What is the best way to evangelize someone who is in a cult or false religion?

For wisdom, prudence, sound reasoning, and consummate skill, Paul's address stands alone in the annals of mankind He did not begin by attacking their false gods, or by denouncing their religion as a Satanic delusion, and the object of his utter detestation. Zeal without knowledge would have done so, and been pleased with its own faithfulness. But in the address before us we have an example of the best way of approaching the minds and hearts of ignorant and prejudiced persons in every age. May the Lord give wisdom to all His servants to follow it!

The address remains as a permanent monument of the wisdom of God. It must be remembered, however, in reading it, that what we have recorded is not, as another has said, Paul's preaching, but his defence. He had preached "Jesus, and the resurrection" to the Athenians (5:18); now he descends to their own level, becoming all things to all men, in order to lead them up to the truth of God's creatorship of the world, and their consequent responsibility to Him - a responsibility which God would finally deal with in a future day of judgment. First of all, with divine skill, as taught of the Spirit, Paul acknowledged the great "religiousness" of his hearers; and then he proceeded to take the text of his discourse from an inscription on one of their own altars, which thus read, "To the unknown God." Having recited it, he cried, "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you." Surely the audience must have been spell-bound under this "babbler's" divinely-chosen words. Accustomed to hear the most renowned orators, they were now listening to one who spake in words taught of the Holy Ghost, and, natural men as they were, they must have felt the difference.

Though we have only a sketch of the apostle's discourse, we can readily see its striking difference from that which he was wont to preach to the Jews. He comes down to the lowest point and form of truth, in order, as he had done before (Acts 14) with the Lycaonian barbarians, to reach the Athenian conscience, the Jews having through the law incomparably more worthy thoughts of God and of their own relationship to Him. Nevertheless the address opens with habitual courtesy whilst there was not a particle to flatter their pride. The apostle laid hold of the only object in that crowd of honours paid to truly strange demons, which confessed the humbling fact about themselves and God. 'An unknown God' told the true tale; all else around was but deception and the triumph of the enemy. 'What, therefore, ye worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.'

Paul's opening words are not however as weak as the King James version translates them. Rather, he says, "I perceive that in all things ye are given up to demon worship" (v.22--J.N.D.). This is the very essence of idolatry. They knew they had many gods, and Paul knew that behind all of these so-called "divinities" was demon influence. He made use then of an inscription on one of their altars, "To the Unknown God." How pathetic is the gross ignorance of intellectual men! Admittedly not knowing God, they invent fictitious gods of every kind! They did give the unknown God the honor of an altar, but they did the same for idols too. The One they ignorantly worship Paul boldly declares to them. Some would say that He is not only unknown, but unknowable; but sober, thinking people would surely have their interest awakened.

But they were no longer disposed to persecute. Intellectual levity survived the loss of their national independence and political power. Mocking or curiosity alone remained. Still they were sufficiently struck by the apostle's preaching to lay hold of him and bring him up to the Areopagus, not to try him for his life, as they once did with Socrates, but that they might know what this new doctrine was. Even they could not but avow how strange the sound was to their ears: 'We wish to know therefore, what these things mean.' The truth, however, enters not through the ear merely, but the conscience also, and what conscience was there in spending their time for nothing else than either to tell or to hear the last news? We shall see that the apostle brought God, as a personal and living reality, before themselves as morally related to Him. Till conscience is awakened, what groundwork can there be? Otherwise the gospel is degraded into another new thing, and Jesus and the resurrection become the latest additions to the Pantheon of heathen vanities.

"The world by wisdom knew not God." What did the philosophy of Greece do for its disciples? It made them the ignorant worshippers of "AN UNKNOWN GOD." The very inscription on their altar published to the universe their ignorance and their shame. And may we not lawfully inquire if philosophy has done better for Christendom than it did for Greece? Has it communicated the knowledge of the true God? Who could dare to say Yes? There are millions of baptised professors throughout the length and breadth of Christendom who know no more of the true God than those philosophers who encountered Paul in the city of Athens.

I speak not here against pressing the message of the gospel upon unwilling hearers; though in this, both time and wisdom, and an open door, should be sought at the hands of the Lord; and there should be care that love be never absent as the chief handmaid in the work.

Go and preach the gospel to every creature, and get them to see clearly the details afterwards.

I should say he should lead him to God. It is true I am a member of Christ's body, but if I preach as an evangelist, I act in my gift, and I do not talk to a sinner about the one body; I look for the state of the soul I am speaking to; if he is converted but wants peace, I speak of that, and God gives wisdom in that way. If we only act in dependence, a person will be brought to those who will bring the thing home to him. At first there was a plain centre to take souls to, but now it is not so. But if all were in order, one could not separate the two things.

What that Christian wanted was knowledge, knowledge of how to take a right stand as a Christian in a sensible way. To that end could we recommend anything better than the study of how our Lord dealt with men in His testimony, for He trod the life of faith, and we are bidden to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith. There are ways of approaching men that will commend themselves to them, and not sound foolish and tactless. Let us add knowledge to our faith and courage.