If there was one moment that was most powerful during my "In the Footsteps of Paul" study tour in Greece, it would have been setting foot on the Via Egnatia (Vee-uh Egg-nay-she-uh) in Philippi.  The small stretch of the ancient super highway still shows rut marks made by chariots and carts long ago, and although this segment remains in its original state, other parts of this major road have been paved over and are still in use.  The road gets its name from its builder, Gnaeus Egnatius proconsul of Macedonia who initiated and carried out its construction.   It served as a vital road in key moments of Roman history.  The armies of Julius Caesar and Pompey marched along its stones, as well as Marc Antony, Octavian, Cassius and Brutus.

            The Roman Empire was the pinnacle of political and cultural unity in ancient times.  The size of the kingdom was phenomenal, reaching from Scotland in the north to Zanzibar in the south; and from Indonesia in the east to the Canary Islands in the west.  Not only was this time period the golden age of art and literature, it was the golden age of travel as well.  Koine (Coin-nay) Greek unified communication across the empire (as English does today) and the Pax Romana (Peace of Rome) made travel safe, affordable and appealing.  Roman society was constantly on the move, much like the culture of our day, for a number of reasons: business, visits to healing shrines, migrations, urbanization and vacations.  The Romans built an extensive system of roadways (which the Via Egnatia played a major part) making access between cities available at all times and in all seasons.  People traveled to visit friends and relatives and they did it often.  When they couldn’t travel they kept in touch through letters, relying on friends and family who were traveling to deliver the letter to the intended recipient.

            The Via Egnatia saw its share of letter carriers and travelers.  But it also played an important part in the spreading of the Gospel.  Stretching from one end of the empire to the other, it is certain that Paul, as well as the other apostles and countless unknown Christians, traveled on its large stones bringing the Good News to cities and villages spread out along the way.  From these points the Gospel was carried further by other believers who couldn’t wait to share the new faith they had discovered with their families, friends, and anyone else who would listen.  As I touched those ancient stones and walked along them for a moment, I thought, “This is where Paul walked! (Acts 16:11-12)".  A host of other names came to mind as well- Lydia, Epaphroditus, Silas, Luke and all the people Paul greeted in his closing remarks at the end of his letters.  They all walked on this very road where I now stood.  It was a small but significant connection to my Christian forefathers.  I often long for their boldness, their exuberance in the sharing of my faith.  The exciting and challenging opportunities that Paul experienced in Philippi and other places along this road did not seem to be a part of my cloistered world.  “Lord, if You present those opportunities to speak, You know I am willing,” I prayed.

            I was unaware of how deeply that connection and prayer would tie me to that great man of faith, but I would soon find out.  A few days later, a friend and I stood at the base of Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the council of Athens (Acts 17:16-34) talking about “the fullness of time” in Galatians 4:4-5 and how Paul and other Christians traveled along the Via Egnatia spreading the Good News.  “That’s very interesting,” a young woman said joining us, “Could you repeat it?”  Who would have thought that my simple prayer would be answered so quickly (and with a complete stranger no less)!  It was at that point that I truly followed in the footsteps of Paul, for as I spoke to her about Paul the messenger and his methods, I included The Message as well (John 3:16-17).

            Today there are many roads that can be used to spread the Gospel far and wide.  Thanks to the world wide web the ability to share the Good News in even some of the most remote places has expanded far beyond what missionaries like Hudson Taylor, William Carey, and David Livingstone ever would have imagined.  Churches which initially were forced to close their doors when governments mandated everything be “locked down” at the onset of the Covid 19 virus found they could open the door to cyber-world and still obey Jesus’ command to “go into the world and preach the Gospel” (Mt. 28:16-20) via Zoom, Facebook and other forms of social media.  But whether through the initiative of a church or by an individual a road must be taken in order for it to be useful and there is the challenge- are you walking on that road?  Whether it’s across the street to chat with a neighbor, picking up your phone and giving someone a call or tweeting the way the Lord has impacted your day, Jesus commands that you “Go.”  So get out on your own Via Egnatia and do it.

Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Studying in seminary brought me two great opportunities.  The first was a study tour in Israel.  The second, a study tour tracing the footsteps of Paul in Greece, impacted the way I understood the spread of the Gospel and the struggles of the early church.  Looking back in time, visiting the places where Paul and the early believers lived and worked, and seeing places mentioned in Scripture has helped me to see our own struggles as believers in a new light.  This was very apparent to me in Athens.  In Acts 17: 16-23 and following we read, "Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was deeply vexed as he saw the whole city full of idols...And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.  For, while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’  What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you...”

            Paul was a masterful preacher.  His sermon to the Athenians in the verses which follow this statement demonstrate how gifted he was in relating to people through their culture and times.  He walked through the bustling streets of the city and took note their lifestyle (v.16).  He observed their belief that the gods had limited powers and ruled over small areas of the city.  He knew that in Athens' history there had been a terrible plague six hundred years earlier.  At the time the Cretan poet Epimondes proposed that a herd of black and white sheep be let loose from the Areopagus.  Wherever the sheep would stop to rest, they would then be sacrificed to the nearest god.   If there was no known god at that place, the sheep would be sacrificed to “The Unknown God”.  It was believed that this would appease all the gods and the plague would then stop.  Paul not only used this piece of history as his starting point in presenting the Gospel, but he also quotes Epimonides in his presentation (v.28).

