I had an amazing experience when I retraced Paul’s steps in Greece. I share the information below to help others either gain an appreciation of Paul’s travels virtually, or to plan their own visit to Greece.
- Books that I recommend on the topic.
- The Powerpoint of a Bible Study lesson I presented on this topic.
- A blog post that describes our visit in the same sequence as presented in the Acts narrative. The powerpoint above is a refined version of this.
- How to retrace Paul’s journey in Greece. I have been asked this question, and the answer was not simple. I visited with a custom tour and have done other tours independently. In this post, I discuss priorities, options, and evaluate the website offering of some companies.
- My day-by-day blog posts. Below I share the blogs that I wrote after each day while following Paul’s footsteps. These are “raw” which allow more of the experience to surface!
A group of twenty-seven students, graduates, and professors of Liberty University’s online PhD in Bible Exposition program, with interested spouses, came together for an eight-day adventure following Paul’s footsteps in Greece. We walked where Paul walked in Acts 16:11-18:18. We gained insights into ancient Greek culture that brought meaning to the Scriptures that are lost when translated from the Koine Greek into English. We saw first-hand the inscriptions that support the accuracy of Luke’s and Paul’s writings. We learned about Greek history leading up to Alexander the Great, it’s link to the Old Testament, and appreciated the impact of the ancient world’s Hellenization on the New Testament. We witnessed the impact of the last few hundred years on Greece, from its successful fight for independence from Turkey to the Nazi occupation, and its current economic struggles. And we made new friends!
We travelled with this group from 9th to 17th October, in between periods of independent travel.
| Date | Day | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 9-Oct-2024 | Wednesday | Ferry to Piraeus from independent travel, taxi to hotel in Athens Plaka, visit old town and agora by ourselves. |
| 10-Oct-24 | Thursday | Meet group from Liberty. Travel to hotel in Kamena Vourla |
| 11-Oct-24 | Friday | Visit Holy Jerusalem Monastery, Arachova, Delphi. |
| 12-Oct-24 | Saturday | Visit Meteora |
| 13-Oct-24 | Sunday | Visit Veria (Berea) and Vergina, travel to Thessaloniki. |
| 14-Oct-24 | Monday | Visit Philippi, Kavala (Neapolis), and Thessaloniki. |
| 15-Oct-24 | Tuesday | Visit Agios Dionysius monastery and cave with spring on Mt Olympus foothills. |
| 16-Oct-24 | Wednesday | Visit Larissa theatre, drive to Athens, visit Acropolis, Mars Hill, Plaka |
| 17-Oct-24 | Thursday | Visit Corinth Canal, ancient Corinth, Acrocorinth, Cenchreae, and Isthmia |
Daily blog posts:
Greece: Athens Part 1
TL;DR: We had a fantastic 19 hours in Athens as we transitioned from solo travel to joining our group. The combination of a fine self-guided walking tour, a comfortable hotel with a bird’s eye…
Greece: Delphi plus plus
TL;DR: The Delphi Inscription helps date Paul’s time in Corinth at the end of AD51 during Gallio’s proconsulship. We got to see it in the Delphi museum where there are many other archaeological pieces…
Greece: Meteora, and a bit of Thermopylae
TL;DR: An inspiring day visiting monasteries perched atop mountain peaks and surrounded by vertical cliffs. Their remoteness has helped their preservation through the centuries. On the way, we stopped by Leonidas’s statue at the…
Greece: Veria (aka Berea) and Vergina
TL;DR: We traveled to Berea (called Veria in modern Greek) where Paul visited in Acts 17:10. Close by was the underground museum of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. We then continued into…
Greece: Neapolis. Philippi, Thessaloniki, and the Via Egnatia
Summary: Our exploration of the sites where Paul first visited Europe brought the Acts narratives to life. We felt the sea breeze and watched seagulls at the port of Neapolis (now Kavala). We felt…
Greece: A monastery on the slopes of Mount Olympus
Summary: A fine hike to a monastery dating from the 16th century that is partially restored after the Nazis destroyed it in 1943, followed by a visit to a tiny church in a remote…
Greece: Athens Part 2
Summary: We returned to Athens, and visited the ancient agora and Areopagus Hill, that Paul visited, and the Acropolis. Paul in Athens The current size and importance of Athens does not align with Paul’s…
Greece: Corinth and Cenchreae
Summary: We visited the remains of the city of ancient Corinth, which Paul visited twice, staying 18 months. And from where he wrote Romans. We visited Acrocorinth’s castle from the time of the Crusades.…
