An excellent starting point to share the Gospel

READ: Nehemia 3,4; Psalms 24; Acts 17

SCRIPTURE: Acts 17: 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

OBSERVATION:  We read Paul’s one of the powerful sermons in Acts 17. Paul’s message to the Athenians is considered as “an outstanding example of intercultural witness” to people who never heard about the Gospel. Paul’s audience were intellectuals and educated people who were interested in listening to new ideas. Paul was not happy to see Athens, which was full of idols. However, when the Athenian philosophers invited him to speak at Areopagus, Paul accepted their invitation. He started his speech with a carefully worded exordium that set the stage for his gospel presentation. Here, the “distressed” Paul could have started his speech with sharp criticism against the idols that he saw in the city. Instead, Paul used what he saw as a tool to relate to the people and created an interest in knowing what Paul would tell about the altar for “an unknown god.” With this introduction, he highlighted their ignorance of God and drew their attention to his goal of making God known to the people of Athens (v.23). Paul introduced the creator God to them and exposed the absurdity of idol worship (v.24-29). In the end, he presented Christ’s resurrection to prove his case and urged them to repent.

Paul’s message at the Areopagus meeting is a classic example of proclaiming the Gospel in a pluralistic society. It was a culturally relevant and scripturally uncompromised message. He started his speech from something they already know in their context. From then, he slowly turned their attention to Jesus. Many of us want to share the love of Jesus with others who do not know about him. One of the common mistakes Christians make is they often start their gospel work with criticisms against the cultural practices or religions of the people. It does not mean that we should avoid certain words or compromise the truth to please people who hear the Gospel from us. Paul did not compromise the truth in his message. We need to present the Gospel in a culturally relevant way to make the Gospel appealing to the listeners. Are we doing this?

APPLICATION: Preaching the Gospel is a vital responsibility of my Christian life. I should be ready to preach the Gospel at all times. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans.1:16). I should proclaim the Gospel of Jesus clearly, as I should (Col.4:4).

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your love that helped me know you and accept Jesus as my personal savior. Holy Spirit, give me the wisdom to proclaim the greatness of Jesus Christ clearly to others. Amen.

- Arputharaj Samuel
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Day - 206