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PILGRIMAGE TO GREECE AND
AEGEAN SEA ISLES |
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Following the Footsteps
of Saint Paul with Father Steven Kunkel and Father Peter Bui September 10 -20, 2010 |
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Last Update 12/14/09
Historically little is known about the
actual life of the Apostle Paul except what we find in the New Testament Book
of Acts, and letters written by Paul himself. He is also alluded to in the
writings of the early father’s of the church. The author, Mary Fabyan Windeatt has written a rather
interesting story[1] about him that, while fictional, is based on
the known facts we have about him. The book is for young people ages 10 to
100. A lot happened between Paul’s conversion and when he arrived in Greece. The following sketch
may help to set the stage for events in Greece and who went with Paul. Paul was born
to Jewish parents who lived on the southern coast of Turkey in Tarsus.. Since
he was a Roman citizen his parents must have been influential and possibly moderately
wealthy. At fourteen he was sent to Jerusalem to be trained as a Rabbi. His
teacher’s name was Gamaliel. As a teacher he would have to learn a second
trade so as not to become a burden on society. He learned tent making. We first learn of him in
the Book of Acts 7:57 at the martyrdom of Stephen. His name was Saul. His
conversion in the year 34 was unsettling. He was not trusted by the Jewish
followers of Jesus because of his fierce persecution of them. Now he claimed to be one of them.
Being rejected and threatened he fled to the desert of Arabia to become
emptied of self. He supported himself as a tent maker. After three years he returned to Damascus. He
wanted to bring the gospel of love to all people, but this was not accepted by the Jews
and a plot to kill him was devised. He managed to
escape and flee to Jerusalem, but he was not greeted well when he arrived
there. The Nazarenes were taking no chances with the man who once had persecuted them so much.
But then a Nazarene named Barnabas, admired by all, befriended and sponsored
him. He soon was presented before Peter and James to tell his story. They
were greatly impressed. After two weeks Saul was made a priest and Bishop.
Now he too was a
leader of the Nazarenes and would go forth to preach to the people. Every day he
gave himself to the task of preaching that the Messias has come, and that the
Kingdom is not only for the Jews, but for all men. This did not sit well with
Jews who believed
they were the chosen people and superior in all ways to other people. The
brethren talked with Paul about the danger he was putting himself in and
counseled him to leave. He was crushed. Then in a vision Jesus told him to
make hast to leave Jerusalem. So he did. He was told
not to stop to preach to Nazarenes on the way but to travel a far distance
beyond. He spent a few days in Seleucia, and then decided to return to
Tarsus, his home. He is now possibly 38[2]. He spent the next five years studying and preparing. Then
Barnabas arrived in Tarsus, and together they go to Antioch where Paul is
asked to help teach. The name Christian is now used for the followers of
Christ. During the next two years they learn of the famine and hardship of
the faithful in
Jerusalem. They bring food, clothing, and money from the churches in Antioch
to the Church in Jerusalem. Persecution
had brought Jews and gentiles together. After several weeks Paul and Barnabas
return to Antioch with Barnabas’s nephew Mark. Barnabas and Paul are now chosen
to be missionaries. Paul had hoped they would go to Ephesus, but Barnabas
chose the field to be in Cyprus. Mark went with them. They were
welcomed with success in Salmas, and then moved on to Paphos where Sergius
Paulus who was the
Royal Governor of Cyprus lived. Because he was Roman, Barnabas chose Saul to
lead the discussion with the governor, and changed his name to Paul, a Roman
name. The governor was most impressed by Paul, but then the main court
magician, Barjesus, a Jew, challenged Paul calling him an imposter and traitor. Paul realizing he
was a “Child of the Devil,” struck him down with blindness. The governor was
baptized. Paul wanted
to move on to Ephesus, but this was not to be. Only ships to Attalia were
available. Paul
insisted they push on to Antioch in Galacia [3]. Mark became homesick and returned to
Jerusalem. At first Paul and Barnabas were warmly received, but then Jews
became concerned because of the multitudes that were listening to them. They
were aghast when they
heard Paul insist all Christians were brothers, and no longer bound to
observe the Law of Moses. The doors of the synagogues were locked against
them. Paul fell ill with malaria, and the converts did what they could to
relieve his sufferings. The Jews became concerned as the
church grew, and so came up with a scheme to have Paul and Barnabas expelled
from the city. It worked, they were banished from the city, but before they
were cast out they were publicly flogged. To the dismay of their enemies neither Paul nor Barnabas
cried out for mercy. Weak from pain and loss of blood they were dragged
through the city streets and flung outside the gates. They moved on
to Iconium. Here the story was repeated. The gentiles welcomed them, but the
Jews could not accept
that all men are brothers. After several months they left, and went to
Lystra. Here they met a woman named Lois, her widowed daughter Eunice, and
Eunice’s young son Timothy. A different
problem immerged at Lystra. They were mostly pagan except for Lois, Eunice and Timothy.
