What God Really Winked At (Overlooked) In Acts 17:30 (And What It Has To Do With Water Into Wine)

We picture Paul standing on Mars Hill in Athens, surrounded by statues, altars, and smart philosophers who love to argue. It feels like a mix of a university courtyard and a shrine. In the middle of all that, Paul talks about “times of ignorance” and a God who once “winked” at something but now commands everyone to repent.

Most of us have heard that Acts 17:30 means God used to overlook idol worship, then sent Jesus, and now people are responsible. That is true on one level, but it does not go deep enough. There is more under the surface than statues and temples.

In this passage, we see a call to become one with God’s nature, to let our spirit rule our soul and body, and to leave a whole way of flesh‑driven life. That is where this connects to alcohol, to our habits, and even to how we read the story of Jesus turning water into wine.

We want to walk through Acts 17 in the original context, talk about what “ignorance” really means, look at water into wine in John 2, and ask a hard but freeing question: would God, who says alcohol is “not for kings,” ever give it as His gift to His royal sons and daughters?

This is not just a Bible study. It is a call to live a holy, Spirit‑led life in a world that loves the buzz of the flesh.

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Acts 17:29–30 Explained: What Were the “Times of Ignorance” God Winked At (Overlooked)?

Paul at Mars Hill among idols and thinkers. 

“Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked (winked at), but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.”
(Acts 17:29–30)

In simple terms, Paul is saying, “You are God’s children, so why are you acting like God is a statue?” Then he talks about “times of ignorance” that God “overlooked.”

The Greek word for ignorance here is agnoia. It means not just “you did not know the facts,” but a kind of spiritual darkness, a fog over the heart. People groped for God but did not see Him clearly.

The word for “overlooked” is from hyperorao. It carries the sense of God holding back full judgment, looking past their condition for a season. You can see more discussion of this in resources like Acts 17:30 commentaries on Bible Hub and in Greek forums such as this B‑Greek thread on Acts 17:30.

This did not mean God approved of idols. He never did. It meant He was patient while the light was limited, waiting until Christ was revealed and the Gospel could be preached to all people.

Idols were part of it, but not the whole story. Idols of stone were only the visible part of a deeper ignorance: idols in the heart. Self. Pleasure. Pride in human wisdom. Living as if we are only body and soul, not spirit.

Now that Christ has come, Paul says the season of “not knowing” is over. God commands all people, everywhere, to repent.

Paul’s Mars Hill message: From unknown god to known Father

If we walk through Acts 17:22–31 in plain language, the message feels simple and tender.

Paul starts with what he sees: “I see you are very religious. I noticed an altar ‘To the Unknown God’.” He uses their own shrine as a doorway into truth.

Then he tells them about the God they do not know:

• He made the world and everything in it.
• He does not live in temples made by hands.
• He gives life and breath to all.
• He chose the times and places where people live, so they would seek Him.

Paul even says, “He is not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being.” He quotes their own poets, “We are His offspring.”

Do we feel the tension here? They were ignorant, but God was not distant. He was reaching. He was calling. That is the heart behind the words “times of ignorance.”

The original Greek sense of “ignorance” and “overlooked” in Acts 17:30

When Paul speaks of “times of ignorance,” he is not describing a small mistake. He is talking about a season of spiritual blindness.

Agnoia describes people walking in darkness, not seeing God’s nature or their own identity. They made gods in their own image and then became like what they worshiped.

Hyperorao, “overlooked,” means God allowed that season without pouring out full judgment. He restrained Himself. He hated the idols, but He held back, waiting for the fullness of time when Jesus would die, rise, and send the Holy Spirit.

A helpful reflection on this idea is in John Piper’s message, “The Age of Ignorance Is Over”, where he links this overlooking to patience, not approval.

Now, with Christ revealed, the light is on. The excuse of ignorance is gone. The command to repent is urgent and global.

More than idol statues: The deeper ignorance of living by the flesh

We often read Acts 17 and picture carved idols and think, “I do not bow to statues, so this is not about me.” That can be a subtle form of ignorance all over again.

