HOW TO INITIATE CONVERSATIONS WITH CLOSED MINDED NON-CHRISTIANS

Part Six: The Best example in the Bible of Apologetics used in Evangelism

In today’s and next week’s blog article, I’ll end this series by examining how the apostle Paul used points of contact in Acts chapter seventeen. It is the best example of apologetics in action anywhere in Scripture.

The narrative begins with Paul in Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive from Thessalonica (13-15). Not one to be idle, Paul “reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there” (17). No doubt it was in the market place that some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers heard Paul’s preaching and invited him to explain this “new teaching” before the Areopagus that met on Mar’s Hill. Paul used this encounter as an opportunity to evangelize the Greek philosophers.

While exploring Athens, Paul noticed that the Greeks worshiped a host of pagan gods. Their numerous idols and altars were widespread throughout the city (16). One particular altar carried the inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” (23). Perhaps the Greeks were concerned that they might overlook a particular god and erected this altar to cover, so to speak, all their bases. In any event, this altar to the unknown god became Paul’s first of three points of contact.

Paul’s discourse rested on his understanding that all people, including the Greek philosophers, possess a sense of the divine. Everyone intuitively knows that God exists, even if they don’t know the one true God (see Eccl. 3:11; Rom. 1:19-20). Paul applied this as his first point of contact by acknowledging that the Athenians were “very religions” people (22), as shown by their many idols and altars. In other words, they too recognize the presence of the divine. Paul then applied a second point of contact when he zeroed in on the altar to the “unknown god.” He pointed out that the God they didn’t know is in fact the one true God. The God whom the Greeks know nothing about is the real God.

Having gotten the philosophers’ attention through two points of contact, Paul continued by explaining what God is like. He described Him as the Creator, as a God who does not inhabit shrines made with human hands (24). Furthermore, this God is not dependent upon the ministrations of people, since it is He who gives life to all creatures and who is sovereign over all the nations of the world (25-26). Next, Paul pointed out that the reason God has revealed Himself through creation and His sovereignty over all the nations is so that people everywhere would seek Him out and find Him. God is not far, Paul added, from anyone (27).

Then Paul did a remarkable thing. Rather than quote Bible passages to confirm the existence of the one true God who created the Greek philosophers (and all people), Paul quoted from two of their own pagan poets: the sixth century B.C. Cretan poet Epimenides who said, “For in him we live and move and have our being,” and the Cilician poet Aratus who said, “For we are his offspring” (v. 28). (In Titus 1:12, Paul again quotes Epimenides.)

Now just what was Paul doing here? Paul recognized that quoting Scripture to confirm his message would mean nothing to the Greeks. They weren’t familiar with the Hebrew Bible and would certainly not accept it as authoritative. So Paul employed a third point of contact: he appealed to their own pagan poet. In other words, Paul used non-biblical evidence to confirm biblical truths. He realized that even the pagan poets maintained a limited apprehension of the one true God—despite the fact that this knowledge had degenerated into horrendous pagan worship (see Rom. 1:18-32).

Finally, in verse 29 and following, Paul shifted from apologetics to preaching. Having gained an attentive audience by employing three points of contact, he moved to the heart of his message. If this “unknown” God is in fact the one true God, then the other gods worshiped by the Greeks, as represented by their idols, are false gods. Moreover, like all people, the Greeks are responsible to the God who created them and who is sovereign over their lives. Therefore the philosophers (and all people) will be judged according to their response to Him. (Notice that Paul now preached law.)

This is especially so, Paul continued, because God has now revealed Himself clearly and specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. That Jesus speaks the words of God is confirmed by His resurrection from the dead (v. 31). (Notice that Paul has now switched from law to gospel.) As a result, some of the Greek philosophers became Christians.

Next week I’ll recap this remarkable biblical example of apologetics in action, and point out some lessons we can learn from Paul’s use of points of contact (and apologetics in general) in his encounter with the Greek philosophers. ©

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *