Join us every Sunday morning at 9:15 at Tabernacle Baptist Church for our Men’s Small Group!
Before Sunday’s class, please take the time to read and reflect on the scripture provided and be prepared to participate in the discussion of the assigned questions.
Bobby Jamieson, The Whole Truth about God: Biblical Theology, ed. Mark Dever, 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012)
MAIN IDEA
Sound doctrine is necessary for evangelism because evangelism is: 1) telling others the truth about God, our sin, and what God has done in Christ to save sinners, and 2) calling them to repent of their sin and to trust in Christ.
Acts 17:1-34
Acts 17:22-34 records for us Paul’s address to the Areopagus council in Athens. This passage is often cited as an example of how Christians should adapt the method of our evangelism to suit different cultural contexts, or how we should search for points of contact with non-Christians in order to share the gospel with them. But Paul didn’t merely adapt his style or find points of contact with his hearers in Acts 17—he evangelized them by preaching sound doctrine.
When Paul was in Athens, he preached the gospel to anyone who happened to be in the marketplace (Acts 17:16–17). Eventually he was brought before the Areopagus, a council of leading Athenians, to explain the “strange teaching” that he was presenting. Acts 17:22–34 records a summary of Paul’s speech and their response.
Read the passages and work through the following questions:
What are some of the different biblical doctrines that Paul explains or refers to in this passage?
How did Paul’s teaching about God confront the Athenians’ religious beliefs and practices?
In light of this passage, how would you respond to someone who said that studying doctrine is a waste of time, a distraction from the task of evangelism?
What lessons can be learned as we strive to understand sound doctrine and become more faithful witnesses?
What is our GO and DO?