Search This Blog

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Dad's Ramblings -- Speaking Their Language

"So when he [the Roman commander] had given permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, 'Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.' And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent."
 
                                                                          Acts 21:40-22:1-3
 
Paul spoke their language. First, he spoke to the guard in Greek, asking permission to speak to the crowd, to whom he spoke in Hebrew. Secondly, he then proceeded to give his personal testimony, which is a different approach than usual. As a rule, Paul argued from the Scriptures, not from his personal experience. So here, he tailored his witness to the listeners. It is important that my witness be flexible to the situation. My approach should be different for an atheist than for a backslider or "religious" person. There is nothing wrong with having a "canned" presentation, such as the Four Spiritual Laws. But I need to speak the message in a way that communicates effectively, both in content and in language.
 
Today's Thought: The Gospel witness needs to be communicated in a way that the hearer can understand.
 
Have a flexible day. Love you.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment