How do you explain God’s truth to someone who has no functional idea about the Sabbath, the Holy Days, the resurrection of the dead, the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment, etc.? As vertical thinkers we often face a daunting challenge when simply telling someone completely new to the truth about the God of the Bible when He is for all practical purposes to them an unknown God.

The marvelous model

Happily, God’s inspired Word contains a marvelous example of how to accomplish this very thing. The apostle Paul had been busy on an extended evangelizing trip through Asia Minor, Macedonia and, finally, Greece. As usual, he met with some fierce opposition from both pagans and Jews. To get the apostle to a safer place, some of the brethren escorted him to Athens where he would wait for his assistants to later join him. The story is contained in Acts 17.

Athens was the center of Greek, and therefore Roman, learning—essentially “university city” of the Roman Empire. The leading philosophers—who were also the leading teachers—lived there. Public discussion of new ideas was commonplace (see Acts 17:21).

Paul used that cultural bent to enter public discussions in the city and talk about Jesus Christ and the resurrection. That intrigued the professors so much that they invited him to more thoroughly explain his belief to the “philosopher club” at the Areopagus, an official court for evaluating religion and morals.

Approaching the explanation

How would Paul address this gathering of Greek thinkers? Would he denounce them as the pagans they actually were? Would he insult their culture and people for being ignorant of God’s truth?

No. The apostle’s purpose was the same as Christ’s, to make God’s truth plain and clear, to plant in the minds of his listeners the seeds of understanding of the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15). Self-righteous insults are as counterproductive as they are sinful.

Your talking points

Paul’s explanation was spiritually brilliant! His approach then can help us explain God’s truth now.

- Something positive – Acts 17:22

How do you speak positively about religious leaders who teach falsehood?

Think about Paul’s “very religious” comment—he wasn’t condoning their faulty religion, but speaking positively about their ill-advised dedication.

- First point of contact – Acts 17:23-25

How observant of others and their environment are you?

Paul eclipsed most of our abilities in this. He noticed a number of statue pedestals around the city which normally would support a carved statue of a Greek god or goddess. These had none, but each had an inscription saying to the effect, “to the unknown god.” That back story involved the ancient poet Epimenides and a terrible plague in Athens inexplicably stopped by, as they supposed, an unknown God. Paul knew that the Athenians recognized that this “unknown God” existed, but knew nothing about Him. It served as the perfect introduction to the truth of God.

- The great overview – Acts 17:26-27

How do you present the big picture or great overview of God and His way?

Paul explained it all in the context of the unknown God who is actually the true God and creator of all nations (no discrimination with God!).

- Second point of contact – Acts 17:28-31

From how many famous poets or authors can you quote a useful line?

Paul quoted the Cretan poet Epimenides who was involved in stopping the plague in the city 600 years earlier—a quotation that the audience knew well. Then he used that quote to introduce a more detailed explanation of God’s truth.

The power of a pattern

Through another apostle—Peter—God commands us to prepare to give an answer of the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15). And through the apostle Paul, He gives us a solid outline of how to make our explanations clear.