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.” ~ Acts 17:22-23 NIV
I want you to notice that before Paul spoke to the people of Athens he first walked around carefully looking at their objects of worship. Paul was literally studying their religion in order to explain the Gospel to them. He didn’t just randomly walk up to them and start preaching. He first learned about who their god(s) were and what their culture was. Why? So that he could better explain Christ to them.
Today, the majority of Christians don’t take the time to actually learn what other people believe so when they encounter others, they’re arrogant in their speech and usually misrepresent or misquote their beliefs. As Christians we have to be ready to give a defense for each of our beliefs. And as Christians, we have to go out into all the world and share the Gospel. When all we do is say this is the way. This is the way, but never explaining why this is the way and their way is not, then we fail to see people converting to the Truth.
Each letter Paul wrote was specific to that Church and the culture they were in. Paul didn’t do a “one-size-fits-all” kind of evangelism. No. Paul wrote specific things to specific people. He never changed the Gospel, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying Paul personalized his evangelism.
Jesus did the same thing, as did Peter. Jesus used the Law of Moses and the Prophets in order to show He was teaching Truth and that He really was (is) the Messiah. Peter did the same. As did James, John, and Jude. They tailored their writings to their audience. They knew whom they were speaking to. They knew the beliefs and culture they were talking to.
Why today do we just write off others’ beliefs and then tell them they’re wrong? How does this save souls? It doesn’t. When we get to know someone else’s beliefs and we don’t just discount them as fables and lies, but instead show them that there is error in these beliefs and then show them the Truth (Jesus, Peter, James, Jude, and Paul all did), we’ll begin to see a change. We’ll begin to see a revival in the world.
Dear LORD, please help me crucify my flesh and build my spirit daily so that I might grow in Your Word and in wisdom and understanding. Help me to have patience with the world so that I might be able to be the light of the world, as You called me to be. Teach me, LORD, to not just dismiss other people’s beliefs, but instead to be able to show them the error of those beliefs and the Truth of Your Word. I pray that You would be me with boldness and confidence. I pray that You would lead me, guide me, and watch over me. That I might not keep Your light hidden away in me, but that I might let it shine brightly for the world to see. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.