Greece Trip (15): What is She Doing?

What is my colleague doing?

Greece Trip (14): Thessaloniki: What Would Have Gone Through Paul's Mind (1)? - Part 4

Thessalonica is the second major city Paul visited in his Second Missionary Journey after receiving the Macedonian call (Acts 16:6-10). As in Philippi, Paul faced tremendous opposition to his gospel in Thessalonica.

In Philippi, it was the owners of the slave girl that Paul set free, together with the crowd, that opposed Paul for "advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise" (Acts 16:21), and this subsequently led to the his imprisonment.

In Thessalonica, a group of Jews rounded up some bad characters from the city, formed a mob and started a riot in the city, accusing Paul for causing trouble and "defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (Acts 16:8).

In both cities, Paul had no choice but to leave, perhaps for the sake of the safety of the newly established community of Christ-followers. In fact, Paul had to leave Thessalonica at night.

I often wonder what would have gone through Paul's mind when he left Thessalonica. Both his mission to Philippi and Thessalonica had to be ended prematurely. In both cities, he faced intense persecution and opposition. In fact, in Philippi, he was humiliated, unjustly and unfairly tried as a Roman citizen - and in his own words, he had "suffered and been treated outrageously" (1 Thess 2:2). According to today's understanding of models of church growth, Paul's church planting activities in these two cities are far from successful.

At this point when Paul made his way to Berea, would he have doubted the vision of the Macedonian man he saw in Troas (Acts 16:6-10)? What would be the conversation like between him and Silas on the journey? Would they feel a sense of discouragement? Would they have entertained the thoughts of giving up?

What would you and I do when we are faced with similar situations like those of Paul's? Would we have doubted our calling? What would we do if were Paul? Would we still persevere on in our mission? Or would we give up?

Greece Trip (13): Thessaloniki: Kissing Aristotle's Toe - Part 3

My fetish with toes....??

Greece Trip (12): Thessalonica: Why Did the Jews Form A Mob? - Part 2

Paul and his companions travelled to Thessalonica (modern day Thessaloniki) after being beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. Their route took them through Amphipolis and Apollonia, a journey of 154km (95 miles) that would have taken them several days.

When Paul arrived Thessalonica, "there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said." (Acts 17:1-3)

It is impossible to determine the length of Paul's stay in Thessalonica. According to above passage in Acts, Paul preached on three Sabbaths in the synagogue. But this should not be taken to mean that the extent of Paul's stay was merely 3-4 weeks.


From his letters to the Thessalonians, we learn that Paul worked "night and day" (1 Thess 2:9) to support himself and his companions. The newly established church in Philippi contributed financial assistance more than once to Paul (Phil 4:6). Together, these scriptures seem to suggest that Paul would have remained in Thessalonica for at least several weeks, if not months.

Paul's ministry in Thessalonica appears to be promising, according to Acts 17:4: "Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women." Again, as in earlier accounts (e.g., the conversion of Lydia in Philippi), the author of Acts places special emphasis on the conversion of several "prominent women."

Perhaps the initial success of Paul's ministry stirred up the anger of the Jewish community. But more importantly, the Jewish community also feared the respite from the authorities concerning the propagation of loyalty to another king that might jeopardise their favoured status in this city.

Thessalonica enjoyed the status of a free city, and this means that Romans did not occupy the local offices and government, although a Roman procurator was stationed in the city. Instead, the local rulers known as politarchs were in charge. The politarchs are names that are peculiar in Macedonia and found by archaeologists on the Vartar Gate. In fact, this word, πολιτάρχης, is the same word that is used in Acts 17:6 & 8 and is usually translated "city officials" (NIV, NET); "city council" (NLT); "rulers of the city" (NKJV); or "city authorities" (ESV, NASB , NRSV). It appears nowhere else in the NT. As such, the local Jewish community was understandably agitated at any suggestion that their favoured status might be jeopardised.



With this background information, we can better understand what transpired in the narrative of Acts 17:5-9:

"But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go."

I often wonder whether our present day church politics bear some resemblance to what the above passage described. As ministers of the gospel or church leaders, do we sometimes view guarding our favoured position more important than the progress of the gospel? Could our unstoppable craze and unsatisfiable hunger for power and privileged status be a significant contributing factor that may have impeded the growth of the church? Do we rather worship King Caesar instead of King Jesus so that our favoured position is not jeopardised?

Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison.

Greece Trip (11): Thessalonica: Caesar Lookalike? - Part 1

The Octavian Augustus lookalike in Thessaloniki?

We may be brothers, we may look alike, we may pose alike - but I simply don't have that torso to die for. But someone promised me that he would make me "look good" in that photo - and I am still waiting...

Thanks, Kueh, for the photo.

Greece Trip (10): Balancing Act

One can still learn some balancing act....and Agnes is not only good at what she does above, she is also an excellent doctor who treated my injured ankle sustained while visiting Corinth. The story about my injured ankle will come in a later post.

Ancient Church Discovered in Jordan?

The jury is still out there whether the recently discovered cave underneath St George's Church (photo above) can be dated to AD33-70. The news report by AP is reproduced below:

AMMAN, Jordan - Archaeologists in Jordan have discovered a cave underneath one of the world's oldest churches and say it may have been an even more ancient site of Christian worship. But outside experts expressed caution about the claim.

Archaeologist Abdel-Qader al-Housan, head of the Rihab Center for Archaeological Studies, said this week that the cave was unearthed in the northern Jordanian city of Rihab after three months of excavation and shows evidence of early Christian rituals.

The cave is under St. George's Church, which some believe was built in the year 230, though the date is widely disputed. That would make it one of the oldest churches in the world, along with one unearthed in the Jordanian southern port of Aqaba in 1998 and another in Israel discovered in 2005.

Al-Housan said there was evidence that the underground cave was used as a church by 70 disciples of Jesus in the first century after Christ's death, which would make it the oldest Christian site of worship in the world.

He described a circular worship area with stone seats separated from a living area that had a long tunnel leading to a source of water. He said the early Christians hid there from persecution.

A mosaic inscription on the floor of the later church of St. George above refers to "the 70 beloved by God and the divine" who founded the worship there.

S. Thomas Parker, a historian at North Carolina State University who led the team that discovered the church in Aqaba, said that while he hadn't seen the Rihab site, any such claim should be taken with a degree of caution.

"An extraordinary claim like this requires extraordinary evidence," he said. "We need to see the artifacts and dating evidence to suggest such an occupation in the 1st century A.D."

Parker asked how archeologists could be certain whether the "cave was actually a center of Christian worship."

The archaeologist also noted that mosaics are difficult to date unless there is a precise date in the text of the mosaic inscriptions themselves and typical mosaic inscriptions with Christian themes are from the 5th to 6th century.

"It's quite possible that there was a cave with earlier occupation which was later converted to Christian use. But to make the jump that this was actually used by Christians fleeing Jerusalem in the 1st century A.D. seems like a stretch to me," Parker said.

Australian archaeologist Kate da Costa of the University of Sydney, who works in northern Jordan where the cave was found, also said the evidence needs to be confirmed by other archaeologists.

"And even if the cave can be proved to have been in use in the first (century) A.D., there needs to be additional evidence that it was used by Christians," she told the AP.

She also said that St. George's church is not universally accepted as the oldest church in the world. Da Costa said a date of 230 for a constructed church "is over 200 years earlier than any other known church."

Archimandrite Nektarious, bishop deputy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Amman, hailed the discovery, calling it an "important milestone for Christians all around the world and right here at home."

"It confirms that Christians in this region are not strangers," he said. "They are real citizens who have always had roots in this region from those days until the present."

Greece Trip (9): Philippi: Not Really A Homogeneous Ekklesia - Part 5

After Paul and Silas were released from prison, they went to Lydia's house, "where they met with the believers and encouraged them." (Acts 17:40) After this, Paul and his companions left Philippi and travelled to Thessalonica.

The mosaic flooring testifies to the first assembly hall, most likely established after the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, and dedicated to the memory of St Paul: Bishop Porphyrios made the embroidery of Paul's basilica in Christ

By the time Paul left Philippi, a rather vibrant ekklesia had been established and met in Lydia's house. Who were the "believers" (Acts 17:40) in this ekkelsia? We know that according to the narrative in Acts, they include Lydia and her household (Acts 16:15) and the jailer and his household (Acts 16:34). We can only conjecture that the other women who gathered with Lydia by the river (Acts 16:13) and the slave girl delivered from the spirit of Python (Acts 16:16-18) would most likely join this group of believers as well. By the time Paul left Philippi, the first ekklesia established in Macedonia would number approximately 15-20.