            Paul expertly moves his message from pagan belief to monotheism by emphasizing that God (the Unknown God to them) is not the one who is "made" as some of the Athenian gods were, but The One who made everything (v. 24-25).  He states to his audience that it is God who guides history (v. 26) and that men who seek God will find His fullest expression in Jesus (v. 27, 31).  However although the Athenians had decorated their illustrious city with wonderful architecture like the Parthenon and the Areopagus, they were not interested in decorating their hearts with the Truth (v.32).

            Athens was a city known for its intellectual prowess.  Philosophers spent hours teaching their students about the “spirit world” which was in their opinion far better than physical matter.  The Epicureans sought pleasures; the Stoics a sense of duty and right (v.18).  While ideas and ideologies abounded, Greek philosophy did not have room for this curious Jewish man who spoke of a bodily resurrection (v.32), even though they were intrigued by it (vv. 19-21).  In the end it appears that Paul had little success in Athens.  Acts 17:33 records that “he went out of their midst”.  However some did believe and in spite of the fact that the majority of the council rejected his message, Dionysius the Areopagite, one of the council members accepted it, along with Damarias, who also must have shared a high status in Athens since her name is specifically made known to us (v.34).

            The Gospel will always have three responses from those who hear it.  Some will reject it.  Some will resist it.  And some will receive it.  The outcome did not change Paul’s sense of mission to share the Gospel, nor his methods of presenting the Gospel message.  He continued to go to the synagogues and reason with the “God-fearers” (v.17).  He continued to set up shop in the market place and preach (v. 17).  By the end of his life and through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul had changed the course of the civilized world.  We may not walk on exactly the same path as Paul.  But we have the same resources he did.  We are also actively engaged in our culture whether we realize it or not.  There are holidays and events we commemorate.  We deal with non-believers in our workplaces.  We encounter people with opposing opinions and beliefs in many aspects of our lives.  These relationships and arenas are very similar to the ones Paul operated in.  And in each instance there were mixed reactions to his message.  We can expect the same reactions.  But we should never stop sharing the Gospel.  And by God’s grace there may be a Dionysius or Damarias listening when we do.

Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

    My study tour tracing the footsteps of Paul in Greece impacted the way I understood the spread of the Gospel and the struggles of the early church.  Although there is a great gap in time between believers today and those of Paul's day, there are many similarities in the struggles we face, especially when it comes to understanding what God's Word is saying to us and how we should apply it to our own lives.  Standing in the places where Paul stood gives one the ability to personalize the life of Paul.  It is both challenging and inspiring.  Take for example Paul's experience in Borea.  After a rather harrowing experience in Thessalonica, the believers there send Paula and Silas off to Borea under the cover of night.  Luke notes in Acts 17:10-12 that when Paul and Silas enter the synagogue there they are received in a more respectful manner, "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.  Many of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men".

     Borea is only 60 miles west of Thessalonica.  Today there is only one thing that remains there from Paul's day, the steps which led to the bema seat.  The bema seat was a platform where judgments and rewards in legal matters and athletic competitions were given out.  It is believed that Paul spoke from this spot as well.  The steps now reside in a large monument erected to honor Paul and the Boreans who listened intently and checked out his proclamation diligently.  It is important to understand the role the Scriptures play here.  They not only were the basis for Paul's preaching, they were also the key to the Boreans' belief.  The claims Paul made were affirmed by the Scriptures themselves.  It could be said that Paul's claims were not his own, but actually those of Scripture.

     What objections would these honorable Borean scholars have with Paul's claims?  The Jews of Paul's day would be certain that Jesus could not have been the Messiah because He was crucified.  To them a crucified man was equal to being cursed by God.  In response to this Paul probably introduced passages like Isaiah 53 to his audience.  Through Isaiah's words they could se how Jesus' death had fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah and their search was rewarded with faith.  It is interesting to note that Paul didn't use a fancy program or the art and literature of his day to explain or "update" the message of Scripture.  He took the Scripture as it was and look at the impact!  Not only did those noble-minded Jews believe, but Luke also notes that prominent Greeks also believed.  Those little steps in Borea stand as a testimony to the power of God's Word.

     Paul was also true to his convictions.  Instead of going into hiding in Borea, we find Paul in the local synagogue eager to preset the Gospel once again.  In these actions we see Paul's confession of Romans 1:16 in full bloom, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (NAS).  His first concern was always to bring the Gospel to the Jews, so at every stop on his missionary journey you will find Paul in the synagogue doing what any rabbi does best, studying and teaching the tenets of Scripture.  But he did not forget or shun the Gentiles.  Whether they were "God-fearers" who attended the synagogue or folks doing business in the market place, Paul never failed to share the Gospel with them as well.  Paul also invited those who heard the Gospel to dialogue with him and God's Word.  He wasn't afraid of a little digging or thoughtful questions.  He wanted people to find the answers themselves for in that way they would truly know what and Whom they believed in.

