| Meet People on Their Level (part 1) For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Many Catholics and Calvinists through the centuries have attempted to use the following passage to discredit anyone who does not have a Catholic or Calvinist view. They say that Paul in his address is rebuking anyone who has a freewill view because he is addressing some philosophers at the meeting place. What utter nonsense. Philosophy before then and now has not been completely Atheistic. They've always argued amongst themselves concerning the opinions of destiny, fate, chance, freewill, and predestination. They simply try to rearrange things to suit their dogma. In actuality, God sent Paul in to address the philosophers' idol worship and their meaningless pursuits. And not just that. Paul was sent in to speak to the people on their level. It's called evangelism. He could have gone in speaking as a hillbilly or uneducated but these intellectuals would have never listened. He spoke to the people at Mars Hill on their level. Likewise when we go to speak somewhere or to someone, we cannot and should not attempt to speak so highly that we make someone seem lower than ourselves. We can neither bonk someone over the head with truth. We must allow the Holy Spirit to supply our words and meet the people on a level where they will be most able to receive. Let's take a look at Paul... Paul at Athens: The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got--all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols. He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. 18He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: "What an airhead!" But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: "That's a new slant on the gods. Tell us more." These people got together and asked him to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were a little quieter. They said, "This is a new one on us. We've never heard anything quite like it. Where did you come up with this anyway? Explain it so we can understand." Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. There were always people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the latest tidbit on most anything. So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, TO THE GOD NOBODY KNOWS. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with. "The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: "We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it? "God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better--but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead." At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more." But that was it for the day, and Paul left. There were still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with Paul--among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. Acts 17:16-34 Jesus did it. Paul did it. And so did the early church. However, this does not mean to pal around with the lost world. It means that we are to always be on a mission, ready to give an account of Christ. Jeremy Brown 2004 BACK |