Acts 17:17–18

[Paul] went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.

We have much to learn from Paul. When he went to a new place it was his usual practice to make contact first of all with those attending the synagogue. There he found not only Jews but also people who were interested in the faith who hadn’t made a full commitment. It was clearly a good place to talk about his faith and he was ideally qualified to speak with understanding to both Jews and Gentiles. But he didn’t leave it at that. He also went regularly to the public square. That was a more random activity and I love the way that Luke records him meeting those “who happened to be there”. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he also entered into lively debate with the philosophers. The Stoics taught the development of self-control as a means of overcoming destructive emotions and the Epicureans believed that pleasure, enjoyed moderately, was the greatest good in life. Paul was delighted to engage in debate with them.

Paul’s approach teaches us the need for flexibility in spreading the good news. It is natural that we will want to speak about Jesus in our churches and celebrate our faith. Happily, most churches are mixed communities embracing people with strong Christian convictions and others who are interested but uncommitted. But we shouldn’t for a moment imagine that speaking about Jesus inside our church buildings is enough. Jesus told his disciples to “Go” 2,000 years ago – and he says the same to us today! We need to take the good news to coffee shops, pubs, places of work, retirement homes, youth clubs, on social media and wherever people meet. Just like Paul, we need to grab every opportunity for speaking about Jesus.

Question

Can you think of a new place where you could speak about Jesus?

Prayer

Lord God, thank you that you have given us such wonderfully good news to share. Help us to be bold and imaginative in sharing it with others. Amen

Released on 16 Jul 2024