We arrived in Greece before sunrise. Since we needed to start early (we got up at
5:30 – this is vacation?), we decided to order room service for breakfast again
(yeah, I guess this IS vacation – We could really get used to this.) At 7:30 AM
we met our driver and guide, Michael, for our tour of Athens and Corinth.
Google-searching for tours that included Athens and Corinth, but added the
words “steps of Paul”. We found a man
named Michael Sterianos. In our
correspondence with him over the Internet, it became clear that he was a
believer and wanted to take us on a tour that genuinely viewed the sites from
both a Biblical and historic perspective.
We immediately bonded with him and were so glad to meet a brother in
Christ so far from home. We had a fantastic day with him, talking about the
Bible, Paul, our families, and our God! This has been one of the best days!
the largest port in Greece. It is
considered the most important port in the whole Mediterranean.
for the goddess Athena), the capital of Greece, toward the Acropolis. We
stopped at a statue that marked the spot where Paul entered the city in 50 AD. Paul came into the city alone, having left
Timothy and Silas behind, which was very unusual for Paul’s travels.
and grandeur of Athens. But “his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that
the city was full of idols.” (Acts 17:16). As was his custom in every town,
Paul then went to the synagogue and the agora (marketplace) where he
encountered the people of Athens to tell of the risen Christ.
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| Mars Hill |
where philosophers and the learned men of the city met daily to hear and talk
of new ideas and new concepts. It was the official court that provided
oversight for learning and religion of that day.
invited/compelled Paul to come and further explain his teaching that was
foreign to their thinking. In the shadow of the great Acropolis, which housed
the altars, and temples of several gods, Paul delivered a captivating message
of the one true God (Acts 17:17-34).
Paul, who had been classically educated, spoke to their knowledge and
culture and acknowledged their desire to worship, as evidenced by their
multitude of gods. He proceeded to tell
of the one true God, the maker of heaven and earth, and concluded with the
gospel, the Good News of the resurrected Christ. Just like today, their reaction was mixed –
some mocked and scoffed, some wanted to hear more information at a later time,
but some believed!
deliver his message. It was a very moving experience to think that the apostle
Paul was really there 2000 years ago.
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| Top of Mars Hill |
The Acropolis, (meaning “high city”), is the most important ancient sight in the Western world. The huge, stately Parthenon, sits high atop the Acropolis visible from almost anywhere in ancient Athens, was once magnificent and grand in both its design and
structure. Never has anyone ever been able to replicate its architecture. Dedicated
to the goddess Athena, it is the largest temple ever completed in Greece. Constructed in 5th
century BC , the temple is made of solid marble, including 50 columns.
temple used for her worship was built right next to it.
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| Temple of Athena |
Michael then took us to the Temple of Jupiter (Zeus), which took
700 years to complete. Although construction began in 600 BC, it was not
completed until 100 AD. This is the largest temple in Greece.
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| Temple of Jupiter with Acropolis in background on right. |
Along the way I noticed vendors selling dough rings stacked
high. Being the soft pretzel lover that I am, I asked Michael what they were.
He graciously stopped the car and bought one for both Jeff and I. They are called koyloypia, a sesame covered baked
dough-ring that the Greeks eat for a morning pastry. They taste very similar to
a soft pretzel, just a little sweeter. Not having had a soft pretzel in a long
time, I very much enjoyed it!
old Russian church, and then into the Greek agora where Paul would have walked
and interacted with the people. At the time of Paul, there were 250,000 people
in Athens; today there are 5 million. The agora, as in other cities, was the
central square where public life was focused.
Located in and around the agora were shrines, temples, and altars to
hundreds of gods. One of the largest was
the Temple of Hephaistas, the god of metal workers (dating back to 460 BC).
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| Temple of Hephaistas |
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| Agora with Acropolis |
Paul was stirred in his spirit at this sight.
Surrounded by multitudes of shrines and temples dedicated to any number
of pagan gods (there was even an altar to “the unknown god” for fear of
disrespecting a god that they had missed), with the spectacular sight of the
Acropolis looming on the horizon, he was gripped with the reality that these
very religious people had never learned of the one true God, the God that Paul
loved and served. It was no wonder that
he was thrilled to address the people on Mars Hill that day.
see and take in the entire area of the Acropolis, Mars Hill, and the Agora, we
were amazed and humbled to be standing where Paul lived and breathed the Gospel
to the Athenians, only 20 years after the resurrection of Christ.
presidential palace and the stadium where the first Olympic Games were held. The first modern-day Olympic games were held
in this stadium in 1896.
Corinthian Canal, which joins the Aegean Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. It is
4 ½ miles long, 90 feet wide, and 90 feet deep.
Athens, Paul went to Corinth, where he stayed for 18-24 months. (Acts 18:2-17) In
Paul’s time, it was one of the major commercial and most influential cities of
Greece, with a population of 700,000. It
was highly religious as well as highly immoral.
It contained 12 temples, the most famous being the Temple of Aphrodite,
the goddess of love. The largest temple
was the Temple of Apollo.
the temples, the agora, and the bema where Paul stood trial. The Rostra (or Bema) was the venue for public
ceremonies in the agora. The Jews
brought Paul before the Roman proconsul Gallio, accusing him of breaking Roman
law by teaching about Jesus. Gallio
rejected their claims and ruled that Paul had violated no laws.
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| Bema |
At Michael’s suggestion, we had stuffed tomatoes, lamb, and tziatzia (sp?) sauce,
plus a delicious Greek dessert (all low
calorie, of course). We then headed back
to the ship and said goodbye to Michael – a great guide, our new friend and
brother.
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| Michael |
What a great day it was – magnificent sights, great food,
great fellowship, privileged experience – to see and be where Paul walked and
lived the gospel.