The When the Apostle Paul found himself in a city full of idols, he didn't get angry.

He was filled with compassion for the people.

And today on Truth for Life, we'll see how he declared the truth of the gospel with conviction

without condemning his listeners.

Alistairbegg is teaching from the closing verses of Acts chapter 17, beginning with verse 22.

Luke is careful to let us see that he starts where they are.

In one very realistic way he allows their circumstances to set his agenda. He is conciliatory in his tone. He uses

their open acknowledgement of their unawareness of God as a launching pad to proclaim the living and the true God.

It's a masterful piece of work, really, rhetorically, it's skillful, it's sensitive, it's adept.

It's everything that we would hope to be in seeking to embrace our culture and speak to them.

He doesn't begin by saying something silly like. I've never

seen such an idolatrous place in all my life or you people have got to be

crazy worshiping all these silly little things, but he actually starts in this wonderful way.

And he makes a statement that, again, rhetorically, is wonderful and we'll get everybody's ears pinned back.

I found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God, and then here comes his great opening

statement.

Now, what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. What a start.

And of course it's one thing to have a wonderful introduction and then for it to disintegrate very quickly.

But that doesn't happen here with Paul and I want just to outline for you what he says

in a way that allows us to see the framework of his address, remember that what we have here

is doubtless a summary of what was said on this occasion and that some of the things that

are here in their bare bones as it were would have been fleshed out and

...