By K.J. Stavrinides
The Feast in Greece was celebrated by 30 people who were in regular attendance, plus a half dozen visitors who joined us as their time allowed.
The group was small enough to fit into one bus, which made mobility easier. Services were conducted in the mornings, and educational trips were organized each afternoon.
Our goal in the educational trips was to trace the steps of the apostle Paul--to follow the route he took 2,000 years ago while keeping in mind that his mode of transportation would have meant considerable dangers and repeated hardships. It was not always possible to follow his footsteps in sequence, but this article places the educational trips in the proper order.
Visit to Sounion: Paul left the city of Berea abruptly because of Jewish persecution. However, what often appears to be a negative situation may turn into a blessing in the preaching of the gospel. Out of Paul's difficulties in Berea, a new opportunity arose to preach Christ's message in the largest city of Greece.
From Berea, Paul went to the sea (Acts 17:15). There he boarded a ship that brought him south to Athens. The ship sailed along the eastern coast of Greece, as far as Cape Sounion.
Our group made a visit to this spot. Right on the tip of the promontory, there was a temple dedicated to Poseidon, the god of the sea. A portion of that temple is still standing. It would have been impossible for Paul to have passed that temple without comment.
At least we could say that we were standing at a spot from which we would have seen Paul's ship sailing around the promontory on its way to Piraeus.
Visit to Piraeus: Our group returned by the coastal road. Paul would have traveled by ship as far as the port. Today this port is much larger than it was in Paul's day.
Even so, one can get a sense of the old port by witnessing the arrival and departure of ships, making voyages to and from various Greek islands or distant lands.
On a clear day, one would have been able to see, from as far as Piraeus, the statue of Athena standing on the Acropolis and glittering in the sunlight.
Our group made the visit to the port of Piraeus, and also drove the short distance to Athens.
In Athens: Paul went through the city of Athens (Acts 17:16), when it was but a tiny portion of what it is today. Even so, it was the university town of the known world. Our group took a walk in the same "agora" or market place (Acts 17:17) where he had daily discussions with the citizens of Athens. It was in the market place that the Stoics and the Epicureans challenged his views.
On Mars Hill: It was with eager anticipation that the group visited Mars Hill. One can see the two seats on which the magistrates sat during hearings. This was the spot at which the Athenians brought Paul so as to hear from him "what these things mean" (Acts 17:20).
On the Acropolis: The Acropolis was the religious center of Athens. The Parthenon is one of the seven wonders of the world, a marvel of design and construction. And yet, it is only one of the buildings on the Acropolis. Apart from the ancient buildings, there is a museum and, farther down at the foot of the Acropolis, there are two theatres known for their archeological significance as also for their continued use today.
The Hill of Lycabetus: On the top of the hill, is the chapel of St. George, and, a few steps lower, a restaurant that affords a view of Athens that photographers take delight in.
To Corinth: The book of Acts says that Paul's next stop was Corinth. Our group stopped briefly at the Corinth canal, for its importance as a historic achievement. In Paul's days, the captain of a ship had a choice of sailing round the Peloponnese or having the ship lifted out of the water, placed on rails and dragged by animals from the Aegean Sea to the Gulf of Corinth, a distance of some six kilometers. Now, the ships sail from one sea to the other, through this canal.
The ancient city of Corinth is large, and one needs time to study what is in it. Chiefly the site is a blend of Greek and Roman buildings. There are temples, shops, market places, theatres, basilicas and some well-preserved streets.
Since the Romans had destroyed the Greek city of Corinth in 146 B.C., Paul visited the city that had been rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.
When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews took Paul to the Roman tribunal (Acts 18:12), which is still there.
Two side trips: The group took two side trips. The first was a visit to a prehistoric cave full of stalactites and stalagmites.
The other side trip was a visit by ship to three Greek islands. It gave us a chance to see an entirely different climate and way of living from that of Athens, to buy souvenirs, and to see an island that does not use or allow motor vehicles.
Since my wife, Lambrine, and I spent the first half of the Feast in Spain, the Greek Feast site was co-ordinated by George Patrickson from Canada with the help of Wade Smith from the United States.
Nov. 19, 1996, Worldwide News, page eight.
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