paul spoke more extensively concerning Christ, so that the Athenians might know that He is the Son of God, by whom salvation was brought to the world, and who had all power given to Him in heaven and earth; otherwise this speech, which we read here, would have had little force to persuade.

But Luke thought it sufficient to summarize the sermon briefly. Yet it is to be thought that Paul spoke first concerning the grace of Christ, and that he first preached Him as the Redeemer of men, before he presented Him as a Judge. But because Christ is often despised when He offers Himself as a Redeemer, Paul proclaims that He will one day sharply punish such wicked contempt, because the whole world must be judged by Him.

The word [ὁριζειν] may be referred both to the secret counsel of God and to external manifestation. Yet, because the former interpretation is more common, I willingly embrace it: namely, that God, by His eternal decree, has ordained His Son to be the Judge of the world. And this was so that the reprobate, who refuse to be ruled by Christ, may learn that they strive in vain against the decree of God, which cannot be broken.

But because nothing seems more strange to men than that God will judge in the person of a man, Paul adds afterward that Christ's dignity, which was hard to believe, was confirmed by His resurrection.

The will of God alone ought to be so reverenced among us that everyone subscribes to His decrees for himself without delay. Because the pretext of ignorance is often raised as an objection, Paul therefore says plainly that Christ was by His resurrection openly shown to be the Judge of the world, and that what God had previously determined within Himself concerning Him was revealed to the eyes of men.

For that point of doctrine, which Luke touches on briefly in a few words, was handled by Paul in detail. He not only said in a word that Christ rose from death, but He also treated the power of His resurrection as was fitting.

For to what end did Christ rise, but that He might be the first fruits of those which rise again? (1 Corinthians 15:23). And to what end will we rise again, but either to life or to death? From this it follows that Christ, by His resurrection, is declared and proven to be the Judge of the world.