If we take a look at the composition of the believers in Philippi, this fledgling church is anything but homogeneous. People from various social status and standing form this church, and it cuts across the social structure of the day. From the rich (e.g., Lydia) to the poor (e.g., the slave girl), they worship the Lord together.

Basilica B - built in the 6th century CE.

One distintive character of the church in Philippi stands out. While Lydia most likely provides hospitality and financial support for the church and Paul, the church at large is generally poor. Yet despite their material poverty, this church gives generously for Paul's missionary work and the Jerusalem church.

Several times the Philippian church provides for Paul and his missionary activities. The church regularly contributes financially to Paul when he was in Thessalonica (Phil 4:16). When Paul was in the Roman imprisonment (traditionally believed, although this has been disputed), the church once again provides for Paul's material needs (Phil 4:10, 14, 17-18). After receiving these gifts from the church, Paul immediately writes a letter of thanksgiving to them for their partnership in the gospel. It is because of the generous giving that the Philippian church sends through Epaphroditus to Paul that we now have in our possession the Letter to the Philippians.

Epaphroditus

The Philippian church also partners with Paul for his collection project for the church in Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Corinthians 8:1-4:

"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches (the Philippian church included). Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."

This is a church that looks beyond its four walls. Predominantly a Gentile church (see my previous post on why there is no synagogue in Philippi), this church contributes to the Jerusalem church, a predominantly Jewish community, to demonstrate her solidarity with those in need, regardless of ethnic, social, and cultural boundaries.

Listen to the words of Paul once again:

"Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:15-19

The Philippian church serves as a model for the Corinthian church (cf. 2 Corinthians 8-9). It is a church that gives generously out of its poverty, a church that knows the meaning of "partnership (κοινωνία) in the gospel from the first day until now" (Phil 1:5), and a church that is willing to help another assembly in need.

There is much that the Church today can learn from the Philippians. Many of our Malaysian churches, particularly those in the Klang Valley, are middle class. Are we willing to give generously, out of our wealth, as our partnership in the gospel, to those who serve the Master full time and and to other churches in need?

Greece Trip (8): Philippi: Jail House Rock - Part 4

After casting out the spirit of Python from the slave girl, the owners dragged Paul and Silas (note that Luke is excluded here) to face the magistrates which led to their flogging and imprisonment, with a jailer guarding them carefully (Acts 16:19-24).

According to tradition, the following photos depict the location of the prison cell where Paul and Silas spent the night. However, this tradition has been disputed, and this exact location is archaeologically unlikely to be Paul's prison.

According to Acts, there was an earthquake in the night, resulting in the opening of the prison doors and the loosing of the chains of the prisoners. Upon seeing this, the jailer attempted suicide, only to be prevented by Paul (Acts 16:25-28).

This subsequently led to Paul proclaiming "the word of the Lord" to the jailer and his entire household, resulting in their conversion.

It is interesting to note the sequence of events in Acts' narrative thus far:

Paul's Macedonian call - the visit to Philippi - Lydia's Conversion - the slave girl's exorcism - accusation by the owners of the slave girl - persecution, suffering and imprisonment - conversion of jailer and his household.

The questions are: Is suffering necessary for Paul in order for the jailer and his household to hear "the word of the Lord" (Acts 16:32)? Without Paul being flogged, humiliated (in which Paul gave up his rights as a Roman citizen where he was thrown in prison without trial, cf. Acts 16:37 - of course, the issue of Paul's Roman citizenship is disputed, but this is a topic for another post), and imprisoned, would the jailer have been persuaded to become believers of the Way? Is suffering therefore a necessity for the propagation of the gospel? Is suffering intrinsic to Paul's call? I have attempted to answer some of these questions in my own work to be published by T & T Clark next year.

Paul is no stranger to suffering and imprisonment (cf. 2 Cor 11:23). In fact, he wrote the letter to the Philippians from prison. Would Paul have remembered his chains and the conversion of the jailer in Philippi when he penned these words?

"Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly." (Phil 1:12-14)

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have." (Phil 1:29-30)

Paul's chains in Philippi is a timely reminder for believers of the gospel he proclaimed. Missionary work in proclaiming THE way to salvation in 1st century is risky business, it is not any less risky for those engaging in the same vocation today.

Greece Trip (7): Philippi: Is Paul Proclaming A Way to Salvation? - Part 3

After the initial success of his Macedonian mission with the household of Lydia as the first few converts, Paul continued his missionary activities in Philippi for some days.

Acts 16:16-19 narrates the events that followed after the conversion of Lydia.

"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities." (NIV)

NIV slightly obscures the translation by rending the phrase πνεῦμα πύθωνα as "a spirit by which she predicted the future." Literally, it could mean "a spirit which is Python" or "a Pythonian spirit." In either case, a spirit of divination is intended here (cf. the translations of NRSV, NASB, KJV, ESV which rightly translate "a spirit of divination." See also NLT which generalises the phrase as "demon-possessed.")

It is interesting to note that while πύθων (Python) is a reference to soothsaying divinity, it is originally conceived as a snake or dragon who served as the guardian of the Oracle at Delphi prior to Apollo. This spirit was subsequently defeated and slain by Apollo. Priestess that uttered the oracles of Apollo were later known as Pythiai, and they were said to have been directed by this spirit to foretell the future.

In Philippi, this slave girl followed Paul by crying out these words: "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." (Acts 16:17, NIV). Paul was so troubled by this and decided to perform exorcism on this slave girl.

What makes Paul so troubled by what the slave girl uttered? Wasn't she correct to say that Paul and his companions were servants of the most High God and they were the one were telling the people the way to salvation or the way to be saved? If this is the truth, why didn't Paul say that even this girl possessed by the spirit of Python acknowledged who they were and what they were proclaiming?

A closer examination of the Greek text reveals the reason for Paul's anger, and unfortunately, this is again not reflected in most of our English translations. In the Greek text, this slave girl described Paul and his companions as "οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ὑμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας." (Acts 16:17). It is rather strange that almost all the English translations miss the nuance of this phrase. Most of our English translations render it as "who proclaim to you the way of salvation/the way to be saved." This is an incorrect translation. Notice that there is no article before ὁδὸν, making it anarthrous or indefinite. There is a very significant difference whether an article is present or absent in this phrase.

In other words, with the absence of an article before ὁδὸν σωτηρίας, what the slave girl was in fact suggesting is that Paul is merely preaching a way of salvation; not the way of salvation. If Paul is proclaiming a way of salvation, he is simply announcing that the gospel of Christ is one of the many ways to salvation, and not the only path to salvation. If it is intended that Paul is proclaiming the way to salvation, the presence of an article would be expected before ὁδὸν, like this: τὴν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. As such, the slave girl's pronouncement merely adds to the confusion among the crowd, and this would most likely drive Paul to perform exorcism on her.
In this respect, NRSV has the right translation of this phrase: "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation."

To the Greco-Roman world, religious pluralism is not only tolerated but also celebrated and embraced (see Alex's post on this). But for Paul, the gospel of Jesus Christ that he proclaims remains the only way to salvation (cf. Acts 16:31; Phil 2:5-11), and he would not tolerate anyone that challenges that claim. Recognising that any distortion of his gospel would have come not from the Holy Spirit but the spirit of Python, it is therefore not surprising that Paul decided to perform exorcism on the slave girl.

Perhaps this incident may also explain why Paul would have reminded the Philippians years later with these words:

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
- Philippians 2:5-11

For further information on the absence of an article, see Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,1996), 243-254.

PS:
Perhaps this article in some little way serves to demonstrate the value of learning biblical Greek. To all our students who are still hesitating to learn Greek or questioning the value of learning Greek, I hope that this article would encourage you!

Greece Trip (6): Philippi: Lydia the First Convert - Part 2

Only a few Jews lived in Philippi, in fact there were less than 10 male Jews. For this reason, there was no synagogue where Paul could begin to preach the gospel according to his usual custom.

