The Sun Sets On Our Pilgrimage

Our last view of Athens coming back after our day on the sea yesterday. It has been a wonderful pilgrimage and I hope this blog had helped others on the journey. 

At our together time last time people spoke of how their admiration for Paul as God's servant had increased. For myself I was thankful afresh for his faithfulness, courage and confidence in the gospel he proclaimed. 

May we walk in his steps following the way of Christ. 

All At Sea

This is Linda taking Morning Prayer for us this morning on the boat that has been our home today. 

It has of course been very enjoyable visiting three of the Agean islands but it has also given us the chance to reflect on the sea journey Paul took at the end of his time in Corinth, together with all the other sea journeys he undertook. They were often everything ours was not: uncomfortable, dangerous and uncertain. But Paul undertook them for the sake of the gospel; as we thought at the beginning of this pilgrimage, Christ's love compelled him. 

A postscript: any rumours that your blogger deliberately put his hand on a sea urchin so as to write about Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' are entirely unfounded...

Living in Greece Today

We have spent much of this pilgrimage focussing on the apostle Paul's journeys two thousand years ago but we have always been conscious of the realities of life in Greece today and last night was our chance to find out more.

Malcolm Bradshaw, Anglican chaplain for Greece and Rebecca from mission agency US, came to speak to us about the two humanitarian crises facing Greece: the austerity crisis and the refugee crisis.

Malcolm spoke to us about the former issue. He outlined the impact the austerity cuts have had on pensions and the health service and highlighted the shortcomings of the political leadership within Greece. It was their failure to deal with an inflated civil service that had contributed to an unemployment rate among under 25s of 64%.

Rebecca spoke about the refugee crisis and the way in which there are 50,000 refugees in Greece but only facilities for 40,000. After a period of inactivity the government is seeking to deal with the challenge but it is still playing catch up.

Both Malcolm and Rebecca spoke about how the church is serving in the light of these crises. The Anglican church together with other churches serves 300 meals a day from a soup kitchen in Athens and it also provides one hot meal a week for every refugee in one of the detainment camps in Athens.

It was a sobering evening which reminded us of the broken world in which we live but were also humbled by the example of local Christians getting so stuck into a problem that will not go away.

After Paul Left Corinth

It was under this tree this afternoon that we had a very special communion service, reflecting on Paul's words about the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:17-26.

That passage is actually the first written record we have of the Last Supper because Paul wrote his letter in the mid 50s AD, some five years or so before the first gospel (probably Mark) was set down on paper.

Yet it was not a happy context in which Paul mentioned the Last Supper and as we explored why we came across what had gone wrong with the Corinthian church since Paul left Corinth.

It seems from Paul's letter that the sizeable and diverse Corinthian church was meeting in one of the larger villas in Corinth, yet when they shared the Lord's Supper they did so in a divisive way, with the rich eating and drinking more in one room and the poor going away hungry from another. Although they were one family, they were living out all the old social and economic hierarchies.

Paul is horrified. For him it is another example of what has gone wrong since he left Corinth, namely that the believers in that city have conformed to the pattern of the city in which they live rather than the gospel they believe. They were 'walking in a worldly way' (1 Cor 3:3). They were more Corinthian than they were Christian. All the problems Paul sought to address in the two Corinthian letters that we have (immorality, law suits, leader-worship, disorderly ship) stem from this root problem; since Paul left the church had sought to follow Jesus but using a Corinthian value-system of competition, self-reliance, image and success.

Paul's value-system could not be more different; his world was shaped not by success or image but by the cross of Christ. The Corinthians wanted him to boast in his successes which would reflect well on them; Paul boasted in the things that showed him to be weak because that reflected the gospel of the crucified Jesus.

And so this afternoon, mindful that we too run the risk of being shaped more by the values of our prevailing culture rather than gospel values, there was the opportunity for all of us to share that meal Paul talked to the Corinthians about almost two thousand years ago. A 'cross meal' for it helps us remember Jesus' death for us; a 'together meal' for we do it together, as brothers and sisters in Christ, as sinners forgiven through the blood of Jesus, as children of God adopted by grace. And it was a service I will never forget.

