A Common Starting Point

If you have ever had a conversation about religion with someone who wasn’t Orthodox Christian, then you have likely struggled like the rest of us. “Where should I begin?” Is it necessary to start with Genesis, or can we start someplace else?

In those days, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: “As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus. And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Acts 8.26-39

In today’s reading we hear the interaction between Saint Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip was sent to him by God, so we know the Eunuch was prepared to hear the Gospel. That fact that he believed and was baptized should not at all be surprising.

What I invite you to consider today is the ‘starting point’ of their conversation. The Eunuch was reading Isaiah and asked for clarification. “Beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus.” Philip didn’t start with Genesis. He didn’t even start with the Gospel.

If someone were to have a ‘random’ page of the Bible open and ask you, “Who is the Bible talking about,” could you ‘start there’ and tell that person about Jesus? Can you see Jesus in every passage of the Bible? That is our challenge as Orthodox Christians.

Among the many differences between religions, there is always a common starting point. The history of evangelism is the finding of a common starting point and directing people to Jesus Christ. It worked for the Ethiopian and it will work with people we meet today.

The only way we can be properly prepared for these types of interactions is by God’s grace and our efforts. As Orthodox Christians we should work to ‘practice’ being able to ‘start anywhere’ in the Bible and point to Jesus Christ.

It worked with the Magi at Christmas. It worked with the Greek Pagans and Saint Paul. It works with anyone to whom God reveals Himself to their hearts. It worked with the Evangelical Orthodox Church founded by Fr Peter Gillquist and others from Campus Crusade for Christ.

Now is our turn to allow God to send us to those whom He has revealed Himself to their hearts and prepared to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now is our turn to be prepare ourselves to be used by God in evangelism like the first Christians. Let’s start!