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22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

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23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

Border Crossing William Safire "The richness of Scripture is in its openness to interpretation answering humanity's current spiritual needs. That's where Gibson's medieval version of the suffering of Jesus, reveling in savagery to provoke outrage and cast blame, fails Christian and Jew today."

Border Crossing Christopher Hitchens "Neither Jews nor Christians have confronted the full implications of the director's illogical, ignorant, and brutal vision." "quasi-mythical account of a ritual killing"

Border Crossing "A person's reaction to the gospel is not necessarily my fault." Insight #1:

Border Crossing 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Border Crossing In sharing the gospel, my job is simply to ask, “What is God already doing here?” Insight #2:

Border Crossing 16 While Paul was waiting for them [his coworkers] in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols

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17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.

Border Crossing To share the gospel, we do well to go to those places where talking religion is "allowed." Insight #3:

Border Crossing 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. 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.

Border Crossing "Cultural diversity is not the enemy of the gospel, it is the friend of the gospel." Insight #4:

Border Crossing 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us

Border Crossing 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. 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.

Border Crossing "Opposition and misunderstanding to the gospel, are not a sign that we should stop talking. Rather, we should continue to share our faith as long as people are listening." Insight #5:

Border Crossing 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Border Crossing "It is human nature to love new ideas, so make the gospel new." Insight #6:

Border Crossing Alternative Worldview Bridge Through Deficiency Gospel

Border Crossing "In sharing the gospel, my goal is to figure out how to build a bridge between worldviews." Insight #7:

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32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33 At that, Paul left the Council.

Border Crossing "Sharing our faith doesn't have to take place in one shot, we should stop when we're loosing our audience." Insight #8:

Border Crossing 32 But others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”…. 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.