While reading Acts 17, … of Paul sharing the gospel with the Greeks in Athens,
found some interesting points on how Paul shared the light of the gospel to other cultures and worldviews
in a relevant and respectful way, … in a clear and understandable way.
For people who believe in many gods & godesses (polytheistic), other religions,
and who have little or no Judeo-Christian background,
Christian jargon/terminology and worldview may mean little to them.
For example the word ‘god/God‘ is generic,
just like the word ‘man‘; its colored by our background, culture and worldview.
Or recall an occasion when a dear friend passionately talked continuously
about his field of interest to us using technical terms,
when we have no background in the subject;
how do we feel? Do we share in his/her excitement?
do we understand?
Thus, in order to communicate our message across,
we have to bridge the culture and worldview,
speak simply,
and be open to respectfully listen & learn from others.
Today, in cities, workplaces and education institutes we are increasingly immersed in multicultural environments of diverse ethnic people from various parts of the world. (Just taste and smell the aroma of mouth-watering pots of exotic and fusion food that’s being served near our doorsteps.
)
These are open opportunities, … for us to befriend and reach out to others of another culture, … who, for some may have other faiths/gods,
… and/or have little or no Judeo-Christian background,
or have never met a Christian before.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NIV)
Follow Jesus:
— dwelling among us – go to the people, be in their midst, be genuine, sincere. Make a friend, share a meal. This could be the first time they have met a practising Christian who loves the Lord.
— in what way we have seen His glory? Share our testimony of our Father‘s love, mercy & grace. Honor God in the way we live.
— point them to the Son, Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life
— full of grace and truth – attitude: in love, in truth, in grace. Respect. Keep the friendship
natural, authentic, …. real, down to earth.
In this post we’ll look at how Paul reasoned with the Gentile Greeks in Athens, at the Areopagus on Mars Hill.
… What therefore you worship as unknown,
this I proclaim to you.
Acts 17:23 (ESV)
To help bring things in perspective,
… once a friend of mine met someone overseas from a land-locked country
who saw a coconut in the market. He enquired my friend (who happened to be nearby) about this strange looking, exotic food.
After my friend explained that it was a coconut, … he asked my friend how does one eat and enjoy this fruit, … (is it like eating other fruits he has eaten before).
In a way, ,,, introducing Jesus to others of another faith,
is like sharing the joy of eating and drinking a refreshingly fresh coconut,
to someone who has never seen a coconut before in their life.
And, … with the right tools and technique, … the coconut’s hard shell is easily opened, … and one enjoys its refreshing richness, … quenching one’s thirst, … and discover the multi-culinary uses of its flesh.
In this post we’ll introduce
** Culture Keys, Compass
Explore Paul’s sharing at Athens
** Attitude
** Respect, Courtesy, Compliment, Credible
** Addressing the mind
** Engaging the heart – Culture key
** Response
Highlight
** Culture key/compass Examples
** Honoring the culture of others
** Healings & Miracles, Personal Testimony, Deeds
** Conclusion
Paul wrote: Follow my example, just as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)
Culture Keys, Compass
yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself] …
Acts 14:17 (AMP)
“God has prepared the message of redemption
for all peoples on earth, baring none.
He has also been working to prepare
all peoples on earth for the message
that’s prepared for them …
… seeding the cultures of mankind in advance with
Christ foreshadowing things.
… and messengers who are willing that God prepares them
to bring the God prepared message
to God amazingly prepared people
… a do-able mission, a worthy one”
— Don Richardson, veteran missionary
26 … God decided beforehand when nations should rise and fall,
and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God
and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him
—though he is not far from any one of us.
Acts 17:26,27 (NLT)
In this post we’ll also be exploring the Christ foreshadowing things in other cultures
— culture keys, compasses within each culture pointing the people to Jesus,
thus helping the people to seek, feel their way toward God and find God,
… though, God is not far from any one of us.
Our God has revealed himself in a simple manner,
even a child can know Him personally;
… God is not too complex or difficult to be known personally.
When we are dealing with cross-cultural and multi-cultural ministry,
it is important to see God at work in all cultures,
not just one.
— Soong-Chan Rah
eg. in the Bible — Rahab from Jericho, Ruth the Moabite, Naaman the Syrian, the city of Nineveh in Jonah, the Roman centurion with great faith.
On a side note, as the record of Paul’s message at the Areopagus (Acts 17) is rather brief, and without a mention of Jesus by name, … it seems, its not so clear, … whether Luke recorded Paul’s whole message or just the main points in the account in Acts 17.
