Provoked to Preach (Acts 17:16-34)

We are back in Acts 17:16–34 this Sunday. This is a well-known passage that shows us how the Apostle Paul engaged the high-minded Greek culture of his time. Before presenting the Gospel, he met the leaders and philosophers of Athens on their own terms; then, Paul pointed them toward the true God and the real logic of the world. While this method is helpful and I pray it informs us, my deeper prayer is that we come to love God as Paul did. The reason Paul gave the best of his mind to share the Gospel with these academics is that he was simultaneously provoked by their empty idolatry and moved by compassion for them. I pray that we put this passage into practice because we love the honor of God.