The Corinthians loved to boast, but in our service we sang of a very different kind of boasting altogether, one which the apostle Paul modelled all those years ago

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God.
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to his blood.

Christ and Him Crucified

This stone structure in the centre of ancient Corinth is called the bema and it was the place where trials were held and public speeches arranged. Public speaking was a growth industry in Corinth in the first century AD. Speaking well so as to gain the respect and applause of others was seen as very important. It was less what you said that mattered, and more how you said it.

Paul may well have spoken from this platform but his approach was very different. Reflecting a few years later on his visit he wrote,

'When I came to you brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power.' (1 Cor 2:1-5)

Paul could have wowed the Corinthians with the apologetic technique that he used in Athens. But in a culture of clever speaking and self-important people he knew he needed to focus on the gospel of the cross of Christ, that great leveller in which all people are confronted with their own sin and need for a Saviour. And he knew he needed to preach this message not with impressive rhetoric but in simple terms with a clear reliance on the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of his hearers.

And, wonderfully, that gospel bore fruit. Luke tells us in Acts 18:8 that many people come to faith from all sorts of backgrounds. Paul enjoyed a fruitful ministry in Corinth for eighteen months, serving together with Silas and Timothy, who had joined him from Berea, and Priscilla and Aquila who were tent makers like Paul and had come to faith through his ministry.

It seems that by the time Paul left Corinth the church was really flourishing. The question was: what would happen next?

A CV in Stone

This is one of my favourites sights in Corinth and we all enjoyed spotting it today on our visit.

It is an inscription that comes from a monument that originally would have been situated in the market place, the most public place in the city. The monument itself was a circle of Corinthian columns set on a stone pedestal. The full version reads 'Gnaeus Babbius Philinus, aedile and pontifex, had this monument erected at his own expense, and he approved it in his official capacity of duovir'.

The back-story seems to be this: Babbius, a freedman like Erastus, judging by his name, had done well for himself, both financially socially, and reached a number of positions, including the one of duovir, the senior executive officer in the city council. The monument is therefore his CV written in stone.

If you take this monument together with the Erastus pavement (see below), we can see they suggest three interesting things about Corinth.

First, they point to considerable social fluidity. This was a city with a considerable number of former slaves among their number, and these freedmen were able to rise up the social to positions of influence and importance. To use language rather from today's culture, Corinth displayed a culture of 'aspiration'. If you worked hard, traded hard, you too could better yourself.

Second, these inscriptions point to significant status anxiety on the part of those who had risen up the social ladder. It is a phenomenon far from unknown today: the further you have climbed, the more conscious you are of your position, and the more fearful you are of slipping down again. By mentioning their various roles so clearly, Erastus, and especially Babbius, are demonstrating what one scholar calls 'self-made-person-escapes-humble-origins syndrome'.

Third, these inscriptions suggest a culture of self-promotion in the city of Corinth. Given the social mobility, given the resulting status anxiety, the response on the part of the nouveau-riche was to make opportunities to display their own achievements. The Babbius monument is nothing other than an attempt by its subject to show off his achievements, status and wealth. You couldn't post a photo on Facebook of your new car, office or holiday but you could build a monument. That it was allowed to stand in the market place suggests it was nothing unusual. In Corinth self-promotion was what you did.

Would it be what Paul did? Time would tell.

Under Our Feet

This is the most exciting piece of pavement I've ever seen.

We found it just to the side of the theatre in ancient Corinth. Made with limestone from Acrocorinth and once filled with bronze, it reads 'Erastus in return for his aedileship laid [the pavement] at his own expense'. An aedile was an elected public official responsible for the management of the public streets, market places and buildings. It would seem that Erastus had made paying for the pavement part of his election pledge; the inscription is his public proclamation that he has kept his promise.

But there are two other interesting things about Erastus. First it seems from his name that Erastus was a freedman, that is, a former slave. This is not surprising in a city which was founded with many freedmen among its number but it is an important hint as to the social fluidity of Corinth, where a former slave could reach significant public office.