For example, in Luke’s record of Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost, Luke added, ‘And with many other words’ Peter testified and exhorted the people (Acts 2:40 (NASB))
However, before Paul’s meeting at Mars Hill,
Luke does mention that Paul shared about Jesus and His resurrection to the people he met.)
Attitude
Acts 17:19-22 (NIV)
16 While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he was troubled because he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 In the synagogue, he talked with the Jews and the Greeks who worshiped God. He also talked every day with people in the marketplace.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,
he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks,
as well as in the marketplace public square (NLT)
day by day with those who happened to be there.
18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him.
Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?”
“What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” (NLT)
Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.”
They said this
because Paul was preaching
the good news about Jesus
and the resurrection.
19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, high council of the city (NLT)
where they said to him,
“May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears,
and we would like to know what they mean.”
21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
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, many shrines (NLT)
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.
This God, whom you worship
without knowing,
is the one I’m telling you about. (NLT)
i.e. the topic of Paul’s talk,
who is God?
what is God really like ?
Before his sharing at the Areopagus on Mars Hill
the Greek Athenians’ reactions & thoughts
to Paul’s earlier sharing was
… “a babbler … strange ideas“, …
“He seems to be advocating foreign gods.”
nevertheless, they were open to hear more from Paul,
their curiosity was aroused, and they invited him,
“Come and tell us about this new teaching,”
… when he told them about
Jesus and his resurrection, rising from the dead.
— the good news.
Let’s see how Paul overcame the thoughts
of strange ideas and foreign, … a babbler,
in his next opportunity to share with them.
17:23 “… I’m telling you about this God, …”
that you can personally know (no longer an unknown god).
Paul begins his sharing by introducing
the God he believes in.
Although Paul was intially greatly distressed to see the city was full of idols.
Paul compassionately felt the heart of God,
— the need for the Athenian Greeks to personally know & experience the true & living God.
Hence, Paul was culturally sensitive, respectful and compassionate in his sharing to the people at the high council of the city.
After all, … they were worshiping gods without knowledge of who God really is, and out of ignorance.
So too were we, … before coming to know Jesus personally.
Interestingly, the Greek word for greatly distressed [παροξύνω paroxynō], only appears in two New Testament verses, the other occasion is in 1 Corinthians 13:5
… [Love] it is not easily angered [παροξύνω] … 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
Hence, like Paul, we need to have God’s love & compassion for the people we’re reaching out to,
whatever their worldview, beliefs are,
remembering not long ago, … we too were in ignorance and unbelief, in God,
and how God had mercy on me.
People can hear our attitudes,
… much clearer than our words.
“.. the ( Japanese temple monastery) abbot commented to me:
“You know what we appreciate
about your friend,Yagi sensei?
He is unashamedly Christian
but
he’s not afraid to bring his God into our temple.”
That statement has echoed in my head ever since.”
— Bill Leonard, Baptist News Globa
Paul shared his personal testimony to Timothy,
13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ.
In my insolence, I persecuted his people.
But God had mercy on me
because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.
14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was!
He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:13, 14 (NLT)
Like Paul, let’s continue to be mindful and thankful of the Lord’s mercy,
and God’s generous, magnanimous grace
poured upon us, despite our unbelief, weaknesses and faults;
helps keeps us humble, gracious & merciful to others.
17:22, 23″… I see … as I walked around and looked carefully …”
Paul became acquainted with the people of the city, by walking around, having personal conversations,
and researching, looking carefully on the culture and religion of the city,
… at the synagogue, and public square, marketplace with Gentiles & Jews, and diverse Greek philosophers.
He came to the meeting at the council with an understanding of the people.
Well prepared, not parachute in cold; not a ‘bull in a china shop‘.
We earn our right to be heard, by respecting and honoring others,
understanding & appreciating their background,
and patiently reasoning with others & listening to others.
We see this being consistently applied by Paul throughout his message in Athens.
In so doing, Paul expressed his love for the people he was reaching out to.
On a side note, Paul applied the art of Greek persuasion style
– logos, pathos, ethos,
in the delivery of his message to his Greek audience
A form that’s meaningful to his audience.
On another note, Paul spoke in the Greek language to his Greek audience (without a translator), having grown up in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.
This is another way by which Paul honored his listeners.
Culture is embedded in the language.
(more information on logos, pathos, ethos, click here)
Respect, Courtesy, Compliment, Credible
Paul began his sharing:
17:22 … I see that in every way you are very religious.
… I looked carefully at your objects of worship …
He opened his sharing by commending his hosts
of their interest in pleasing and honoring the gods they believe in.
