Say What?

"When they heard him speak in Aramaic they got very quiet." Acts 22:2

Paul was a bright guy. Not only was he learned, he was also wise. He had a way with the “right words” at the “right time”. Paul also knew how to talk to people. How he spoke to the Roman Commander was effective. It was different than how he addressed the crowd, which was different than how he spoke to the Ephesian elders. He knew how to connect without watering down the message or overly fearing being offensive. Paul could “speak the truth in love”. When he spoke to this crowd who had essentially turned on him due to confusion, mob mentality and misinformation, he was able to win them over by speaking more informally in Aramaic, their common, but personal language. When he spoke to the Commander, he spoke Greek. We can learn from this. We need to know how to talk to people. You can’t speak to seniors with loads of hip jargon, nor can you speak to youth with nonstop euphemisms. I must get on a knee to talk to a preschooler and to my mother-in-law who is in a wheelchair. I speak slower to someone who is learning English as much as I appreciate a Spanish-speaker slowing down for me. You get the picture. Paul sets us a great example of being “all things to all men, so that he might win a few”. Think about your audience, whether it’s a crowd or just one. Don’t talk all “churchy” to people who don’t know church lingo. Make an effort to connect without patronizing. A quick prayer to ask for the Spirit’s help is a good start. I said one as I wrote this devotion. I hope it doesn’t sound all “Greek to you”.

With His Heart,
Pastor Fred

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