Second it is at least possible - some say probable - that the Erastus here is the same as one mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:23 (there is he described as the 'city's director of public works'). Perhaps Erastus became a Christian under Paul's ministry. He wouldn't have been the only prominent person to have done so.

A fascinating possibility; one day we'll know for sure.

A City On The Way Up

We entered ancient Corinth today the way visitors would have done then - along the Lechaion Road pictured above - and it was not hard to see just how flourishing it was. There are colonnades running the length of the road on either side of where shopkeepers would have traded, and the road opens up into a large market square, built for buying and selling the produce landed at the two harbours. Further shops and market places lie beyond; there would have been craftsmen making and mending boats down by the harbours; this was a city of commerce and trade.

And it was doing well off it. All the evidence points to a city that was flourishing economically. The buildings were built of the finest stone and marble, with highly ornate decoration. Virtually every building was new and in the first century AD there was still lots of building going on. As you stand on the Lechaion Road today it is not difficult to imagine the impression that bustling, affluent Corinth made on the visitor. If Athens was the city of tradition, history and philosophy, Corinth was the city of trade, wealth and success. While Athens' best days were behind her, Corinth in the middle of the first century was at the very height of her power.

What sort of gospel message was the apostle Paul going to bring to this place?

Location, Location, Location

Today we have been to Corinth and the first stop was to visit Accrocorinth, the hill which looms above the ancient and the modern city, and from which you can get a good idea of how strategically located Corinth was and is.

At the time of Paul Corinth had two harbours, one facing east and the other west. There was a diolkos between the two, a path of smooth stones over which goods (and even small boats) could be carried, thus saving over 100 miles off a trip round the bottom of Greece.

Corinth was thus a natural place for settlement and trade. It had had this role since ancient times and even after it had been razed to the ground by the Romans in 146BC it was refounded by Julius Caesar in 44BC along Roman lines and very soon flourished again.

When the apostle Paul was looking for a strategic place to preach the gospel after his time in Athens, he could have chosen no better place than Corinth.

Paul Connecting with Culture

Above is the Areopagus where Paul delivered his famous sermon to the philosophers of Athens, narrated in Acts 17:22-31.  (We wondered whether Luke's account came from Dionysius the Areopagite who would have been there).

Paul's sermon was a masterpiece of cultural engagement.  Rather than railing against the idolatry which he had witnessed as he went around the city, Paul sought to be build cultural bridges with his audience.  First, he took time to look around the city so he knew what he was talking about; he says that he 'looked carefully' at the Athenians' objects of worship.  He was therefore able to say that he could see that the Athenians were 'very religious'. 

Second, Paul sought to ring cultural bells by referring to an inscription he had seen and quoting one of the ancient poets; Paul was trying to speak to the Athenians in a language they would understand.  The inscription read 'To An Unknown God'; Paul's response was 'now what you worship as unknown I am going to proclaim to you.'

Third, Paul sought to find common cultural ground between the Greeks and the gospel through an exploration of what it meant to be God's offspring;  Paul was able to say he agreed with the Greeks that we are God's offspring, but that does not mean that God lives in objects of stone.

Fourth, Paul ended his sermon by proclaiming the person of Christ and his resurrection.  He did not try and win a philosophical argument with the Athenians; instead ultimately he spoke of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and how this proved that Jesus was from God.  His aim was not to win an argument but present Christ.

So as model of cultural engagement it was a masterpiece.  Paul showed that he could adapt his message to the context in which he was speaking; he built bridges with his listeners.  He could easily have walked away horrified by the idolatry he saw in Athens; instead he got stuck in there and sought to engage others with the gospel.  That involved recognising the good things and truth in the culture around him; but it also meant presenting Jesus Christ, the only man raised from the dead.

In a changing culture we thought about what we could learn from Paul's model in Athens; the temptation is to look in horror at things we don't like, but Paul showed a different way.

As we sang Thine Be The Glory at the place where Paul preached the resurrection we thanked God for Paul, his bravery to speak as one man in the shadow of the Parthenon and his faith in the risen Jesus Christ.

