Missional within question?

I was thinking today as I read through some church history about the way Paul evangelized.  Almost always he would start by going to the local Synagogue and would engage in discussion with the Jewish leaders in that town.  He was a passionate speaker, and he undeniably knew the Law in and out.  Paul would lavishly present his ideas in a graceful, yet in your face kind of way.  He was a friend of sinners, I am sure, as he says he is the chief of all, but most of his ministry is found in him engaging different synagogues along his journeys.

In today's popular Christian culture, we here the idea of being missional.  Simply engaging in people's lives to be simply their friend with no strings attached.  To put it simply as C.S. Lewis once said, "preach the gospel and if necessary use words.  Missional ideology is simply getting involved in one's community, without using a bull horn!  So with that in mind, where do we place Paul's approach?  Now, it has to be noted that he was not engaging sinners in these synagogues but Jews.  Paul was never afraid, he spoke the truth in love I would imagine, but he was not ashamed and willing to die to put forth his message.  Is this something we should be doing, its not necessarily something that Paul charges us to do, he does charge us to share the good news and live lives of obedience.  But the question remains....

Now culturally at this time the gospel has just begun, Christians are spreading everywhere through the diaspora after Pentecost, and through Paul's missionary journeys.  So maybe this was an exception for his time, to prove to the Jews that the Messiah has come, died, and rose again, and no longer are we under the law but grace.  This may be the case....But yet again with Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah's Witness, and so on, I wonder if this type of engagement should continue in today's society.  For these religions are all miscued from the truth...Is there a place for these conversations like a synagogue today?  I don't know, but ponder these ideas I must...

P.S. -Just want to clarify Paul's evangelism like this was involved solely against religious people...not necessarily sinner's with no ties to any religion, and this was not bullhorn evangelism...just need to clarify for my own peace of mind


~CDS~