He has in mind not the dead when he speaks of the times of "ignorance," but those to whom he preached. He also does not say: "You willingly committed evil," but rather: "You did not know." Thus, he declares this to the listeners, not demanding their punishment as those deserving of punishment, but calling them to repentance.
"For He has appointed a day on which He will righteously judge the world." He will assuredly judge, he says, all deeds and thoughts through the "Man" whom He appointed to be Judge of the living and the dead. This is the Lord who became man. Having heard this great and lofty truth, they said not a word to Paul, but mocked the resurrection: "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:14).
"So Paul departed from among them." How? Having persuaded some, but being mocked by others.
"But certain men joined him and believed; among them was Dionysius the Areopagite." The court was located on Mars Hill, outside the city. The Areopagites adjudicated all grievances and all crimes. Therefore Paul, as a preacher of foreign gods, was brought before the assembly of the Areopagus; but one of the members of the Areopagus at that time, the divine Dionysius, by the right of a judge cast his vote for the truth and, having bid farewell to the senseless solemn assembly of the Areopagites, was deemed worthy of enlightenment by the light of truth. Although Greece was at that time under the dominion of the Romans, they granted autonomy to Athens and Lacedaemon. Therefore the offices of judges in Athens were held by the Areopagites. The teaching of salvation is communicated to Dionysius through Paul, and he is guided, as a disciple by a teacher, by the great Hierotheus.