But they were of simple mind, and the meaning of Gospel was lost upon them.
They thought they were Gods, Barnabas, Zeus and Paul, Hermes. Paul and
Barnabas were not aware of this until Paul commanded a cripple with
hopelessly withered
limbs to get up and walk. He did, and at once the marketplace was in an
uproar. Hermes – son of Zeus – was truly among them. Sacrifice to the God’s
they shouted. It took great effort to finally quiet the crowd. They decided
to leave to make another attempt another day. They were able to preach with success without
disturbance. Jews from
Iconium came and stirred up the people claiming Paul and Barnabas were
deceivers and should be banished. They were cautioned not to go out, but Paul
insisted they must
continue to spread the word. After some hours Barnabas returned, but there
was no sign of Paul. A man came and informed them that Paul had been stoned
outside the city gates that afternoon. They killed him. They went to find
Paul’s body keeping in the shadows so they could give him a decent burial. They decided Barnabas
should go into hiding at Derbe. When they came to Paul’s body, Timothy flung
himself down next to Paul, and discovered he was still breathing. Barnabas
took Paul to Derbe, and Timothy went with to be a messenger between Derbe and places
converts would be made. After several
weeks Paul rallied and going out for a walk within an hour he had made a
convert. Timothy asked how did you do it without preaching a word?
“Suffering,” he answered. “Didn’t I tell you once before that God can use our weakness best of
all.” Then he told him about Stephen, and said that when Stephen gave up his
own will, he won more souls in heaven than if he had spent a hundred years
preaching the Gospel. He explained that when he met that man on his walk who asked how he
got those ugly scars, he told him how he almost died for his belief in Jesus
Christ – the Savior of mankind. The man so awed by the story asked if he
could be a follower of Christ too. Soon Paul was
able to accompany
Barnabas on his preaching trips. Then one day they decided to return to
Antioch in Syria. They had been gone for four years. Paul promised Timothy
they would be back. As they traveled back they were able to organize the
growing Christian colonies in places they had already preached the Gospel. Seven thriving
colonies of Christians! They told the story of their successes and
tribulations to the Church in Antioch. Brethren from
Jerusalem arrived, and they complimented them on their work, but asked who gave them the
right to say that the Gentile converts didn’t have to obey the prescriptions
of the Old Law, or to say it was no sin to sit at table with them or to eat
from the same dish? Paul,
Barnabas, and one of Paul’s new converts, Titus, set out for Jerusalem to bring the question before
the Apostles there. First they greeted the breathern at Jerusalem and gave
them an account of the past five years. The following day they continued.
Peter, James, and John listened attentively, but the Pharisees in the group
protested that Paul and Barnabas had been telling the pagan converts the old
law did not apply to them. Paul, once himself a Pharisee, insisted the old
law does not apply anymore. It’s the New Law now. That’s a lie the Pharisees
cried. Peter said
we’ll have another meeting to settle this question. A few days later they
meet again. After a discussion Peter handed down the decision. “The Gentiles
do not have to observe the precepts of the Old Law. There is no difference
between them and us.
It is the Lord’s Will.” This meeting became known as the Council of
Jerusalem. Weeks later
Peter visits Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. When a group of Jewish brethren
from Jerusalem arrive Peter ate and mingled with them only. This angered
Paul, and he called
Peter to task. Peter apologized, which had a great effect on the Gentiles.
Soon there were more converts in Antioch than elsewhere. Paul and
Barnabas decided to visit converts in other places they had previously been
to see how they were doing. Barnabas wanted to bring Mark, but Paul refused to agree. They separated
with Barnabas and Mark going to Cyprus, and Paul and Silas to go to churches
in Iconium, Lystra, Derbe and neighboring towns. After two years Paul is
reunited with Timothy in Lystra. They planned to go to Ephesus. Timothy would join them,
but the Lord was not ready for them to go to Ephesus yet. They went westward
arriving at Troas on the Aegean Sea. Here Paul is joined by an old friend
from Antioch, Luke. In a dream
Paul was looking across
the Aegean Sea—the Gospel must be preached in Europe. After two days
crossing, the four missionaries—Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke are in
Neaplis, the port of Philippi, the year about 50 AD. It is here that we now
in 2010 will join in the Footsteps of Paul. There is not
total agreement by all scholars about people, places, and events as I have
given in my sketch, but it does illustrate the struggles over time of
spreading the gospel in Asia, and how the people we are familiar with came to
be together. Now
about sixteen years after his conversion, scarred and tortured but filled
with zeal for spreading the gospel, Paul is ready to bring it to the rest of
the civilized world. Father Steve
over the next few months before our departure for Greece will write a series of
commentaries to help prepare us for our pilgrimage. The first commentary
should be available sometime in the third week of October – the topic: Greece
in the time of Paul—Then and Now. |
