Scripture Passage
So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way… (Acts 17:22 NLT)
Observation
About thirty years ago, a visionary young man named Bill Hybels launched a church near Chicago, Illinois that he designed to be—and hoped would be—a more comfortable church for the “un-churched” in his community to attend. Hybels developed several innovative approaches for his worship services, including contemporary music, the use of illustrative dramas, and messages specifically geared toward those who had not yet necessarily made a life-commitment to Jesus Christ. Since then, this strategy has been loved and embraced by many—and reviled and rejected by many others! But advocates of this “seeker-sensitive” approach often point to Paul’s ministry at Athens as a basis for their model. At Athens, Paul went into a secular environment, found a point of connection (“I notice that you are very religious in every way…”), and proceeded from there to proclaim the gospel.
Luke’s report about Athens, however, suggests that Paul’s ministry there may not have been especially effective. And from Athens, Paul travels to Corinth, a visit about which he later reported, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you but Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV). Detractors from a seeker-sensitive approach suggest that Paul saw the error of his ways after Athens, and determined never to be drawn into any seeker-sensitive trap again!
As for me, I tend to lean towards Hybels—or at least toward Paul! (Of course, don’t we all say that?) I’m not convinced that Paul’s ministry at Athens was the failure some think it was—even if it didn’t result in the conversion of great numbers of people. Paul’s determination to know nothing but “Christ and him crucified” may have been simply a deepened resolve to know Jesus and do His will in light of the cultural challenges he faced and regardless of evident harvest. It seems to me that wherever he was, Paul offered culturally relevant (if not full-blown seeker sensitive) ministry: In the synagogue, he started with Scripture; in the marketplace, he started with cultural observations and secular poets.
I’m convinced the church must live aware of the culture(s) in which she exist(s), modeling the “alternative culture” of genuine Christian community while expressing the gospel in culturally relevant ways.
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(If you’ve got 17 minutes and 47 seconds for a really insightful video on church and contemporary culture, click here!)
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