Following His resurrection, Jesus instructed His apostles, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20, NKJV).

The message of Christ must be taken to the world so that souls can be saved. Sinners must hear, believe, and obey the gospel in order to have forgiveness of sins and salvation (cf. Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:36-41; Rom. 6:3-4, 17-18; 10:9-10). In order to effectively teach the lost we need to find a common foundation on which to build. The people we are seeking to teach will come from different religious backgrounds, will have different levels of understanding as far as what the Bible teaches, and will be at different stages in their thinking about the Lord. All of them need the gospel, but not all of them are prepared to start at the same place. How will we reach them with the good news?

Please consider how the following three examples of the apostle Paul’s work in evangelism illustrate the importance of finding a common foundation:

1. The worshipers at the synagogue. Upon arriving at the Jewish synagogue in Thessalonica, the Bible says, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ’” (Acts 17:2-3). The common foundation between Paul and those at the synagogue was a shared belief in the Old Testament Scriptures. Since this was the case, the apostle could simply appeal to the Scriptures in order to show that Jesus fulfilled that which was written in the prophets.

2. The pagan philosophers. Using the altar to the “Unknown God” which he had seen in Athens as a springboard, Paul began to speak to the pagan philosophers, saying, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). Since these men did not believe the Old Testament Scriptures, he could not start with them. Instead, Paul looked for common ground in the concept of a real Creator who made man, who is to be worshiped by man, and who will eventually judge man (vv. 30-31).

3. The Roman governor. When Paul was presented with the opportunity to preach Christ to Felix, the Bible says, “Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you’” (Acts 24:25). The governor was living an immoral lifestyle. In order to establish a common foundation in his efforts to teach Felix, Paul pointed out that God has issued a standard, man is expected to live in harmony with that standard, and man will be held accountable by God for transgressing His standard.

Conclusion. Paul was effective in spreading the gospel in all three examples cited above even though it was necessary for him to find a different foundation from which to build in each case. As we seek today to reach people of differing beliefs, various backgrounds, and diverse lifestyles, we will need to work to find a common foundation upon which to build in order to help them to understand and obey the gospel. May we never be ashamed of the gospel and always seek out the most effective manner in which to lead others to salvation (cf. Rom. 1:16)!