He did not make any moral or judgmental statement about their religious beliefs or practices.
Whenever listeners feel offended, they become defensive, … much less open-minded.
He highlighted something positive about them and their way of life, … even though it was different from his.
In so doing, the listeners felt respected by his kind opening remarks.
17:23“… And one of your altars had this inscription on it:
‘To an Unknown God.’
This God, whom you worship without knowing,
is the one I’m telling you about.” (NLT)
Paul’s walkabout around the city must have been quite extensive in this large city of numerous impressive temples and altars,
to notice this altar “To an Unknown God“.
The Greeks believe in many gods & goddesses. (More details — Wikipedia)
‘To an Unknown God.’
This God, whom you worship without knowing,
is the one I’m telling you about.
Unknown God, … could possibly, refer to whatever other god or gods that exist,
but whose name and nature, … has yet to be revealed to the Athenian Greeks
(a catch-all god)
Paul skillfully used this concept of the “Unknown God“ in their culture, worldview,
to unveil the sovereign Almighty God, whom Paul knows personally,
that his audience can also personally know ,
who has revealed Himself to peoples.
From ‘unknown‘ … to known.
Paul wisely bridged their worshipful attitude
to point to the God he worships;
the God they can personally know and worship.
Paul’s starting point was their worldview, & location
not his,.
And with an understanding of their worldview,
he builds on their understanding,
to lead them to his.
i.e., Paul guided his audience by illuminating the true light upon
what they already know.
Thus, to his listeners in the council, Paul’s faith and worldview was not so foreign or strange, or external to them.
Paul also began with reference to their city, Athens. (not Jerusalem or Tarsus)
Paul began from a position of agreement with his audience.
His introduction was built upon common ground, common assumptions,
i.e. both he and his audience were interested in knowing and worshiping God.
“though I’m a foreigner, we share much in common with you”
Starting a chat with a disagreement,
or put someone in a defensive mode,
often sets the tone for the rest of the conversation.
(Disagreements usually arise when people do not share similar assumptions
or, when an offensive, dis-respectful, or insensitive statement is made.)
When one doesn’t understand what’s being said,
or feels mis-understood,
or when one’s questions are ignored,
one soon loses interest in listening to the sharing.
Respect the other person,
whoever he/she is,
where he/she comes from,
whatever his/her world or religious view.
Pause, … listen … actively listening is a gift of respect.
“It maybe difficult to teach a person to respect another
unless we can help people see things from other’s point of view.”
— Kohei Goshi
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
– Mark Twain
Hence, Paul initiated … by crossing over … to the culture of his audience,
by building bridges of understanding with them.
(rather than just ‘throw the book‘ at them)
Thus, Paul engaged his audience’s attention,
with meaningful content that interests them.
Paul cared about his listeners.
Addressing the mind
Acts 17:22-27 (NLT)
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. Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
27 God did this His purpose was for the nations (NLT)
so that they would seek him
and perhaps reach out for him and find him,
though he is not far from any one of us.
Paul begins by explaining the God he believes, … in a logical manner
(amongst his audience were well-read Greek philosphers);
…. knowing one’s audience, is part of one’s preparation.
Paul introduces this God, whom you worship without knowing ,
17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it
is the Lord of heaven and earth
and does not live in temples built by human hands
17:25 And he is not served by human hands,
as if he needed anything.
he has no needs (NLT)
Rather, he (God) himself gives everyone life
and breath and everything else.
and he satisfies every need. (NLT)
i.e. who God is.
As the Greeks have many gods (polytheistic),
Paul needs to explicitly explain and define
the one true God he is referring to (i.e., monotheistic).
What’s unique of this God Paul believes in?
— made the world and everything in it, … Lord of heaven and earth
Creator, sustainer, provider, Lord of everything. Infinite. Unlimited powers.
He (God) himself gives everyone life
and breath and everything else.
and He satisfies every need.
Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV)
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that
the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
There is no other.
God does not live in temples
built by human hands
17:25 And he is not served by human hands,
as if he needed anything.
(At this point of his sharing, its quite possible Paul gestured at the impressive man-made temples around them.)
Therefore, our God cannot be housed in the limited confines of temples,
and does not need to be physically served like a gods with limited abilities.
Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve others
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28 (NLT)
24 He is the God
who made the world and everything in it.
Since he is Lord of heaven and earth,
Our God is the Creator of life,
not a creation of man’s imagination.
(Or in the Greek religion at that time, an offspring of other gods & goddesses.)
