Evangelism Tips from the Apostle Paul
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
Acts 17:1-4
Here we see the Apostle Paul had came to Thessalonica, and the Scriptures tell us that while he was there, as his custom was, he went to the people in the synagogue and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.
What can we learn about evangelism from this passage?
First, we see that Paul went to where the people were. In this case, he went to the synagogue where they gathered for worship. Are we going to the people or do we expect the people to come to us?
Secondly, we see that Paul spent time with them. He was there for three Sabbaths, or three weeks. He did not approach evangelism with a “get in and get out” mentality.
Thirdly, we see that he reasoned with them from the Scriptures. Paul did not share his opinion or the prevailing philosophy of the day. He presented the Scriptures to them and Scripture was the basis of his dialogue and discussion with the people in Thessalonica.
Finally, we see that he was methodical in his approach. The verbs in verse 3 are interesting. In the NKJV they are “explaining” and “demonstrating”. What is the significance of each of these verbs? Was this more than a mere verbal recitation?” It gives us the distinct impression that this was more than a quick presentation of the Gospel, but rather was a patient approach, he took time in his presentation.
We see the end result in verse 4, some of them were persuaded. Are you involved in evangelism? If so, what is your approach? We can learn from the Apostle Paul that it is a process that takes time.