The deeper issue is not stone, it is flesh.

When Paul talks about the flesh in places like Romans 8 and Galatians 5, he means a whole way of living. A life driven by desires, moods, and human wisdom, instead of by the Spirit of God.

The deepest ignorance is to live as if we are only body and soul, pushed around by appetites and feelings, instead of living as spirit beings joined to God’s Spirit.

That is where this connects with our habits today, including what we drink, what we watch, what we chase, and how we comfort ourselves.

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Becoming One With God’s Nature: Spirit, Soul, and Body in Acts 17

Picture of spirit, soul, and body submitted to God. 

In verses 28–29, Paul gives us a bridge into our identity.

“In Him we live and move and have our being …
For we are indeed His offspring.
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone…”

Paul is saying, “You come from God, so stop shrinking Him down to your own art project.” In other words, align with His nature, not with your idols or your flesh.

We are spirit, soul, and body. When the “times of ignorance” ruled, the body and soul sat in the driver’s seat. After Christ, we are called to be Spirit‑led.

What it means to be God’s offspring: sharing His nature, not our idols

If we are God’s offspring, that means we are meant to share His nature. Children carry something of their father.

God is holy, pure, faithful, and full of self‑control. So when Paul says, “We are His offspring,” he is not flattering the Athenians. He is inviting them into a relationship that will change everything.

He adds that the Godhead is not like gold, silver, or stone, shaped by human art. That is a polite way of saying, “You have been trying to shape God, when He is the One who should shape you.”

The Holy Spirit is given so we do not just hear this call, but actually live it. For readers who want more on walking with the Spirit day by day, teachings like those often found at Spirit‑focused ministries can help, such as material that echoes what we see in resources like this article on Christians and alcohol, which warns about the pull of strong drink and calls believers higher.

Letting our spirit rule our body: training our soul to follow God

A simple way to picture it:

• Spirit: the part of us that relates to God.
• Soul: mind, will, and emotions.
• Body: our physical brain, senses, and appetites.

Before we come to Christ, the body and soul usually run the show. “I feel it, I want it, I do it.” That was part of the “times of ignorance.”

After Christ, our reborn spirit, joined with the Holy Spirit, is meant to lead. The soul should follow, and the body should obey.

This shows up in very practical choices:

• We say no to lust when our body screams yes.
• We choose purity on a screen, even when our emotions feel lonely.
• We refuse to get drunk, even when our friends tell us we need to “relax.”
• We renew our mind with Scripture, worship, and prayer, so our soul learns a new pattern.

Acts 17:30, “now He commands all people everywhere to repent,” is not just, “Stop bowing to statues.” It is, “Let Me reorder you from the inside out.”

Repentance as a change of nature, not just a change of habit

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It means a change of mind and direction, but more than a mood swing. It is an inner shift.

In Acts 17:30, repent means, “Leave that old life of ignorance and flesh. Step into a new life of oneness with God’s nature.”

So God is not only asking us to stop bad behavior. He is inviting us to become different people. People who live by the Spirit, not by the cravings of the flesh.

That is heavy, but it is also full of hope. He never commands us to do what He will not empower us to walk out.

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From Idols to Alcohol: Why Spirit-led People Do Not Need Man-made Wine

Idols in Athens were shaped by human art. Alcohol is also the work of human hands. Grapes are from God. Fermentation and strong drink are a human use of what God made, pushed into something that can rule mind and body.

In our time, alcohol often functions like an idol. It promises comfort, courage, and escape. It shapes decisions, relationships, and even identity.

Acts 17:29–30 exposes a choice: will we live by the flesh or by the Spirit?

Scripture is clear about drunkenness. Passages like Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler,” and Proverbs 31:4–5, “It is not for kings to drink wine,” speak with sharp, simple wisdom. A helpful explanation of Proverbs 31:4 is found at BibleRef’s commentary on that verse, where the focus is on clarity for leaders.

