Acts 17:22-23
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. 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.
Paul must have been delighted to get an opportunity to speak to the Areopagus. This was a highly respected body which brought together the leading thinkers of Athenian society. I love the graciousness and sensitivity of Paul’s approach to them. He wanted to build a bridge with these learned people. He observed that he had been looking around the city and noticed that they were very religious. They would have loved that. But he went further, remarking that he had come upon one particular altar which was “to an unknown god”. I am sure that his hearers were flattered by the care with which Paul had surveyed the situation, and they were all ears.
If we are to speak compellingly to our society, we too need to build a bridge. Attacking people, however wrong they may be, is never a way of building a relationship! Paul’s sensitive approach didn’t mean that he watered down his message. He simply ensured that what he said made sense to his hearers. Having built a bridge, he was then able to get to the heart of his message and urge his hearers to repent. We have much to learn from this. Most people in our society have not a single clue about the Christian message and we need to communicate by starting where they are.
Question
How could Paul’s approach help us as we share the good news?
Prayer
Loving God, help us to speak relevantly and clearly to our society. Amen

Released on 2 Sep 2026