Start Where They Are

“Who is Joseph?”

The sincere young woman questioned me after I finished a parenting message to a moms’ group. In my talk, I had illustrated a point about sibling rivalry by describing Joseph’s experience with his eleven brothers. Eleven brothers who were not pleased with their father’s special treatment of Joseph, including his gift of a fancy new coat. And Joseph did not help the situation by sharing details of dreams that indicated his brothers would someday bow before him.

The question surprised me. I realized that, unlike my own experience, many of the attendees were unfamiliar with the biblical accounts I grew up with in Sunday school.

The apostle Paul did not make this mistake while he was in Athens. He shared the gospel in the synagogue with those familiar with the true God, but unfamiliar with Jesus. Yet as he walked through the city, he noticed many religious idols.

Paul decided to take a different approach with the Greek philosophers in the marketplace. He did not introduce himself as a Jewish religious leader. Nor did he cite Jewish prophecies of a coming Messiah. And he did not start by explaining how the sacrifices in the Mosaic Law pointed to the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

So what did Paul do?

Instead, Paul began by commending them for being religious. And he even shared his observations of their altars—especially one altar to “an unknown god.” Paul started with what was familiar to them. Only after he had established common ground did Paul shift to explaining about the One who they acknowledged but did not understand. For his various audiences, Paul tweaked his introductions—and all his messages—by choosing to start where they were, not where he wanted them to be:

“Paul . . . said: ‘People 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’” (Acts 17:22-23 NIV)

What an important reminder for us today! In sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, the best place to start is with a common reference point—something the other person can relate to. Building on what they know helps them see their need and fills the gaps in their understanding as they process what they hear.

Think about someone with whom you would like to share Christ. How might you apply Paul’s example in your situation?