Paul in Athens

Today we have been catching up with the apostle Paul on his next stop in his missionary journey: Athens.  He arrived by boat on his own, having left behind in Berea his companions Silas and Timothy.  We reflected that he must have felt quite lonely, used as he was to having companions with him.

It requires little imagination to appreciate how struck Paul would have been by what he saw.  Although the glory days of Athens were behind her, and she was no longer the political power she once was, the buildings of this city, hundreds of years old though they were, would stillhave impressed the apostle Paul  Above is the Parthenon that would have been fully intact at the time of Paul's visit.  We imagined Paul being dwarfed by the huge columns as we were.

And although Athens was not the political power it once had been, it was still the centre of philosophical debate and discussion.  So when, as Luke tells us in Acts 17:17, Paul reasoned in the market place with Jews and Greeks alike, he was following in a great tradition.  Athens was a marketplace of ideas and Paul wanted to get his gospel across. 

It would not have been easy for him.  Luke tells us that Paul was actually 'greatly distressed to see the city so full of idols'; he was emotionally involved in what he saw.  And his initial public speaking was met with some disdain by the philosophers; some referred to him as a 'babbler'.  Yet what he said attracted enough interest for Paul to be invited to speak at a meeting of the Areopagus, one of the main debating fora in Athens.  Paul accepted the invitation, yet what would his message be?  Would he rail against the idolatry around him?

It was these questions we held in our minds as we climbed down from the Parthenon to the Areopagus itself.

Running the Race

High above the centre of the ancient site of Delphi is this wonderful stadium, built first in the fifth century BC and upgraded by the Roman emperor Hadrian in the second century AD. It was used for the Pythian games which were apparently second in significance only to the Olympic games (although the Isthmian games hosted near Corinth would want to argue the toss on that one).

It is the finest stadium we will see on our travels, and it seemed a good time to reflect on athletic imagery used by the apostle Paul in his writings. He knew that games like those in Delphi played a very significant role in Greek cultural life and so he uses images from athletics to illustrate his approach to following Jesus, or, as he sees it, the Christian race.

There are a number of examples in Paul's letters but the best example is perhaps from his first letter to the Corinthians who were very proud of their Isthmian games. Paul encouraged them to learn from the example of the athlete:

'Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.' (1 Cor 9:24-25)

Apparently the winning athletes in Corinth received a crown made of celery leaves; clearly it did not last long! How much better, Paul says, to run for the crown of glory which awaits not just the winner but all who finish the race trusting in Christ. That's a prize worth running for.

God or gods?

Today we visited the wonderful site of Delphi, high in the Parnassos mountains. It is the most stunning combination of man-made and natural beauty, the architecture echoing perfectly the beauty of the site.

It also provides a wonderful evocation of religious and cultural life of ancient Greece. The centre of Delphi is the Temple of Apollo, god of music, arts, knowledge and prophecy and and one of the stars among Greek deities. Apollo was believed to dwell in Delphi, other than during the winter months when Dionysius was understood as taking up residence. Greek religious and cultural life was predicated on the existence of twelve gods and goddesses; it was the assumed norm and to believe otherwise was to go firmly against the cultural flow.

As we will see tomorrow in Athens, the apostle Paul was very well acquainted with Greek culture and so he knew that he would have his work cut out to convince his Gentile hearers that there is but one God. But he very clearly did this, as Linda reminded us this morning in Morning Prayer when she chose a wonderful passage in 1 Corinthians where Paul recognises that some people believe in many gods but that is not what the believers in Corinth have been taught.

'We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods...yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and from whom we live; and there is but one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.' (1 Cor 8:5-6)

Belief in one Creator God who had revealed himself in human form in Jesus Christ was at the cornerstone of Paul's cultural engagement with Greek culture. We'll see much more of that tomorrow as we reflect on Paul's sermon in Athens.

Travelling Light

This was the sight earlier this morning prior to departure for Delphi. Bags out before Morning Prayer, ready to be taken onto the coach.