Our God and His character is revealed by what He has made
— made the world and everything in it.
But God has given proof of what he is like.
He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven.
He gives you crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food.
He fills your hearts with joy.”
Acts 14:17 (NIRV)
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.
Through everything God made,
they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. …
Romans 1:20 (NLT)
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)
Its important to state clearly — who this God we believe in is,
especially to others who are of another faith/religion ,
who may believe in many gods,
or have little Judeo-Christian exposure.
(i.e. we are not adding one more new god to their collection )
Similarly, when Jonah was in the storm at sea, he introduced his God to the non-Jewish sailors on the boat,
Jonah 1:7-9, 16 (NLT)
7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”
9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and
I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.
16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, (as seen in the terrible storm)
and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
17:26 From one man he (God) created all the nations throughout the whole earth.
The origin of man. God’s creation.
Man’s identity.
Our one common shared origin/genesis,
Our one common God, creator.
Paul wrote to the Colossian Christians,
11 In this new life,
it doesn’t matter
if you are a Jew or a Gentile,
circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free.
Christ is all that matters,
and he lives in all of us.
Colossians 3:11 (NLT)
17:26 … He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall,
and he determined their boundaries.
God is sovereign.
The Lord sovereignly works through human history.
God is intimately concerned about the affairs of the world and nations.
He is not detached from the affairs on earth, peoples and nations.
He is not faraway.
17:27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God
and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him
—though he is not far from any one of us.
God desires people to know Him personally.
God actively reaches out to humankind to know Him personally.
He is not far from any one of us.
God is intimately concerned about the affairs of each individual.
He is not detached from the concerns of each individual.
God desires for each person to seek Him and know Him personally.
This verse links Paul’s earlier observation of the people’s worshipful attitude
to the ‘unknown‘ God
that they can know personally,
who is intimately concerned about their well-being.
…”What is man, that You remember him?
Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?”
Hebrews 2:5 (NASB)
In summary, so far in Paul’s sharing:
— Paul begins his sharing firstly by pointing his listeners to the greatness of God, the sovereign Almighty God he believes in — what is this God like in the everyday world we live in?
— In Paul’s God-centered introduction, he introduced the Lord God to his listeners as the Creator, omnipresent, all powerful, life-giving sustainer, loving provider, sovereign, knowable, … and who desires his people to know Him personally.
— So far in his sharing, Paul has not quoted anything about Old Testament history or prophecy as he would with Jewish audiences (eg. Acts 13:13-43, 28:23-29) . This is understandable as the Greek audience has no background in the Bible; and would have sounded foreign & strange to them.
— Paul also made no reference to the gods of his audience, except the unknown god. Even for the unknown god, his remarks were not controversial or divisive or condemning.
— Also, thus far in his sharing, Paul has not raised the sin issue, or the problem with man, or some step-methodology message.
— Paul used simple language, without Christianese jargon. He made no assumptions or prior knowledge upon the audience.
— Paul shared on things that his audience could empirically confirm, and agree.
Thus, Paul did not use a one-size-fits-all message for everyone
he shared the gospel.
He contextualized his message, by understanding and highlighting
the background and culture of his audience
in an honoring way with grace and tact, … without compromising the truth.
Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Corinth:
22 When I am with those who are weak,
I share their weakness,
for I want to bring the weak to Christ.
Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone,
doing everything I can to save some.
23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NLT)
Paul demonstrated he understood his audience and their background/culture,
and I try to find common ground with everyone.
Paul began his sharing with who God is,
and God’s love
for the people He created.
God is actively reaching out to His people to personally know Him.
Engaging the heart – Culture key
Acts 17:28-31 (NIV)
28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’
As some of your own poets have said,
‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring,
we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone
—an image made by human design and skill. (lifeless, man-made)
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance,
but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world
with justice
by the man he has appointed.
He has given proof of this to everyone
by raising him from the dead.”
In the next part of Paul’s sharing, Paul bridges something in Greek culture to link to God’s revelation of Himself and Jesus.
Such culture keys/compasses touch the hearts of the people of another culture
— Christ foreshadowing things.
28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’
As some of your own poets have said,
‘We are his offspring’
As some of your own (Greek) poets have said
Here Paul quotes from 2 well-known pieces of Greek philosophy (worldview),
which his listeners at the high council of the city
would be thoroughly well-versed with.
On hearing these quotes, his audience would have been impressed that Paul, a foreigner,
was well-read, and able to highlight the wisdom of their culture.
(certainly, not just another babbler with strange ideas)
Worldview, background and culture are some of the challenges of effective communications.
