Some see the encounter in Athens as a prime exemplar of how to do evangelism, others see it as a bit of a failure! Anyway, let's see what we can learn.
Athens was full of idols and this caused Paul great distress. Why was Paul distressed? Probably not because he was offended, but because he knew that the people were living futile lives, when things could be much better. In the increasingly anti-Christian environment in the West we need to make sure that we keep the correct focus. We are not to be concerned so much about our being offended. Indeed, I might even go so far as to say we should not be overly concerned about the name of Christ being offended. Instead we should be concerned for the salvation of the lost. Jesus said that even blasphemy against God could be forgiven, and His primary purpose was to bring life to people. If we become obsessed with being offended it will only detract from our true mission.
Paul argued in the synagogues and in the marketplace, essentially anywhere where he could get a hearing.
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