How alcohol is man-made and feeds the flesh, not the Spirit

Grapes by themselves do not intoxicate. Alcohol is produced through fermentation, time, and human handling. We take something natural and increase its power to affect the brain.

When we drink enough, alcohol:

• Dulls judgment.
• Weakens self‑control.
• Lowers moral guard.
• Stirs up impulses that were already in the heart.

In that sense, alcohol fits right into Paul’s picture of ignorance and flesh‑led living. It pulls us down into body and soul, while we are called up into Spirit‑led clarity.

We are not shaming anyone who has struggled with drinking. Many believers have testified, like writers in places such as Truth Magazine’s discussion of John 2 and alcohol, that even one drink took them down a road they wish they had never started. The point is not to mock, but to invite a better way.

Why alcohol is “not for kings” and we are called to be royal in Christ

Proverbs 31:4–5 says:

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to desire strong drink,
lest they drink and forget what is decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.”

Rulers need clear minds. They must judge fairly and protect the weak. Fuzzy thinking is not a small issue for them.

In Christ, we are called “a royal priesthood.” We are not just sinners scraped into Heaven. We are seated with Christ, called to reign in life with Him.

If God warned earthly kings not to drink wine, why would He give strong drink as a gift to His spiritual kings and priests? That idea does not fit the heart of a Father who wants His children clear, sharp, and loving.

You can see this same caution echoed in modern conversations, such as this Desiring God interview on alcohol and the depressed, which warns against turning to drink for comfort.

Drunkenness, ignorance, and losing our spiritual sharpness

When people give themselves to alcohol, something happens on the inside. The spirit grows dull. The soul grows foggy. The body takes over.

In a way, it creates a small, personal “time of ignorance” again. We do things we later cannot fully remember or explain.

Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” That is a direct contrast. Alcohol is a cheap comfort. The Holy Spirit is the true Comforter.

We are invited to a joy that does not leave a hangover, to peace that does not come from a bottle.

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Did Jesus Turn Water into Wine or the Fruit of the Vine? A Closer Look at John 2

The wedding at Cana and the mystery of water into wine. 

Now we come to the famous story in John 2, where Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana.

Many of us have heard this used as a defense for casual drinking. “Jesus made wine, so what is the problem?” But if we slow down and look at language, culture, and His nature, a different picture starts to appear.

We want to ask: what kind of “wine” did Jesus create when He turned water into wine? Was it alcoholic in the sense we think of today, or was it pure fruit of the vine? And what was He really preaching through this miracle?

For a deeper textual study, some writers make this case in detail, such as this article on whether Jesus turned water into alcoholic wine.

Understanding “wine” and “fruit of the vine” in the Bible’s original language

In the New Testament, the common Greek word for wine is oinos. That same word can point to fermented drink or to fresh grape juice, depending on context. The word itself does not settle the question.

At the Last Supper, Jesus does not say “this wine.” He speaks of the “fruit of the vine.” That phrase carries the sense of what directly comes from the grape, not a long‑fermented product.

In many Old Testament texts, “new wine” and fresh juice are signs of blessing, harvest, and joy, not tools for numbing pain. The cup in Scripture is tied to covenant, life, and the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus uses the cup as a picture of His blood and the new covenant, everything about it points to purity and holiness. It would be strange for Him to wrap that in the image of a drink that fogs the mind and feeds the flesh.

Why it makes no sense for Jesus to create alcoholic wine for people who were already drinking

Let us think about the story again. The guests at Cana had already been drinking. The host ran out. Mary went to Jesus. He then turned water into wine, and the master of the feast said this new drink was better.

Here is the question we have to face: Would Jesus, who warns about judgment and calls for sober living, give a crowd that had already been drinking a stronger, more intoxicating product?

Would the Lamb of God, who came to save us from sin, add fuel to the very fire that leads many into sin and regret?

If His nature is to make us more holy, more clear, more loving, and more like our Father, then the picture of water into wine as a huge boost of strong alcohol does not fit.

It makes more sense to see this as the best, purest fruit of the vine, a drink that honored the feast without dragging people deeper into fleshly living.

Writers who minister to those trapped by alcohol, like in this sober reflection on John 2 and drinking, often point out that reading John 2 as a pro‑alcohol text brings real harm to real souls.

Water into wine as a prophetic sign of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost

Now comes the beautiful part. The miracle of water into wine is more than a rescue of a wedding party. It is a living sermon.

Think about the details:

• The jars were used for Jewish purification rituals.
• They were filled with water, a picture of the old system.
• Jesus turned that water into the best wine, the finest fruit of the vine.

It paints a picture of an old covenant, based on washing and external rituals, being transformed into a new covenant, filled with inner joy and life in the Holy Spirit.

At Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, people mocked the disciples and said they were full of “new wine.” But Peter said they were not drunk. They were filled with God.

The true “new wine” is the Holy Spirit, not alcohol. The miracle of water into wine points ahead to the day when God would fill fragile human vessels, like those stone jars, with His own life.

So Jesus’ first miracle was a preview of the Spirit‑filled life. A life where joy is deep, not shallow. Where we are moved by God, not by the buzz in our blood.

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Living in the New Day: Leaving Ignorance, Alcohol, and Flesh for the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit as the true new wine. 

When we put all of this together, a clear line appears.

• Acts 17: the “times of ignorance” are over. God calls everyone to repent.
• Our spirit is meant to rule our soul and body.
• Idols are not only statues, but anything that rules us, including alcohol.
• The miracle of water into wine is a sign of the pure fruit of the vine and of the coming Holy Spirit, not a stamp of approval on strong drink.
• God says alcohol is “not for kings,” and in Christ we are royal.

So we stand at a fork in the road: flesh or Spirit, old ignorance or new light, man‑made comfort or the true Comforter.

Responding to God’s call today: repentance from ignorance and fleshly living

Acts 17:30 is not a verse to leave in Athens. It sits in front of us.

We can ask simple, honest questions:

• Where have we been ignorant of God’s nature?
• Where have we lived like orphans instead of offspring?
• Where have we treated alcohol as harmless, when it pulls our hearts away from God?
• Where have we let our body and soul boss our spirit around?

Repentance starts when we agree with God and turn. It looks like confession, throwing away what drags us down, and asking the Holy Spirit to rule the inside of us.

We can start today with a simple prayer, in our own words, giving Him our habits, our cravings, our bottles, and our fears.

Choosing the true new wine: filled with the Spirit instead of alcohol

Ephesians 5:18 puts the choice in one sentence: do not be drunk with wine, be filled with the Spirit.

Alcohol gives a quick rise and a slow drop. The Holy Spirit gives steady joy, deep peace, and clear sight. One numbs pain, the other heals it.

We can keep being filled with the Spirit by:

• Spending time in worship, even with simple songs.
• Reading Scripture and letting it shape our thinking.
• Praying honestly, not pretending we are fine.
• Walking with other believers who also want a sober, holy life.
• Serving others, letting God’s love flow through us.

This is the life that fits royal sons and daughters of God. In that life, alcohol starts to feel small, cheap, and out of place.

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Conclusion: Leaving the Old Ignorance for the New Wine of the Spirit

When Paul spoke on Mars Hill, he announced that the times of ignorance were over. God had been patient, but now, in Jesus, He was calling everyone into a new kind of life.

We have seen that this ignorance was not only about stone idols. It was a whole way of living in the flesh, with body and soul running the show. In Christ, we are invited to become one with God’s nature, to live as His offspring, with our spirit in charge and His Spirit filling us.

Alcohol sits in sharp contrast to that calling. It is man‑made, it feeds the flesh, and God has said it is not for kings, while at the same time calling us a royal priesthood. The story of water into wine in John 2, read in its context, points not to stronger drink but to the pure fruit of the vine and to the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

So we are invited to say yes to a higher life: spirit over flesh, sobriety over drunkenness, and the true new wine of Pentecost over the old ways of ignorance. As we walk closely with the Holy Spirit, He will teach us, correct us, and comfort us, until our whole life, inside and out, looks like children of a holy King.