On the Sabbath, Paul and his co-workers left the city and walked about a mile east to the bank of a branch of the River Strymon (cf. Acts 16:13). There they would have expected to find a place of prayer where the few Jews in the area would have gathered for prayer on the Sabbath. On their arrival, they found several women and spoke to them.


"One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us." (Acts 16:14-15)

Lydia, a gentile convert, is the first person and a female specifically mentioned in the Bible as being baptized in Europe. A merchant of fine purple cloth, she was a woman of some means and wealth (as evidenced by her trade of expensive garment and possession of a house). She was also an example of an upwardly mobile woman who not only became a follower of Jesus, but also one that had a generous heart in opening her home to Paul and his mission. In addition, she would also have, in some ways, provided leadership in the early Christian communities. As such, it is not too far-fetched to think that Lydia's house then became the headquarters for Paul's mission and the newly established church in Philippi (cf. Acts 16:40). In view of this, the narrative in Acts seems to emphasise the significant role women played in the expansion of the early Christian communities.

Today, the baptistery of Saint Lydia and the Church of Saint Lydia are erected in her honour. While this may not be the exact spot where Lydia would have been baptised, these monuments serve as reminders of the first wealthy and influential Christian who was a woman in Philippi.

Greece Trip (5): Philippi: A Leading City? - Part 1

While Philippi was an important city in the Roman and early Christian period, it remains an archaeological site today. The Via Egnatia, the important Roman road linking East and West, passes through this city.



The remains of Philippi are impressive and it is certainly worth the visit, and it was one of the major highlights of our trip to Northern Greece. It is unfortunate that the Archaeological Museum still remains closed to the public.

According to Acts 16:12, Paul and his companions travelled from Neapolis to Philippi, a distance of 16km (10 miles), where they remained for some days.

The NA27 text of Acts 16:2 describes Philippi as πρώτης μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, κολωνία. Just what kind of city was Philippi? A complex textual problem here has led to a conjecture in NA27 about what the reading should be - and the problem is compounded by an alphabet in Greek, the sigma, in the word πρώτης.

So is Philippi a πρώτης μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, or πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις? Is Philippi a city of the first district in Macedonia; or a leading city (or first city) of the district of Macedonia?

While the second reading receives strong textual support, it is made complicated because historically, Philippi is not the chief city of Macedonia, as Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia and Amphipolis was the chief city in the district in which Philippi was located.

To resolve this issue, several possible suggestions have been put forward.

1) some have suggested that the author means Philippi was the first Macedonian city Paul and his companions came in the district. But in actual fact, this was not the case, as the first city that Paul set foot was Neapolis which is in the same district as Philippi.

2) some have also suggested the use of πρώτη as a title of honour, as an expression of civic pride. According to R. Ascough, "Civic Pride at Philippi: The Textual Problem of Acts 16.12," NTS 44 (1998): 93-103, civic pride often meant ascribing titles to a city in order to lift up its importance. If Ascough is correct, it appears that the author of Acts is attempting to magnify the importance of the status of Philippi in Macedonia, perhaps to underscore the fact that Philippi was the first European city to receive the gospel from Paul the missionary.

As a result of the difficulties in reading the text above, numerous scholars prefer to adopt the conjecture in reading πρώτη as πρώτης, despite the lack of manuscript evidence. This resulted in rendering the meaning of the phrase as "a city of the first district of Macedonia."

While there is no concrete solution to this textual difficulties, it is wise to take head of Metzger's proposal that "it appears ill-advised" to abandon the testimony of strong manuscript support for reading Philippi as πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, "a leading city of the district of Macedonia." The suggestion puts forward by Ascough should not be entirely discounted as well. As such, I am prepared to depart from the critical text in NA27 by adpoting the reading of πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις.


For further information:

1) Bruce Meztger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2nd ed. (Stuttgart, UBS, 1994), 393-395.

2) R. Ascough, "Civic Pride at Philippi: The Textual Problem of Acts 16.12," NTS 44 (1998): 93-103.

Excavations at Colossae by Flinders University

After our recent Greece trip, some have been asking for an another study tour covering biblical sites in Turkey. The recent announcement from Centre for Theology, Science and Culture of the School of Theology, Flinders University, should make our future visit to Turkey even more exciting! Led by Dr Michael Trainor, the Colossae Project: Unearthing the Past, could begin by December 2008. Thanks to Michael Bird for this piece of news.

