Contextualizing the Gospel II

I happened to be visiting my sister in Atlanta on Earth Day. I must admit, I don’t get too excited about Earth Day, but on this particular Day I was confronted with a sad reality. As we meandered through Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta gazing at the revelry surrounding this “holiday,” I thought to myself, “It’s interesting that people are worshipping “mother Earth,” when they should be worshipping Father God!”

Yes, people were created to worship. People do worship. Yet, the objects of our worship as human beings may be very different.

As we think about contextualizing the gospel, a general principle to keep in mind is that all people worship someone or something whether they realize it or not.

The Apostle Paul was keenly aware of this reality as he engaged people in the marketplace in Acts 17.

Understand Your Audience.

The Scene was the Areopagus in Athens. The Areopagus literally meant the “rock of Ares” in the city and was a center of temples, cultural facilities, and a high court. 

Earlier, when Paul entered the city,“his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). Epicurean and Stoic philosophers conversed with Paul:  

“Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,’ because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.’ For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing’” (Acts 17:18-21).

Epicureans believed pleasure was the greatest good, but the way to attain such pleasure was to live modestly and to gain knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of one’s desires. Epicureanism emphasized the neutrality of the gods, that they do not interfere with human lives.  Stoicism, on the other hand, believed human virtue in accord with nature was the way to happiness. It equated God with the totality of the universe (pantheism), which was deeply contrary to Christianity. Additionally Stoicism, did not posit a beginning or end to the universe.

Though these philosophies differed greatly from the doctrines of Christianity, Paul’s audience was curious about his message, despite its “perplexing character.” Paul, being a Roman citizen, a learned man, and God’s chosen apostle to bring the gospel to the nations (gentiles), would have understood this particular audience. 

We’ve mentioned that understanding our audience will inform our witness.  One of the primary means by which we gain understanding in personal witnessing encounters is to ask leading questions, which are many. Here’s a few more leading conversation starters as examples:

• Do you give much thought to God and spiritual things?
• What do you think is a person’s greatest spiritual need?
• When you have problems or crises, how do you manage to get through them?
• Where do you think we as human beings came from?
• Have you ever thought much about faith?
• Who do you think Jesus is?
• What do you think God wants from you?

Find Points of Connection.

Knowing his audience, Paul then contextualized the gospel by initially connecting with his audience:

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring’”” (Acts 17:22-28).

Previously, we noticed Paul in the synagogue opening up the Scriptures. Why? Because the people there were Jewish and were familiar with them. In contrast, this audience at the Areopagus knew little about the Scriptures (specific revelation). So instead, Paul began by arguing for a creator through general revelation, the creation. Notice, Paul affirmed points of connection while also communicating points of distinction. For example, He connected by proclaiming to them “The Unknown God,” while distinguishing that The Unknown God is Creator, not than something “made with hands.”

This connecting of the dots for his respective audiences required Paul to use different tactics. For you and me, connecting with our audience takes time and practice and the ability to be flexible, depending on our audience. Paul is a tremendous example for us. 

Communicate the Gospel.

Paul concluded his argument by presenting Christ, the resurrection, and the need for repentance:

“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:29-31).

In no uncertain terms, Paul proclaimed Jesus, the resurrection, judgment, and the need for repentance. Clearly and directly, Paul has contextualized the gospel without compromising it.

Expect the Unexpected.

As we’ve stated, be prepared for any response, and you won’t be caught off guard. Over the years, as I have experienced a wide variety of responses to gospel proclamation, I’ve learned to  assume nothing and expecting anything. Remember, blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. The book of Acts certainly corroborates this phenomenon.

Notice in Acts 17:33-34 the response to Paul’s proclamation at Mars Hill: 

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’ So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”

Some mocked. Some believed. Some remained curious. The important thing for Paul was to be faithful in sowing and watering while leaving the results to God:

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

May we contextualize the gospel without compromise, seeking to understand and connect with our audience for the glory of Jesus and for the building of His Kingdom!