October 20, 2023

Acts 17: 16-18 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogues with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. (NIV)

Christians have been preaching morality instead of Jesus.*

Look closely at what is happening in this passage. Paul is surrounded by an evil culture that enjoys the approval of the government. Idols on every corner! Shouldn’t he have staged a protest? Demanded that the statues be demolished? Called for the impeachment of the heads of state? No, not Paul. He may have been distressed by what he saw but he wasn’t moved to civil unrest. He reasoned.

Reasoned? Those people can’t be reasoned with! But Paul tried it anyway. He reasoned with a friendly audience, a random audience, and an unfriendly audience. They accused him of advocating foreign gods – which is what he was actually doing. He was preaching the good news about Jesus and his resurrection, and that was certainly foreign to their religion.

Paul didn’t waste time/energy getting defensive or marching for political and social change. He knew that whatever was wrong with society could be made right by spiritual change. There may be a need for Christians to be visible and vocal about evil in our culture but the need is greater for Christians to take a public stand against evil in individual hearts – because that is where society’s evil starts.

Let’s put more effort into reasoning as Paul did – with the friendly, the random, the unfriendly. And preach the good news about Jesus and the resurrection until your critics start to listen! Change the world!

When people contact Jesus, they change.*