The Apostle Paul is the greatest cross-cultural missionary in history. His approach to people of different beliefs was not condemnation — it was engagement.

In Athens (Acts 17), Paul walked through the city and observed the people's religious practices. He did not denounce them. He found common ground: an altar inscribed "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." And from that point of contact, he proclaimed Christ.

"For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship — and this is what I am going to proclaim to you." (Acts 17:23)

This is the model for reaching Muslims today. Find the common ground — the shared reverence for God, the honor given to Jesus in the Koran, the longing for forgiveness and eternal life — and from that ground, proclaim Christ.

Paul did not burn the Athenians' altars. He used them as a bridge. May we have the wisdom to do the same.

— Dr. Terry Jones