Know Your Audience
It won’t matter what we have to say if the person we speak to is deaf. This is also true if we are speaking a foreign language. If we want our message to be understood and embraced, we must know our audience. This is most important when it comes to evangelism.
Saint Paul was an expert at understanding this. “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1st Corinthians 9.22) It wasn’t that Paul ignored his responsibility to God and the Church. He just understood his audience mattered as much as the message.
IN THOSE DAYS, Paul, looking intently at the council, said, “Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ” But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial.” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome.”
Acts 23.1-11
We tend to forget this aspect of church growth. We speak to converts like they are pagans, and converts speak to ‘cradle’ Orthodox like they are sellouts for the faith. Both may be true for some, as has always been the case throughout history, but rarely is it true for all.
Saint Paul didn’t invent this method of evangelism. Christ was the first to condescend to our level because He knew His ‘audience’ per se. He created us after all. Christ became human so that humans could be saved. This was Paul’s example. Are we following the example?
If we are going to reach others for Christ, we must first understand who they are. We speak differently to those Christians who are not Orthodox than we may to those who are Hindu or atheist. We aren’t introducing Christ to Baptists. We are clarifying Who He is.
Let’s return to today’s reading. Saint Paul knew he was in a predicament. He was on trial, so he quickly acted to gain the support of ‘one side’ over the other. When the two sides fought, he was freed from their violence. He lived to preach another day. That is also our example.
If nobody is listening to us, our message produces no fruit. If we desire to bring others to Christ, we must first learn their story. We must be willing to enter their context. We must speak their language, figuratively and literally. We must become all things to all people.
Before you run out and start preaching on the corner, understand this is not everyone’s calling. Not every saint was martyred. Not every Christian is called to public preaching. In fact, I would argue most Christians are NOT called to public preaching.
Our calling is to live faithful to Christ and His Church. Our love for others, once we learn their story, creates relationships through which we can share our faith. We do this not as strangers but as friends.
There are many more examples of people coming to Christ because of the example they witnessed in their friends and family. Stop trying to preach to everyone you meet. Start being faithful to Christ and focus on building relationships with others. Get to know their story.
If Christ, faith or the Church ‘come up’ in conversation, share your perspective on how God has blessed you. If you are in a true relationship with someone, he or she will understand what you say. They may even be inspired to visit a church. If you are strangers, the story is lost.