It made me think again about what the apostle Paul carried with him as he went on his missionary travels. A few of my fellow pilgrims have actually asked me what Paul's luggage actually entailed, and my honest answer is that I don't know. We know from 2 Tim 4:13 that Paul took a number of his own possessions on his travels because in that passage he specifically asks for his cloak and writing materials. But whether he had equipment for his trade as a tentmaker is uncertain. It is possible he shared the equipment of Aquila and Priscilla when he met and worked with them in Corinth - of which more later.

My gut feel is that Paul travelled fairly light; he must have done to leave Berea in a hurry as he had to and to travel the large distances he did he would not want to be weighed down with lots of stuff.

When it came to simplicity, I suspect Paul had a thing or two to teach us all.

The Pastoral Paul

I didn't take this photo but it is not far from the scene that we witnessed as we crossed the Pindos Mountains on the way hear to Meteora, and we may see something like it again as we head down today to Athens via Delphi.  A shepherd caring for his flock in what could be pretty inhospitable and dangerous terrain.

It reminded me of a few conversations I have had with fellow pilgrims on this journey when we have shared how this pilgrimage has changed our perspective on the apostle Paul.  A number of people have said to me that as they have followed more closely what Paul underwent to share the gospel in Europe for the first time, their view of Paul had softened; instead of seeming just a harsh figure who could be difficult and divisive, Paul was appearing more as a brave and faithful man who had to endure a lot for the sake of the good news of Jesus Christ, a man, if you like, with a softer side.

Paul spoke freely for the standards of the day about his deep affection and care for the new believers who had responded to the gospel; in his first letter to the Thessalonians, written only a very short time after his visit that ended with his night-time departure, he writes of his love for those new believers in moving terms:

'We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children,  We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us...You know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory' (1 Thess 2:7-8, 11-12)

For all Paul's pioneering spirit and awesome intellect, he was also a man who was profoundly emotionally connected to the fledging churches he had planted.  This was not a professional church planter but a man with a tender pastoral heart who cared in the manner of the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep.

Pressing On

This afternoon a number of us visited another of the Meteora monasteries the hard way: walking all the way. It was a demanding climb but the monastery view at the top were worth it.

Walking seems to me to be a key part of the pilgrimage experience. There is something quite powerful spiritually about going on a journey which requires commitment, energy and focus. We are shaped to some extent by what lies ahead, pressing on, if you like, for the goal that lies before us. It's not going to happen by simply wanting it to happen; we have got to give of ourselves to reach where we want to be.

The apostle Paul took a similar view on the Christian life. Writing to the church in Philippi, which we visited a few days ago, he writes:

'I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called make heavenwards in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:12-14)

Perhaps the pressing on we did today on our walk could remind us of the pressing on we are called to do - following the Lord Jesus in this life before we see him face to face in the next.

Christos Pantocrator

Today we have been visiting the ancient monasteries of Meteora and receiving something of a crash course from our guide into the iconography of Orthodox churches.

One of the things we have learned is that pictures of specific themes are always in the same place in Orthodox churches, and the above image is a good example of this. It is always found in the cupola, the central dome, and it calls Christos Pantocrator. This means 'Christ Almighty' and so the depiction is of Christ reigning in glory, literally over the body of the church and metaphorically over the world.

It is an image seen everywhere in the Eastern tradition of the church but much less in the West where the focus is often more on the sufferings of Christ. And yet it is an image with a strong biblical pedigree, not least in the writings of the apostle Paul. In Colossians 1:15-17 he writes of Christ:

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth...; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.'

The apostle Paul was in no doubt that just as it was right to worship the crucified Jesus, so it was also right to stand in awe at the ascended and reigning Jesus who will one day come again. I think all of us today have been prompted to think a little more about this than we have done before.

A Room With A View

This is the view for my room in Meteora; the famous monasteries are at the tops of the mountains and we are planning to visit some of them today.

Monasteries are often located in remote and inaccessible places, and these are no exception. There were designed to offer the monks a retreat from the world with all its noises and temptations. As someone who loves to take an annual silent retreat I understand exactly what the rationale behind this approach; being away from the busyness of the world affords on the opportunity to hear from and experience God in new ways.

Nevertheless, on this pilgrimage in the steps of the apostle Paul, I can't help being reminded that Paul chose a different model of engagement with the world. Indeed, a key part of Paul's missionary strategy was to go towards the noise, the bustle, the temptations of the key urban centres at the time. He wanted to engage the world with the claims of Christ even if that meant, as it almost always did, challenge and opposition. But he knew the good news of Jesus was not to take us out of the world but to enable us to live fully in it.

Lessons from Berea

This is the view from Berea, the third city which Paul visited in Greece, as recounted by Luke in Acts 17:10-15. We spent time here this morning and reflected on what had been consistent in Paul's journey so far.

First was Paul's missionary strategy. In each place Paul had started with engaging with Jewish believers and only then moved onto Gentiles. This is significant not least because it showed that while Paul had a particular calling to preach to the Gentiles, he still believed that Jewish believers had a unique role in the mission of God and should be given the chance to turn to Christ as Messiah.

The second consistency was the diversity of the people who responded to Paul's preaching. They stretched across the traditional boundaries in ancient society; Luke tells us the new believers were male and female, Jew and Gentile, rich and (we must also assume) poor.

Third, in all three cities Paul experienced opposition. In Philippi it was for economic reasons because he took income away from the slave-girl's owners when he drove the divining spirit from her. In Thessalonica and Berea the opposition came from those at the synagogue who were offended that Paul was preaching Jesus as Messiah.

Finally, it was Paul's common experience that he had to leave the cities at a time not of his own choosing. In Philippi he was asked to leave, even after he came out as a Roman citizen. At Thessalonica he had to leave by cover of night after the riot. And at Berea he was taken to the coast by the believers because they clearly thought his presence was making the city unstable. It must have been hard for Paul to leave under these circumstances; he must have wondered what sort of legacy he was leaving behind.

It is at this point that we parted company from Paul's journey for a few days. Paul made he journey to Athens by boat but we continue inland for the next few days before we meet him again - so to speak - in the Greek capital. But even at this point in the journey, before visiting the two most significant places Paul visited - Athens and Corinth - , we can take three lessons about the gospel Paul has been preaching.

First, Paul's gospel is for everybody. The message of Jesus as Messiah and Lord is breaking down boundaries in an unprecedented way. Jew and Greek, male and female, rich and poor are responding to the gospel in a way that had never happened before. It is a great reminder that the good news of Jesus is not for some but for all.

Second, Paul's gospel exposed the human heart; it showed how tender people were to the new thing God had done in Christ. Some, like Lydia in Philippi and many in Berea, were open to the message in Christ; Luke says that the Bereans received the message 'with great eagerness'. Others were more concerned with their status quo and were not open to what God had done.

I can't help wondering if Paul thought of Jesus' parable at the sower at this point. He was preaching the gospel - sowing the seed - but the varied responses showed how the hearts of those who heard the word were in very different places. Some were stony; others were fertile.

Third, Paul's gospel produced fruit. While Paul might have been anxious about the legacy he was leaving behind, he needn't have been, for the gospel took root everywhere he went. Particularly striking is the example of the Thessalonians where the response was certainly mixed but who grew to such an extent that a few months later Paul was able to say in 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 'you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia...your faith in God has become known everywhere'.

Paul knows the reason for this; it is God's work not his. Reflecting on his experience in Thessalonica he writes 'our gospel came to you not simply in words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction' (1 Thess 1:5). Paul knew that it was God who was the building the church, not him.

As we part company from Paul's journey for a few days, these are great lessons to remember about the impact of the gospel then - and now as well.

From Caesar to Christ

This building tells a fantastic story.

It was built around 300 AD under the reign of the Roman Emperor Galerius who made Thessaloniki his home and centre of his seat of power. No one is quite sure what the original purpose of the building was; possibly it was going to be his mausoleum although in reality he was buried elsewhere.