Paul’s use of meaningful positive examples from his listener’s worldview & culture helped support his sharing,
and engaged his audience in a respectful & relevant way.
Thus, Paul skillfully & wisely guided them to an understanding of God.
By highlighting and bridging culture and beliefs of the Athenians
to what Paul believed,
… his audience would probably have felt at ease
that Paul, a foreigner, understood and respected them and their world view.
They would probably also felt esteemed by Paul,
i.e. Paul was genuinely interested in his listeners
& their background, their culture. Paul cared about them.
Thus, his sharing did not come across as foreign or strange,
… condescending or preachy,
or self-righteous
towards Greek lifestyle, history, culture, religion.
Instead, Paul highlighted what he held in common with his listeners,
thereby, building a trusting relationship with his listeners.
We tend to listen to
people we trust, … people who care about us,
… even if its something we may not want to hear.
By respecting and honoring his listeners with grace,
Paul earned the right to be heard, and taken seriously.
‘We are his offspring’
is a quote from Phaenomena, written by Aratus, a Stoic philosopher from Cilicia, who lived about 315–240 BC. (Expanded Bible)
(A portion of the full context of this quote from Phanomena (English translation) is included at the end of this post.) An excerpt:
‘From Zeus let us begin …
full of Zeus … full is the sea and the havens thereof;
always we all have need of Zeus.
For we are also his offspring;
and he in his kindness unto men
giveth favourable signs and wakeneth the people to work
… For himself it was who set the signs in heaven, and marked out the constellations,
and for the year devised what stars chiefly should give to men right signs of the seasons,
to the end that all things might grow unfailingly.
Wherefore him do men ever worship first and last.’
The context from Phaenomena,
seems to echo and parallel Paul’s earlier statements as he introduced his God
(although the text in Phaenomena, is referring to the Greek god, Zeus)
Paul had skillfully weaved the familiar poetic phrases of this great Greek classic
into his sharing in his introductory section,
touching a resounding chord within the hearts of his listeners.
Paul expressed the God he served,
in the familiar expressions of his listeners.
Thus, when Paul began to share,
his listeners heard familiar gentle whispers of their beloved poetry in the background;
re-imagined and expanded.
From Paul’s sharing,
Paul also subtly & gently highlighted the unique character of the
Lord God he serves,
… What therefore you worship as unknown,
this I proclaim to you.
Zeus is not sovereign, does not have all power, is not known in a personal way,
and is one of the many gods and goddesses for the Greeks.
In a way, Paul builds upon, and extends beyond what the Greeks have known,
leading them, … from what they know
to what Paul desires to show them.
Let’s look at the second Greek reference that Paul mentioned:
17:28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ …
is a quote from Cretica, written by Cretan philosopher Epimenides, from about 600 BC (Expanded Bible).
Here’s the context where Paul quoted from (English translation),
‘They fashioned a tomb for you, holy and high one,
Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies.
But you are not dead:
you live and abide forever,
For in you we live and move and have our being‘
Notice that in Cretica, it talks about a death, burial and a resurrection
of the holy and high one, who abide forever,
in him we live and move and have our being
(in the Greek worldview)
Paul wisely weaved this text from Greek culture,
to bridge onto the next part of his sharing
— Jesus, our redeemer, resurrected Savior, and judge.
31 … He (God) has given proof of this to everyone
by raising him (Jesus) from the dead.”
Hence, Paul explained & elaborated on
the reason why he was invited to address the council
— 18 … Paul was preaching the good news
about Jesus and the resurrection.
in a culturally relevant & respectful way.
As can be seen, Paul took time to be acquainted with the culture
and background of his listeners.
He did not parachute in cold.
He was genuinely interested in his listeners, to learn about them.
He genuinely loved & respected those he shared with.
He was speaking in the language and culture of his listeners,
using expressions familiar to them,
without highlighting his Jewish heritage in any way.
Throughout his sharing, Paul spoke positively and highlighted the culture and background of his listeners,
… wisely & elegantly weaving in the Bible narrative revelation of God and our savior, Jesus.
He built bridges, and connected with the hearts of his audience.
17:29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring,
we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone
—an image made by human design and skill.
… we are God’s offspring,
‘We are his offspring’ — we are created in God’s image, living beings.
We are not cast in lifeless stones, neither is God.
Definitely God is not lifeless, and not an image made by human design and skill in gold or silver or stone
‘For in you we live and move and have our being’
— God gives life to all, God holds the power of life,
and God is able to raise the dead.
