An Able Politician

When one reads some of Paul’s oratory, you realise that he could have been a politician, in the best possible way. He completely relates to the people he is speaking to, using different language to jailers than he does to learned listeners. He relates to the culture of the people he is speaking to. In a calculated way he wins some of the people over to his side, before getting to his main attack.

I noticed that in Acts 17:28 he quotes from two of their poets, Epimenides (600BC) and Aratus (310BC).. This would impress some of his listeners. Then earlier in the same chapter as He speaks to the men of Athens he says ‘I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription ‘To An Unknown God.’ What a wonderful opportunity to explain to them about the one true God. Listening to Paul it is a chance for every speaker to learn more about their skill.