Where Do We Go From Here

69 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? I have included these citations from the thinkers that Paul cites because when one grasps the degree to which Paul engages with them, one sees much more clearly how Paul is in fact building his argument. More importantly, it challenges us to rethink how we undertake mission in the twenty-first century. For too often Christians are wary of engaging with contemporary thinkers (philosophers, scientists and artists) and ideas and have been convinced they must “quote the Bible” to make an argument valid. Yet, if the people at the Areopagus had no knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures, what would Paul have proved by quoting them? And the point is, isn’t our contemporary situation very often like Paul’s, given the lack of biblical literacy is so endemic? Like Paul, we need to end up with the resurrection, as this is the punch-line of the gospel. God in Christ conquered death. Like Paul, we too must live with the range of responses to this scandalous claim: some will scoff, some will want a further conversation, and some will come to believe (vv 32-33). But surely being scoffed at, or being invited back for more debate, is better than speaking in a way that simply makes no sense at all?