Thus, the 2 quotes from Greek culture, also reinforced & confirmed the Greek listeners’ understanding of what Paul had said earlier in his message, i.e.
17:25 …he (God) himself gives everyone life and breath
and everything else.
17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance,
i.e. think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone
—an image made by human design and skill. (previous verse)
but now
he (God) commands all people everywhere to repent (μετανοέω metanoéō)
to believe, worship, follow
the God who made the world and everything in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
personally know God, in Christ Jesus. (no longer unknown)
repent, μετανοέωmetanoéō
— to think differently (Strong)
— to change one’s mind or purpose (Vine)
In the context of Paul’s message to the Athenians,
repent, to think differently from 29 … we should not think
that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.
to believing in 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it
is the Lord of heaven and earth
and does not live in temples built by human hands.
25 …he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
God’s mercy & grace is available to everyone.
Paul reiterates God’s desire for all people,
to believe & personally know the Lord God who raises the dead.
16 For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, (Jesus)
that whoever believes in him (Jesus)
shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17 (NIV)
17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice
God is also the Judge who judges justly for all people;
i.e. the reason why we need to turn to God now,
Greek worldview — ‘Ancient Greeks believed that upon death, an individual would enter the realm of Hades, the Greek underworld, and be judged … ‘ (Wikipedia)
17:31 … by the man he has appointed.
He has given proof of this to everyone
by raising him from the dead.”
The just God who sent His Son in human likeness
to atone for the sins of humankind,
thereby completely satisfying the just punishment due to humankind;
thus fulfilling God’s justice on our behalf.
He has given proof of this to everyone
by raising him from the dead.
the tangible proof that this is true & accomplished by Jesus, the Son of God.
Jesus overcame death through His resurrection,
and this hope is available to everyone who puts their faith in Him, and follow Him.
In this last section, … Paul paraphrased and echoed the text in Cretica,
to link it to refer to Jesus.
Thereby striking a resonant, resounding cultural chord in his audience hearts.
But you are not dead:
you live and abide forever,
For in you we live and move and have our being (Cretica)
Response
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,
some of them sneered,
but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
33 At that, Paul left the Council.
34 Some of the people became followers of Paul
and believed. (the good news of Jesus and Jesus’ resurrection)
Among them was Dionysius,
a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Like the parable of sower and the seed,
the results of Paul’s was mixed,
… some laughed in contempt, … some enquired for more information,
… some joined him and became believers,
after all,
for Paul’s audience, … this is the first time they heard of a revelation of God and Jesus by God’s messenger.
Like Paul, our role is to share, to persuade, build a friendship,
only the Holy Spirit can convict people to turn to God
((2 Corinthians 5:11, John 16:8-11).
“It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge
and my job to love.”
― Billy Graham
For those who believed Jesus that day in Athens,
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile
—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses
all who call on him,
13 for,
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9,12, 13 (NIV)
Culture key/compass examples
17:26 … God decided beforehand when nations should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
17:27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.
Acts 17:26,27 (NLT)
In these uplifting videos, veteran missionary Don Richardson shares amazing examples of culture keys/compasses, that God had embedded in cultures long, long time ago, … all to point peoples, tribes & nations to Jesus — in China and India, and headhunting tribes in Papua New Guinea
.. God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart ..
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
14 Those who are not Jews
do not have the law,
but
when they freely do what the law commands,
they are the law for themselves.
This is true even though they do not have the law.
15 They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong,
just as the law commands.
And they show this by their consciences.
Sometimes their thoughts tell them they did wrong,
and sometimes their thoughts tell them they did right.
Romans 2:14,15 (NCV)
The first missionary to Burma (Myanmar) was Adoniram Judson. He translated the Bible into Burmese. He toiled tirelessly for 6 years before a Burmese person came to the Lord. It was through the Karen tribe, that he received a great harvest. The Karens were touched by the gospel through a cultural key in their oral tradition
“Long, long ago the Karen elder brother and his young white brother lived close together. God gave each of them a Book of Gold containing all they needed for their salvation, success and happiness. The Karen brother neglected and lost his Book of Gold and so he fell into a wretched type of existence, ignorant and cruelly oppressed by the Burmese. The white brother, however, prized his Golden Book, or Book of God, and so, when he sailed away across the oceans, God greatly blessed him. Some day the white brother will return, bringing with him God’s Book, which, if the Karen people will receive and obey, will bring to them salvation and untold blessings. ” (Source: The Reformed Reader)
A Karen, Ko Tha Byu met Adorinam and heard God’s word. Adorinam Judson was the ‘white brother’ who came back bringing God’s Book.
