In Acts 17, the apostle Paul gives a masterclass on how to preach the Gospel to people without a shared biblical foundation. Unlike his previous sermons preached to fellow Jews who understood the Old Testament, Paul, in Athens, begins with the human intuition of the divine and the idolatry that captivates our souls. From there he bridges to biblical theology. God’s fingerprints are everywhere present, both within and without. We all experience His revelation. And from that shared spiritual experience, Paul points the Athenians to the God of the Bible and the resurrected Christ.
In a world increasingly secular and unaware of the biblical story, we can learn a lot from Paul’s approach. He appeals to the inevitably of human worship, the idolatry that leaves us all empty, the philosopher poets who voice wisdom, the self-disclosure of God all around, and the resurrection of Jesus in space and time. These form brilliant points of contact that help move his listeners closer to Jesus in categories of thought they can understand. Paul shows us that creative contextualization and biblical faithfulness are powerfully effective when approached with Spirit-filled wisdom. In our day and age, a similar approach is often valuable.
Let me encourage you to sign up for Paul’s masterclass this Sunday as we dive into his sermon on Mars Hill. There is so much to learn. And, as always, remember you are loved, more than you know!
