Wow, what a week this has been!
Melanie and I are just finishing our time in the “footsteps of Paul” tour through Northern and Southern Greece. We have literally walked from Acts 16-20 in the last seven days. A few highlights:
1. Philippi (Acts 16): This ancient ruin in northern Macedonia (Greece) was amazing. Paul had his first convert here, Lydia, and we saw the river where she was baptized. It runs right outside the ancient city. We saw the marketplace ruins where Paul cast out the demon of “Python” from the slave girl, the judicial area where he was beaten, and even what is thought to be the jail where he was freed at midnight!
2. Thessalonica (Acts 17): The Roman road (“Ignatian Way”) went right out of the town of Philippi about a hundred miles west through Thessalonica. We stayed a couple of days in this huge city of 1 million, up from about 200,000 when Paul was here. The Jewish synagogue where Paul perhaps preached is right there in the city. He was chased out of town after planting a major church and continued up the “Ignatian Way” about 50 miles west to “Berea” (Acts 17). We saw what tradition says is the place where Paul preached there.
3. Athens (Acts 17): Next, we moved to biblical “Achaia” (Macedonia is the northern part of Greece where we were). I had seen Athens before, but it moves me to have seen “Mars Hill” where Paul preached his famous sermon of Acts 17.
4. Corinth (Acts 18): This major city was 50 miles west of Athens across a small isthmus that leads to the massive Peloponnesian peninsula (the city of Sparta was also there). In Corinth, we saw the workshop areas where Paul made tents. Also, we stood before the “bema” judgment seat where he was dragged before the Gallio. You could see the amazing marble streets in Corinth INTACT. Also, the Acropolis on the hill above Corinth where every evening 1000 temple prostitutes descended to the city to solicit “worship” to Aphrodite by fornication. No wonder Paul wrote so emphatically about it!
5. This morning, we sailed to Patmos on the way to Turkey. We saw what is thought to be the cave where John received the “Revelation.” Patmos only has about 3000 people on it but you could sense the presence of God. Tomorrow, we will take a full tour of Ephesus (in Turkey). I have heard that it is the most breathtaking Roman city preserved for today. Paul spent three years here and also met his main elders (Acts 20) at “Miletus.” We visited Miletus today (close to Ephesus) and saw a huge ampitheatre in the ruins there that could seat 15,000. It was once a harbor and now river silt has filled in the harbor and it sits in the middle of miles of farmland.
Breathtaking! All this week, we will be in Turkey (Asia Minor) touring the seven churches of the Revelation and every church Paul planted here. I am really excited to learn: like a little kid!
I will do my best to keep everyone updated…
Bro. Larry
