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| What do you Believe? (Acts 17:19-31) | |||||
 Printer Friendly Version - opens in separate window A most challenging question - "What do you believe then?" It's not so much that you don't know what to say as you don't know where to start. Should you give a list of key doctrines, like a sort of impromptu catechism or confession - "I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth..."? Paul faced such a challenge in Athens when a group of philosophers asked him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?" (v.19); "What do you believe then?" We are told that:"All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas" (v21) Nice work if you can get it I am sure. People we meet can be like that. They want to talk a little religion, 'shoot the breeze', while away the time in idle chitchat and speculation and go home for tea and it is easy to get caught up in such talk and find ourselves quickly removed from our original intention to witness. Paul's answer shows that he has understood his message, his audience, the pitfalls and what was required to avoid them. He begins where they are (vv 22-23) and takes them through a breathtaking account of God's purpose in creation and redemption. 1. He tells them that God "made the world and everything in it" and is "Lord of heaven and earth" (v 24) 2. That he "gives all men life and breathe and everything else" (v 25) 3. That "from one man he made every nation of men" (v 26) 4. That this God is intimately and constantly involved in people's lives (v 26) 5. That he did it for a purpose, "That men would seek him and find him" (v 27) 6. Because "In him we live and move and have our being" (v 28) 7. That we didn't create him by our skill but he made us (v 29) 8. That "in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" (v 30) 9. That "he has set a day when he will judge the world by [Jesus]" (v 31) 10. That "he has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead" (v 31) What do you believe then? The world we meet every day is very like the world of the Athenians. Myriad philosophies vie for people's attention and many take pleasure in speculating about this and that. If someone asked you what you believe could you be succinct and clear? It is well to have a carefully thought out presentation for just such occasions and perhaps it would be a good exercise to take Paul's speech and, in your own words, compose a brief but full account of what you believe. Who knows, maybe this week someone will ask? And a brief but intelligent account of the faith might be the beginning of everything for them. |
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