now when paul perceived that one part were sadducees and the other pharisees, he cried out in the council, “brothers, i am a pharisee, a son of pharisees. it is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” [acts 23:6]
the power of knowing your audience
paul, in this moment where he is rushed into an impromptu trial before the sanhedrin, wisely pits the two camps of the sanhedrin against each other. he is able to do this because he knows his audience. we see this with Jesus in the gospels as well when the scribes and pharisees try and trap him with their questions.
in communicating the gospel to lost people, there’s two directions of communication: the speaking and the listening, but it’s easy to just think about what we say and ignore how others hear! one of the opportunities we have to show love to the lost people in our lives is to take the time to hear and know them, so that we can bring the gospel to them where they are at, not where we think we should be. Lord, teach us to know others and give us the desire to listen and understand well, and the wisdom to know when and how to preach the gospel to the lost!
~ stephen hall