The Unknown God Made Known: Reflections on Ministering to the Biblically Illiterate from Paul's Ministry in Athens

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to make pastors and their congregations aware of the problem of biblical illiteracy and what they can do in order to better reach out to such people. It will begin with a review of why evangelism and Bible study are so important, not just for personal growth in knowledge and faith, but also for growth in the desire to share the good news of Jesus, the central message of Scripture, with others. The paper will next attempt to give a comprehensive definition of biblical illiteracy, based on the information garnered from multiple literature sources. It will then proceed to give the reader a brief commentary on Paul’s ministry in the city of Athens in Acts 17 as a guide for how to minister to the biblically illiterate. Finally, it will give tips on how to minister to them on three different levels: pre-evangelism (interacting with the community and vice-versa), evangelism (God has served us by freely giving us forgiveness and life), and post-evangelism (how to minister to them from the pulpit and the classroom).