In Whole, Not in Part

“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. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”

Acts 17:22-23

Acts Chapter 17 tells of Paul’s time in the City of Athens and his preaching to a “well-educated” class of people.

As might be expected from his audience (“...not many wise...”) many sneered at Paul’s message while a few believed and received it.

Though Paul’s own background was much like many of theirs’ (he too was very well educated) he stayed true to the gospel message.

He adapted it to his audience without changing it or watering it down.

There can be a fine line in this area because we can easily move from adapting the message to changing it in order to seek to please men with it.

We seek to justify our actions by saying something like this to ourselves “But if I just don’t preach this part, I know many more will receive what I am saying!”

We must never modify the message to make it more palatable.

Our own sin and the cost of that sin should never be presented as something palatable!

We certainly can adapt ways of presenting it that makes it better understood by our 21^st century listeners.

Paul understood this.

The message of the cross was delivered faithfully.

But it was brought to them in a way they could understand.

Some chose to receive it but most did not.

Paul’s obligation then remains ours today – to faithfully deliver the whole message of the Gospel!