This statement of Peter's silenced his opponents. They extolled the goodness of God, and said, »So, then, to the Gentiles also God has given the repentance which leads to Life.«
For as I passed along and observed the things you worship, I found also an altar bearing the inscription, `TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' »The Being, therefore, whom you, without knowing Him, revere, Him I now proclaim to you.
And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.
Or is it that you think slightingly of His infinite goodness, forbearance and patience, unaware that the goodness of God is gently drawing you to repentance?
He it is whom God put forward as a Mercy-seat, rendered efficacious through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness – because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the sins previously committed–
For you have given time enough in the past to the doing of the things which the Gentiles delight in– pursuing, as you did, a course of habitual licence, debauchery, hard drinking, noisy revelry, drunkenness and unholy image-worship.