Chinese characters and the book of Genesis
John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.,
In the Chinese Bible the word logos in John 1:1 & 1:14 is wisely translated as 道 …. which would resonate with Chinese worldview and culture.
(rather than the common Chinese translation for ‘word‘ in the Bible – 话 )
The Tai Dam in Vietnam believe in the King of Heaven who founded the city of Dien Bien Phu, formerly called “Heavenly City” by the Tai Dam. They believe there used to be a vine which reached from the earth to heaven. One mother was upset because her son kept climbing the vine to fellowship with God. She cut the vine and ever since then the Tai Dam have been unable to communicate with God.
— Source: Joshua Project
Honoring the culture of others
Hudson Taylor, missionary to China (1800s)
Taylor was known for his sensitivity to Chinese culture and zeal for evangelism. He adopted wearing native Chinese clothing even though this was rare among missionaries of that time
When other missionaries sought to preserve their British ways,
Hudson Taylor was convinced that the Gospel would only take root on Chinese soil if missionaries were willing to affirm the culture of the people they were seeking to reach.
Taylor was able to preach in several varieties of Chinese,
including Mandarin, Chaozhou, and the Wu dialects of Shanghai and Ningbo. The last of these he knew well enough to help prepare a colloquial edition of the New Testament written in it.
Source: Wikipedia
Hudson Taylor crossed the language, culture and class barriers to reach out to the Chinese; being as one who writes, talks and acts like them, honoring the Chinese and their culture.
This helps a Chinese listener to focus only on the message
— Jesus.
Furthermore, he demonstrated to the Chinese, that one does not need to become Westernised to believe in Jesus, be born again, … as faith in God is of the heart & be like Jesus; not outward practice/rules or culture.
The church & church leadership, .. a mirror of the community it serves.
Love each other with genuine affection,
and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:10 (NLT)
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must
worship in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24 (NLT)
Healings & Miracles, Personal Testmony, Deeds
Besides communicating effectively across cultures,
in the various accounts in Acts,
… in the places that Paul and his companions went on their missionary journeys,
they met people who believe in gods that had power.
They also encountered people who operated in the spiritual realm with power as well (eg in Paphos and Philippi).
In addition to sharing the good news, Paul and his companions tangibly demonstrated the power of God in Jesus name, through the Holy Spirit, and through their lives,
meeting the needs of the people.
After all, … when Paul first met Jesus. he also tangibly experienced the power of God,
while on his way to Damascus.
Though not included in Paul’s sharing of the gospel in Athens, … on other ocassions, Paul also shared his personal testimony (eg. Acts 22).
Paul wrote:
18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me,
in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient
— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Romans 15:18,19 (NKJV)
Paul shared the gospel of Christ in word and deed,
in mighty signs and wonders
by the power of the Spirit of God.
Some examples:
Paphos:
6 Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.8 But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.
9 Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10 Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11 Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.
12 When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
Acts 13:6-12 (NLT)
Iconium:
3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord.
And the Lord proved their message was true
by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.
Acts 14:3 (NLT)
Lystra:
8 While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting 9 and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. 10 So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
Acts 14:8-10 (NLT)
Philippi:
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Acts 16:16-18, 25-28 (NLT)
Shipwrecked in Malta:
3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.
7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.
Acts 28:3-9 (NLT)
Paul Borthwick:
“At a gathering of believers in one Majority World country (the name is concealed for security purposes), returning missionaries shared stories of how God worked and did miracles and came to people in dreams. Many of the miracles included stories of signs and wonders, healings and visions and encounters with … spiritual forces. One team celebrated the fact that church planting had gone forward after “four different people were raised from the dead and two warring villages were reconciled.”
In much of the global church, we find no debate about whether Mark 16:9-20 appeared in the earliest manuscripts or if the miracles of the first century were “for today”. These people live in hardship and environments of blatant spiritual warfare. They don’t have our luxury of relegating biblical miracles to Bible times.
If the Bible records stories about miracles happening then,
they believe miracles can happen now.
I consistently find my own lack of expectation rebuked.”
… When Christians from the Majority world go out as missionaries or into the ministry, they go expecting hardship and the need to create sources of income for themselves. Many of these testimonies include stories of God’s last-minute deliverances with miracles of food or finance or healings or medicine being delivered.
… As I’ve listened to testimonies from crosscultural workers from places like Indonesia or China or Columbia and heard them pray. I’ve sensed that I was living in a chapter of the book of Acts from the first century.”