What is certain is that its first proper use was as a Christian place of worship. Under the reign of Emperor Theodosius it was consecrated as a church around 360AD and certain stunning mosaics dating back to that time still survive. It is thus one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Greece. Although it also served for a time as a mosque (hence the minaret) it is now once again a place of worship.

If Paul left Thessaloniki discouraged, this building is proof that the Christian faith did not die out here.

A Mixed Response

This is part of the Roman forum in Thessaloniki which we are visiting today as we follow in the steps of the apostle Paul. 

He did not have an easy time here. As was his usual practice, he started by teaching in the synagogue; Luke describes what was in effect a mini preaching series where on three Saturdays Paul sought to prove that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. 

The response was mixed. Some did believe but a number were offended by what Paul said and stirred up a riot. The mob, unable to find Paul or Silas, found the man whose house they were staying at. They dragged Jason - for that was his name - before the city authorities and made accusations that were a mixture of lies and truth. They claimed that Paul and his mates were causing trouble all over the world (not quite true) and that they were saying that there was another king besides Caesar - one called Jesus. That much was true.

Jason was eventually released on bail with presumably a number of conditions, but it was seriously unsettling. The new believers in Thessalonica (as it was called then) sent Paul and Silas away under cover of darkness. 

They must have felt pretty chastened as they left. But I am reminded that Christian mission is not waltzing from one glory to another; there are often real setbacks along the way. 

Perhaps that should be along the Way. 

Paul Was Here

It is quite hard to find places where we can be sure Paul walked, but this is one of them. It is part of a section of the Via Egnatia, the Roman road that Paul would have followed from Neapolis to Philippi.

We only walked a short stretch but it was nevertheless a good reminder of the physical cost of Paul's missionary endeavour. As far as I can see, Paul walked pretty much everywhere, covering between 20-30 miles a day. He would have been around 45 during this missionary journey; not a young man but obviously a man of considerable stamina and perseverance.

What motivated him? I often return to his words to the Corinthian church 'Christ's love compels us' (2 Cor 5:14). Paul was clearly a driven man, but not for himself but the gospel which had changed others: Lydia, the Philippian jailer and so many more besides, then and since.

That was worth walking for.

Who is Lord?

Above are the hugely impressive remains of ancient Philippi. They are a powerful testimony to the scale of this city at the time of Paul's visit. It was a big city of around 60,000 people the visited around 50AD.

Around the site we saw a number of inscriptions in Latin; they served as a reminder that while this city is in Greece, it was culturally Roman. It had been resettled by the Roman Emperor Octavian with army veterans who had fought on his side in the Battle of Philippi in 42BC; indeed, some called it 'little Rome'.

And, being a Roman city, no was would have been doubt who was in ultimate charge. Through statues and coins, cults and traditions, it was manifest to all that Caesar was in charge. As the saying went: 'Caesar is Lord'.

The apostle Paul's message, therefore, was radical in the extreme. While a Roman citizen himself he reminded the Philippian church he had planted that only one person deserved the title Lord. That was the person who had shown his strength in humility, even offering his life for others. And God raised this person Jesus so that 'at the name of Jesus every name should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (Philippians 2:10)

We sang At The Name of Jesus in the place where Paul had proclaimed not 'Caesar is Lord' but 'Jesus is Lord'.

>

A Happy Band of Pilgrims

This is us at the end of a great morning in Philippi. Reflecting on Paul's time in prison here we took the chance in this place to pray for all our Christian brothers and sisters imprisoned for their faith. 

She Of The Purple Cloth

Today we are exploring Philippi and our morning began with visiting the site associated with the baptism of Lydia narrated in Acts 16:13-15. Luke tells us that Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth - a valuable product in those days. Lydia was clearly a woman of some means and her conversion a story that was well remembered. 

It is a beautiful spot with the water streaming from the natural spring as it did in Paul's day. Indeed little seemed to have changed since that day when the Lord opened Lydia's heart to Paul's message about Jesus. She immediately responded by being baptised and showing hospitality to Paul and his friends. A reminder that faith makes a difference to our everyday lives. 

