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Preaching to Different Audiences - Acts 17
Preaching to Different Audiences - Acts 17
When Paul went into the synagogue and was allowed to preach to the Jews and God-fearers of Thessalonica, he:
· ‘reasoned with them"
· from the scriptures
· explaining and proving
· it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead
· Proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ.
This continued for three weeks! Even with this we see that only SOME of them were persuaded.
Notice what a different starting point there is when he addressed the gentile philosophers of Athens! Here he starts with God as creator and speaks of the nature of God versus the lifeless idols. There is no scripture quoting.
There ARE some similarities. Neither of these are ranting, raving, name-calling type ‘dialogues’, but rather they are well reasoned, logical presentations. In both sermons he comes to the main point that Jesus died and was raised from the dead.
One point I find interesting is that Paul deals with the problem of Gentiles and their relationship to God. They will be judged, not by the Law but because of idolatry. This is the same argument he makes in Romans 1. “This times of ignorance” is now over and God COMMANDS ALL people everywhere to repent. Specifically these men were to turn "to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (cp. 1 Thess. 1:9-10). Some did.
Hugh DeLong
Acts 17:2–4 — 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”.
