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2024 DisciplePath Tour to Greece & Rome
A LAND & SEA ADVENTURE
In the Footsteps of Paul:
JUNE 19 – JULY 2, 2024
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February 26, 2024.
My Favorite Place in Greece
*Get the details here for the 2024 DisciplePath Greece & Rome Trip. Only a few spots left!
There are many reasons why people visit Greece and Rome from the delectable food to world-class beaches, romantic villages, magnificent museums, historical sites highlighting the life of the apostle Paul, and much more. Come away with us this summer to find your favorite places around the world!
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A very significant event happened 38 years ago on February 26, 1986, which makes this place one of my favorite places in Greece.
“Ancient Corinth, inhabited since the Neolithic times, was considered the richest city of the ancient world and its most important commercial hub until the rise of Athens.”[i] This beautiful place connects multiple civilizations in one panoramic view. The arches of ancient Rome to the Greek pillars that held high the temples of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses to the dome of the more recently built Greek Orthodox church in the distance are nestled between the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Corinth, the rugged acropolis and ruins from the Temple of Apollo, and the Isthmus. Passing picturesque villages on a narrow country road leads us to ancient Corinth, a place that connects the ancient past to the humble Greek dwellings that house the locals today.
When Joe and I lead tours to Greece, ancient Corinth is one of my favorite places to introduce to our fellow travelers. The rich history, vast beauty, cultural heritage, and spiritual significance make this quiet place one of the most loved stops on our journey.
It was in this place that the Apostle Paul served as the pastor of the early Corinthian church for approximately eighteen months on his second missionary journey.[ii] (Acts 18:11) Later he wrote two letters to this somewhat dysfunctional group of people. The first was written while Paul was ministering in Ephesus , a city we visit while on our tours. The second epistle was written later in the same year while Paul was in Macedonia, possibly from Philippi which is in the eastern region of Macedonia. Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi, another site we are scheduled to visit this summer. While the first letter sternly addressed the immoral behaviors and spiritual immaturity of this church, the second addressed the infiltration of false teachers that had crept in. For this, Paul promised he would be paying them a visit to address this matter.
The culture of ancient Corinth was much like the large commercial cities of today. It was a crossroad for travelers and commerce. Corinth’s two harbors, Cenchrea and Lechaion , and the Isthmus known as the Corinth Canal, connected the goods that flowed through the city from Italy and Spain to the west, and Asia Minor, Phoenicia and Egypt to the east.[iii]
There was a strong emphasis on knowledge and wisdom as well as a plethora of religious beliefs with temples to the Greek gods, including Asclepius, the god of healing, Apollo, son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. This bustling city was “a center for open and unbridled morality”. In fact, “the worship of Aphrodite fostered prostitution in the name of religion.” Just like thriving cities across the globe, the religious diversity, unacceptable behaviors, and cultural clashes caused many problems for the immature young believers of the Corinthian church.[iv]
The first time I visited ancient Corinth, I was caught by surprise when approaching the Bema Seat at the ruins of the ancient synagogue, where Paul likely stood trial. The Jewish leaders accused him of crimes he did not commit and brought him before the Roman proconsul, Gallio, who dismissed the accusations having no regard for the Jewish religion. (Acts 18:12-15). A stone there commemorates the essence of the struggles Paul faced as well as the difficulties we all face in this life. Although the stone is not from the first century, Greek and English words from II Corinthians 4:17 have been carved into it. In his second letter had written these words. The English translation reads this way, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
This verse is one of comfort and hope for me personally. On Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1985, our fourth baby, Christy Therese was born in Statesville, NC. The day after she was born, she was transported to the NICU at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, where she was soon diagnosed with a rare heart defect, transposition of the great arteries.
During that difficult season of my life, I read Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthian church, written around 55 AD. These words gave me hope. So, I the words on an index card and taped the card to Christy’s bassinet to remind me, and those who cared for Christy, of the future HOPE we have because of the gospel proclaimed by Paul. This is the same gospel Paul was martyred for approximately ten years later in Rome. We will visit Paul’s burial site at the Basilica of St Paul when we visit this summer.
I tell you this story of Christy because of the HOPE I have thirty-eight years after her death. I tell you the story because as you travel through biblical lands, visiting the sites of the earliest followers of Jesus, you may find a favorite place like I did that remind you of the HOPE you have in your own circumstances.
I wish I could tell you how Christy’s life has impacted many people through the years, but time does not permit right now.
I love to visit ancient Corinth when Joe and I lead these tours to biblical lands, not only because can we introduce people to the natural beauty, rich history, and grandeur of ancient Corinth, but because we can share this hope of eternal glory.
[i] Ancient Corinth Guide: History & Mythology. 23 November 2023. Retrieved from Greeking me:
discovering Greece and Italy with bespoke, original journeyson 2024 February 26.
[ii] https://www.matthewmcgee.org/paultime.html , Retrieved 2024 Feb 26.
[iii] The Zondervan NASB Study Bible. 1999. p. 1660. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 49530.
[iv] Ibid.