Several years ago a missionary went to India with a passion to evangelize the Indian people. He traveled from village to village telling anyone who would listen about Jesus. At first, he was amazed at their response. Everywhere he went, the people were open to his message. A great number of people professed faith. But later, when he returned to those same villages, he noticed that the people had just added Jesus to the long list of gods that the Hindu people worship. After 12 years, he returned home frustrated at his failed efforts. Two years later, he returned to India and focused on just two villages. This time, he started his message in Genesis 1 and taught the people about the nature of God, the fall of mankind, and God’s plan of redemption. As a result, he did not reach as many people, but those who professed faith became genuine disciples of Jesus Christ, and he was able to plant two churches.

As we study Acts 17, we find Paul in a similar situation. After preaching to Jewish people who had a thorough understanding of the God of the Bible, He began preaching to people who worship many gods. By studying Paul’s sermon and looking at how he framed his message based on the audience he was trying to reach, we can learn a powerful truth: Where we start to witness about Jesus will vary based on the spiritual condition of the people we’re addressing, but where we end should always be the same: Jesus is the only way to salvation!