     Paul has a boldness that is rare.  Nothing stopped him.  When I visited Borea and stood at those ancient steps where Paul once argued in the defense of the Crucified Savior, I was in awe of his fortitude and painfully aware of my own timidity.  I know Paul was  a man with faults like everyone else.  But in his own way Paul was one-of-a-kind, a unique man with a boldness that God used to reach a broad spectrum of people.  However, God sees me no differently than Paul.  He has given me my own uniqueness and in His hands, I too can effect change in another's life.  Like Paul, I do not need to rely on my own strength, but that of the Scriptures.  They speak for themselves.  And who knows, when I am bold enough to proclaim the Gospel to others through God's Word, I may actually meet some modern day Boreans and see them come to faith.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

     The ancient city of Philippi was located on the Via Egnatia, an ancient trade and military highway that stretched across the Roman Empire.  Paul arrived in Philippi on his second missionary trip some time between A. D. 49 and 50 (Acts 16:11-40).  He was accompanied by Timothy, Silas, and Luke.  He came to a bustling city that boasted a market place, an amphitheater and a dome shaped acropolis.  Paul had not originally planned to go to the Macedonian region, but a vision from the Lord directed him there.  He was not disappointed by the redirection of his trip for the church in Philippi became his most faithful friend, even to the end of his life.  And it all began thanks to one woman- Lydia.

     For Lydia, "a seller of purple fabric", this was the ideal place to live.  Not only did the Via Egnatia run right through Philippi's market, its port was relatively close too; an ideal location for a businesswoman such as Lydia.  Like many of the women we read about in the Bible, we don't know much about Lydia's background or how she became wealthy.  It's unlikely that she came into her money and business by the death of her husband since Roman law only allowed a widow to collect 10% of her husband's wealth.  Women were entitled to inherit more from their fathers, but there is nothing in the Acts passage to indicate that Lydia received her money any other way than by earning it herself.  Many times a person in a trade such as this was a freed slave, who continued to work for their former master by becoming an agent or manager of the master's business.  But again, there is nothing that points to Lydia and says this was her story.  All we know is that she was wealthy enough to own her own business and maintain a household with servants.

     What we do know about Lydia is that she was a "worshipper of God".  This description was used of Gentile people who attended services and took part in reciting prayers but did not adhere to the "rules" of Pharisaic Judaism.  Paul meets Lydia at an informal meeting place where she and several other people have gathered for prayer on the Sabbath.  It was customary to have a visiting rabbi speak during a gathering such as this, so an invitation is given to Paul and he presents the Gospel.  And Lydia responds.  She is the first European non-Jewish convert to Christianity (Cornelius was the first Gentile convert but he lived in Joppa, Israel).  The interesting thing about her response is that it very Jewish!  She extends the same hospitality to Paul and his fellow travelers that a Bedouin like Abraham would give to a fellow traveler in the desert.  Lydia's generosity becomes the seed which grows into the church of Philippi, one of Paul's favorite places (see Philippians 1:1-8).

     Lydia has two prominent characteristics- heart and hospitality.  She has a heart for fellowship and prayer (Acts 16:13), an open heart to receive the Gospel message (Acts 16:14) and a devoted heart demonstrated in her baptism (Acts 16:15).  Hospitality is demonstrated in her immediate offer to house Paul and his friends.  When Paul described Christian character in Rom. 12:13, he said that the Christian should be "given to hospitality".  When Peter urged Christian duty among his converts he told them, "Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another" (1 Pet. 4:9).  Lydia's hospitality was a result of her heart for the Lord.

     I have to say something about hospitality, just to clarify a misconception about this attribute.  Some say hospitality is a gift- a spiritual gift.  I counted six verses in my concordance concerning this word, and none of them spoke of hospitality as a gift.  Four out of the six verses were commands to practice hospitality.  What does the word practice imply?  We have to do that which is being spoken of over and over again.  Not so we get it down pat, but that we get better and better at it and it comes to us naturally.  Michael Jordan, one of basketball's greatest athletes, still practiced his jump shot 2 to 3 hours a day at the top of his game.  It kept his skill sharp.  Hospitality is to be practiced the same way.  My friend JoAnn (who lives in Saint Louis) claims she is domestically challenged, especially in the kitchen.  Though she says she can't really cook, she has served me some pretty good meals!  JoAnn says she has four recipes which she has practiced over and over again and those are the ones she serves to guests.  It may be a rather humorous way to approach the art of being a hostess, but it is a great example of how practicing hospitality is to be a part of our Christian walk.  You don't have to become a master of it, but you do have to practice it.  And truthfully, I think those who practice hospitality, like Lydia did and JoAnn does, reveal what's truly in their heart.  So...start practicing!

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/annhlefevre;
https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre