Culture is the way a group of people lives together based upon what they believe. No doubt, as you see the news or your social media feed, you have noticed that our culture is screaming louder and louder. Some of the screams are heartbreaking; sin is devastating. Some of the screams invoke anger because a wrong has been done. Perhaps, we dismiss some screams because even though they are loud, they don’t ring true. The loudness and number of cries within our culture emotionally move us, but which calls are worth our thoughts, time, and energy. We probably wonder what difference it would make anyway. 

Every Christian feels the pull of culture each day, but how do we respond to it?

Our culture is no different than any other one. Since humanity rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, every culture has been rebellious and broken. The apostle Paul lived in a broken culture too. In Acts 17, Paul ministered in the city of Athens, a city of wealth and education. They were proud of their philosophical and religious diversity. I think a few observations of Paul’s ministry to the Athenian culture will be guiding as we seek to be faithful in ours.

Acts 17:18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities” because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

1. Paul was not esteemed by them. The masses said he was either a teacher wanna-be, who had nothing important to say (babbler) or a preacher of a religion that was unknown to them. The divided crowd gave Paul the platform, and He preached God’s message without dulling the truth. At the end of the sermon, there were still the mockers and those who wanted to hear more (Acts 17:32). Like Paul, we must honor God, speak the truth in love, and trust God for the outcome, whether we are liked or not.

Acts 17:22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you (emphasis added).

2. Paul referenced their culture, but he did not align with it or endorse it. He did not begin his message verifying his ignorance of their culture. The Athenians recognized that something was missing in their religious system, so they tried to fix it. Confident that a god existed that they did not know anything about and to prevent that “unknown god” from judging them, they tried to worship him too.  Paul did not commend their attempt but used it to tell them the truth.

“Systemic Racism” is a term used to describe the seen and unseen racism within American culture. Racism is a fruit of the human heart that is broken by sin. There are lots of sins in our system because we have lots of sinners making the system. We do not have systemic racism, but we do have systemic sin. We do have systemic rebellion against God who is the Creator and Judge of all. Today, we have a Paul like an opportunity to identify the real problem that our culture is trying to grasp. It is the problem of sin. 

People blinded by sin, only know selfishness and exploitation. “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:12-18)

Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

3. Paul jumped from their culture to speak God’s truth. I’m not sure how you read Paul’s tone in his sermon, but he speaks the truth. Paul preached to them that God is their creator (Acts 17:24) and that they must seek Him (Acts 17:27). He cautions them against remaining “ignorant” and failing to “repent” (V30). Paul’s message may have started with a cultural need, but it ended with biblical truth.

The screams of our culture are loud. We must start with our Bible, or we will not make sense of them. The chaos should make us think, and pray, and minister, but we must move away from the screams and run to our Bible and let God speak. Paul did not have one lens focused by Athens and one lens focused by his Bible. Both lenses of our worldview glasses must have a biblical prescription, or we will fail to see the real need of those around us. Apart from the Bible, we will not have a true answer. 

A few practical suggestions because of Paul’s ministry and method:

  1. Evaluate with your Bible not your own emotions.
  2. Evaluate with your Bible not what seems acceptable by the culture around us.
  3. Pray for humility and wisdom.
  4. Pray for gospel opportunities and boldness to take them. New life in Christ is the only source of hope and change.
  5. Seek to love and minister to the people God has placed within the geography of your life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.