Linda led us in a moving service in which we reflected on our own journeys of faith and reaffirmed our faith and decision to follow Christ using the ancient words of the baptismal vows.

And we used this prayer: 'May God, who has given us the desire to follow Christ, give us the strength to continue in the Way'. And we meant it. 

Who Was Paul?

Above is a mosaic mural here in Kavala which commemorates the landing of the apostle Paul on these shores around AD50.

But who was Paul? To some extent that is a question whose answer will only begin to unfold as we trace Paul's two years in Greece over our nine-day journey. But as we pilgrims met for an opening time together this evening, we were reminded of four key aspects that made up who Paul was.

First, he was an Roman citizen. Rome was the dominant political power of the age and Paul was not only living in that culture; he was part of it. To be a Roman citizen was a significant thing, carrying with it a range of privileges which were not afforded to the ordinary inhabitant. Paul had not earned this citizenship; he was born with it, probably inherited from his father. And he was to use it more than once in his ministry.

Second, Paul was a Greek speaker. Despite Roman power, Greek was, to pardon the expression, the lingua franca of the age, and Paul was fluent in Greek writing and rhetoric. He was able to use language to make powerful and persuasive arguments. To read Paul is to read someone at the height of their rhetorical powers.

Third, Paul was a Jew by tribe and conviction. Paul came from a Hebrew family and had been circumcised on the eighth day. He had received an outstanding religious education. He was a Pharisee, that stream within Judaism which was particularly zealous for the Law and compliance with it.

Fourth, Paul was a follower of Jesus Christ. Paul had had his eyes opened on the Damascus Road and come to see that Jesus was none other than the crucified and risen Messiah of God. And it was this Jesus that Paul came to worship, serve and preach - both here on the shores of Greece and throughout some of the most significant cities of the ancient world.

Which aspect of Paul's life was most important? All four aspects are important, and to neglect any of the four is to risk misunderstanding significantly the great apostle. But for Paul what really counted above all was his relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord. Compared to that everything else was naught. His words about himself in Philippians 3:8 relates particularly to his Jewish identity but I think they apply to all those things mentioned above. Paul said 'I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord'.

Where that relationship took Paul will be our journey of exploration over the next nine days.

The Start of the Journey

'From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight to Samothrace and the next day on to Neapolis' (Acts 16:11)

This is the bay where the apostle Paul first set foot in Europe. He had already travelled all the way across Turkey and had received a supernatural call to help the people of Macedonia (Acts 16:9). We thank God that Paul responded to the call.

It was drizzling a little when we arrived this afternoon but, bearing in mind that a little rain did not put off Paul, we made our way up to the castle and a fantastic view across the bay.

All have arrived safely and are in good heart.

>

A Celebration of Discipline

I am the sure the apostle Paul had his share of early starts, seeking to hit the road before the heat of the day kicked in.

So in that sense we are in good company as all 50 of us assembled just before four this morning for the first leg of our pilgrimage. Some had slept well; others less so but all were on time which suggests a happy time ahead.

As one early morning wag put it, it was truly a celebration of discipline.

In The Steps of the Apostle Paul

On Monday a group of 50 people from HTC and other churches are heading to Greece on a pilgrimage in the steps of the Apostle Paul. In particular we will be tracing the part of Paul's second missionary journey narrated in Acts 16-18.  This was the journey through which the gospel of Jesus Christ came to Europe for the first time.

So like Paul we will be starting in Neapolis (now called Kavala) and visit Philippi, Thessalonika, Berea, Athens and Corinth, taking in other ancient sights on the way to get a feel for the world in which Paul preached the gospel. Much of what Paul saw is still visible, including the wonderful remains of ancient Corinth pictured above. 

Greece is obviously a country much in the news at the moment, and we will be having the chance to hear about the work that local Christians are doing to support both fellow Greeks living with economic hardship and those who have arrived in Greece after journeys every bit as dangerous as the ones Paul undertook so many years ago.  So it promises to be a very special journey for us all.

I will be providing daily updates on our travels so that we can all have the chance to reflect on the amazing step of faith that Paul took then - and what it means for us today.