Be Bold and Fearless in the Defence of the Gospel of Christ

Baptist Daily Devotional
Oct 5
2 min read

Rev. Tse Amable | October 5 2025 | Acts 17:16-21

KEY VERSE:

“. . . Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” THEY SAID THIS BECAUSE PAUL WAS PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION” Acts 17:18 (NIV)

MESSAGE:

When Paul decided to address the limited penetration of the gospel message in Athens, he engaged with some of the leading thinkers and philosophers of that generation. The Bible says, “all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” Acts 17:21 (NIV). This was the audience that Apostle Paul faced with great confidence and boldness.

EPICUREANS are followers of Epicurus (an ancient philosopher), and they believe that happiness comes from moderation, simplicity, friendship, and community. A STOIC is someone who shows remarkable calm, fortitude, and control over their emotions and desires, particularly in the face of adversity or loss. They endure hardship without complaint, accepting what they cannot control and focusing on what they can. These were the philosophers who were debating Paul as he preached the simple message about Jesus and the resurrection. To them, Paul seemed to be advocating the worship of foreign gods.

Apostle Paul seized the opportunity to share the good news with them. He was not overawed by these philosophers and their doctrines on life. He simply shared the gospel with them in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the example we too must emulate to simply share Christ with unbelievers in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to the Lord. THAT IS SUCCESS IN WITNESSING.

FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:

Are you afraid of sharing your faith with philosophers, professors and so-called “LEARNED PEOPLE”? Fear not! The Holy Spirit will give you what to say when you are before people who must be told the word of God. All that the Lord requires from you is to dare to step forward, open your mouth and begin to share what you know.

PRAYER:

Father, I confess that it is not easy to share my faith with some category of people, especially persons who are deemed to be “know all.” Please give me boldness and wisdom to defend Jesus Christ when hostile unbelievers confront me. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 278: Jeremiah 11-15 - When the Covenant Is Broken

DAILY word study: ADVOCATING The word advocating in Acts 17:18 comes from the Greek word katangellō, which means to proclaim, announce, or declare publicly.

In Athens, the philosophers said Paul “seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They misunderstood him because he boldly preached about Jesus and the resurrection. To advocate in this sense means to speak with conviction about what one believes. Paul wasn’t promoting new gods — he was proclaiming the truth of the risen Christ. His message was clear and unwavering, even among intellectuals who mocked him.

Reflect on this:

When you speak about Jesus, you too become His advocate — one who publicly stands for His truth.