Source Paul Borthwick, Western Christians in Global Missions, InterVarsity Press, 2012, pg 93, 94
Paul Kauffman:
“Asian people need to be presented with a God who can and does do the impossible.
Their gods do.
Asian people have lived in the world of the supernatural all their lives. They know the awesome power of evil spirits.
We serve a God that can heal the sick and even raise the dead.
This must not only be said,
it must be demonstrated
… Remember what was said of the early Church,
“and they went out and preached (communicated) everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs 1“
Source: Paul Kauffman, Fire on the Rim, Sovereign World, 1990, pg 218.
1 Mark 16:20 NKJV
Conclusion
yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself] …
Acts 14:17 (AMP)
Culture keys or compasses touch the hearts of the people of another culture
— Christ foreshadowing things
embedded in each culture long, long time ago.
Because, we all share a common origin/genesis,
a common God, creator, … there are remnants of His-story in various cultures,
From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth
Paul wasn’t interested in winning an argument/debate,
rather he wisely applied the art of Greek persuasion – logos, pathos, ethos,
to his Greek audience
of his good news message.
Paul came to the meeting well-prepared, well-researched.
And for such a learned group,
he shared in a presentation style that his audience appreciated and admired.
Paul artistically and poetically crafted his message with respect and in good taste,
giving a fresh insight into the beloved literature & philosophy of his Greek audience,
leading them to the Lord God who truly loves them.
Reading thru this passage, … I wished I was there to hear Paul deliver this short but memorable message ‘live’ in person,
with all its pauses, nuances, crescendos and whispers, facial expressions and gestures,
and to see the faces of his audience responding in time to each phrase;
Mastery & artistry, grace … and anointed;
simply brilliant!
On a separate note,
22 For indeed Jews ask for signs
and Greeks search for wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God
and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:22-24 (NASB)
By Christ’s death and resurrection,
to any people group, the Lord is more than able to reveal Himself to them,
whether by His signs or His wisdom.
Its best to close with the words of Jesus, Peter and Paul
about lovingly & graciously sharing the good news of Jesus with others.
Luke 6:31 (MSG)
“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior:
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you;
then grab the initiative and
do it for them!
1 Peter 3:15,16 (NLT)
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NLT)
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,
I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ.
But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness,
for I want to bring the weak to Christ.
Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone,
doing everything I can to save some.
23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
Romans 13:10 (NLT)
Love does no wrong to others,
so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.
End note
Building bridges with people of other faiths
“I’ll never forget hearing Billy Graham, … at Harvard.
One young believer stood up and asked Dr. Graham, “Since Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me,’ doesn’t that mean people from other religions—Jews and the rest- are going to hell?”
Billy replied, “I’m sure glad that God is the judge of people’s hearts and not me! And I trust God to decide those questions justly and mercifully.”
The student was disappointed and pressed further, “Well, what do you think God will decide?”
Graham demurred, “Well, God doesn’t really ask my advice on those matters.” …
Source: Jim Wallis: Christ’s Divinity Should Inspire Humility, Not Arrogance
Further reading:
Janet Benge, Geoff Benge, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, YWAM Publishing, 2000.
Arthur Rouzer, Sharing the Good News with the Japanese, A Cross-cultural Consideration, 2012
Related posts:
A simple, easy way to share the gospel of Jesus with family & friends
Cross culture, sharing gospel: Jesus & the Samaritan woman at the well
Footnote:
Phaenomena, written by Aratus (English translation)
[1] From Zeus let us begin; him do we mortals never leave unnamed; full of Zeus are all the streets and all the market-places of men; full is the sea and the havens thereof; always we all have need of Zeus. For we are also his offspring; and he in his kindness unto men giveth favourable signs and wakeneth the people to work, reminding them of livelihood. He tells what time the soil is best for the labour of the ox and for the mattock, and what time the seasons are favourable both for the planting of trees and for casting all manner of seeds. For himself it was who set the signs in heaven, and marked out the constellations, and for the year devised what stars chiefly should give to men right signs of the seasons, to the end that all things might grow unfailingly. Wherefore him do men ever worship first and last. Hail, O Father, mighty marvel, mighty blessing unto men. Hail to thee and to the Elder Race! Hail, ye Muses, right kindly, every one! But for me, too, in answer to my prayer direct all my lay, even as is meet, to tell the stars.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/AratusPhaenomena.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimenides, (source for Cretica text)
On a side note, amongst the stories of Greek gods, is an account of a very great flood
http://www.allabouthistory.org/greek-gods.htm
