Lori Duncan - Acts 17:16-20

Missions

Acts 17:16-20

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.  So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Preaching to the Choir”?  I believe it is much easier to talk about our faith around people who share in that faith. Don’t you agree?  That is why I find Paul so courageous. In this passage we see Paul was provoked by “the city full of idols” so he began reasoning with Jews, and God fearing Greeks and anyone else that just happened to be there. 

Then these philosophers began to debate him.  I love how Paul did not shy away from any discussion; he was willing to bring the Gospel to everyone who was willing to talk to him  We as believers need to be prepared to talk about these issues of faith whenever possible. I think it is important that we be ready to give an answer for why we believe what we do. You never know when you will be called to to share your faith or at least have a conversation about it.  Or maybe something wrong in our culture will cause us to dialogue with someone and bring our faith into the conversation. It seemed through out Paul’s ministry his approach may have changed a little bit depending on the audience he was speaking to, but Paul was willing to fulfill the Great Commission we see at the end of Matthew and move beyond the safe space of “Preaching to the Choir”. 

Are you willing to have those tough conversations about God, Faith and things in our culture that are out of whack?  What will call you to stretch out your borders

Lori Duncan lives in Norwalk, CT and a member of Hope Church since 1999. She serves on staff at Hope as the Communications Director.  She also co-teaches a Women's Bible Study on Tuesday's.