Context Matters

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you... " Acts 17: 22-23

The Apostle Paul was the most effective and very best preacher and evangelist in the early church. He traveled extensively throughout the region of the Mediterranean Sea proclaiming the gospel to all whom he met, both Jewish and Gentile. Paul truly never let an opporunity to share the gospel pass, he looked for openings to share God's grace and took them.

After reading the book of Acts several times in recent days, and being familiar with Paul's own writing, it has become increasingly clear that Paul was a truly gifted and effective communicator. Paul understood how to deliver the message about Jesus so that it could be received and understood. Depending on who Paul was talking with he shaped his message and method accordingly. Paul was an expert in reading the culture and context of the places he visitied and sharing the good news in ways people responded to. Paul didn't change the message of the gospel, it is always God's grace, but he changed the methods he used to share the gospel depending on his audience. Paul was a contextual theologian, who took seriously the lives, values, and beliefs of those with whom he shared

In Acts 17 we see how Paul contextualizes the gospel for the Greeks in Athens. The Greeks worshipped many gods and were open-minded to new ideas or insights. In fact, the Greek philosophers were obssesed with discussing and debating ideas and would do so in public meetings all day. When Paul comes to Athens he comes across a group of philosophers and he decides to share the gospel with them (of course he doesn't miss the opportunity). But Paul shares the story of the gospel in a totally different way with the Greeks than he would with his fellow Jews. With a Jewish audience, Paul talks about the original convenant with Abraham, the law, and prophets and demonstrates how Jesus is the fulfillment of God's long promised messiah. This approach, while effective with a Jewish audience, would be meaningless to Greeks. Paul puts the gospel in terms that the Greeks would understand. He talks about the shrine to an "unknown God" and uses quotes from Greek poetry to share the gospel. The message is the same, but the method varied depending on who is was sharing with.

For me context is everything. If we want to share the message of who God is and what God has done in our lives with others, we must first understand where the other person is coming from. We must first seek to understand the other person, we must humbly listen, we must share openly. Context also means having a deep undestanding of culture. To share effectively we must understand the values and beliefs of the culture they belong to.

Perhaps an example is needed. Suppose you wanted to have a discussion with a teenager. Would it help to understand something about teenage culture? Do you know what kind of music teenagers listen to? Do you know what facebook is? Do you text? In order to effectively communicate with teenagers we have to understand teenage culture, appreciate teenage culture, and share our messages in terms that make sense within the teenage culture. This is not easy and requires us to be open and willing to move beyond ourselves and our own values and appreciate the values of others. It is difficult but it is also extremely effective when done well.

We are all called to share Christ with those God places in our path, through our actions and words. In order to do so we must, like Paul, be willing and able to understand context and communicate in ways that can be received.

What are the challenges to understanding context?
How would you share the gospel with someone of a different culture or background?