September 1st - Acts 17:17-18

Acts 17:17-18 [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. We have much to learn from Paul. When he went to a new place, he normally visited the synagogue first. There he would find not only Jews but also people who were interested in the faith but hadn’t made a full commitment. It was clearly a good place to talk about his faith, and he was ideally qualified to speak with understanding to both Jews and Gentiles. But he didn’t leave it at that. He also went regularly to the public square. That was a more random activity, and I love the way that Luke records him meeting those “who happened to be there”. As if that wasn’t enough, he also entered into lively debate with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Paul was delighted to engage in debate with all of them. Paul teaches us the need for flexibility in our approach to spreading the good news. We will of course talk about our faith in our churches, but we need to be continually looking beyond. Two thousand years ago, Jesus told His disciples to “Go”, and He still does! We need to take the good news of Jesus to coffee shops, pubs, places of work, retirement homes, youth clubs, social media and wherever people meet. Just like Paul, we need to grab every opportunity to speak about Jesus. Question Can you think of a new place where you could speak about Jesus? Prayer Lord God, thank you that You have given us such wonderfully good news to share. Amen