The following news article is reproduced from AdelaideNow.

FLINDERS University students could be among the first to uncover the last remaining unexcavated site connected to the New Testament.

After 10 years' work on the project, Flinders theology and archeology students, led by College of Divinity lecturers Dr Michael Trainor and Dr Alan Cadwallader, could begin excavating the site with Turkish scholars in December.

Colossae is located on the south bank of the River Lycus at the modern day city of Honaz in Turkey's Denizli province.

"I think what's exciting about this project is that it has been initiated here in Adelaide and it's a work that will bring Adelaide and Turkish scholars together," Dr Trainor said.

Of all the ancient sites linked to the New Testament, Colossae was the only one which has not been excavated.

"The reason it hasn't attracted any archeological excavation is because there are more significant areas which have noticeable surface remains," he said.

Dr Trainor said Christians at the site received the Letter to the Colossians, which later became part of the New Testament.

The site is linked to about 8500 BC and is believed to hold the remains of the largest church in the Middle East - dedicated to the archangel St Michael.

"There are a number of remains of third or fourth century buildings which we quite well think could be from the Church of St Michael," Dr Trainor said.

Dr Cadwallader heads to Turkey next month to discuss arrangements with colleagues from the University of Pamukkale. "It's a terrific opportunity to enter into a collaboration with a different part of the world that has great significance," he said.

Greece Trip (4): Tracing Paul's Second Missionary Journey: Neapolis

Beginning with this post, I will highlight the places we visited in our recent Greece Trip. Essentially, we followed the footsteps of Paul in his Second Missionary Journey as recorded in Acts 15:36-18:22 in which we visited several cities in Greece. I will follow the chronological order as recorded in Acts of the Apostles rather than our actual itinerary, which is in the reversed order.

After Paul received the vision of the Macedonian call in Troas (Acts 16:6-10), he was joined by Timothy, Silas, and Luke, and they set sail to the region of Macedonian (Acts 16:11-12). It is significant that the first person plural pronoun, we, is used in Acts 16:11, possibly indicating that the author of Acts, traditionally acknowledged as Luke, now accompanies Paul in his journey.

Paul first landed in Neapolis, modern Kavala, the principal port of Philippi (Acts 16:11). A visit to modern Kavala shows why this is a natural port for northern Greece. The commanding and strategic location along the sea route from Thessalonica to Asia Minor makes this city an important port. From Neapolis, Paul and his companions would have walked approximately 16km (10 miles) to Philippi, slightly less than a day's journey on foot (Acts 16:12).

There is no mention of missionary activities in Neapolis in Acts. However, its proximity to Philippi and Paul's subsequent travels through this port (cf. Acts 20:1-2; 6) make it likely that some form of missionary work may have been carried out here, either by Paul or his converts. The city of Neapolis was subsequently renamed Christoupolis in later centuries before being burned down by the Normans in 1185.

Unfortunately, there is nothing much left for us to see from the 1st century as any ancient remains, if any, would have lied beneath the modern Kavala.

However, the modern harbour, with its quaint seaside cafes and the gentle hill slopes from the shore , provide sufficient backdrop for one to imagine the setting that would have greeted Paul and his companions as they landed here to launch their missionary work in this region in response to the Macedonian call.

Greece Trip (3): We Had A Great Group

The 28 enthusiastic fellow pilgrims that came with me to Greece were a bunch of eager and fun loving students of the scriptures. We had a good time covering the cities visited by Paul in his Second Missionary Journey in Greece. Although our itinerary follows the reversed chronological events, I would post my reflections according to the sequence as recorded in Acts 16-18.

True to the spirit of the original Second Missionary Journey, we had a team of medical doctors with us, just like Doctor Luke with Paul (to be precise, 5 of them. I must say their presence was a great relief as they came to my aid when I injured my ankle on the second day of our 11-day tour - more about this later). Paul also brought along "young" Timothy in this journey, and we have the youngest member of our team, aged 15, from Kuching.

Together with this team, we not only shared the agape and the koinonia of Christ, we also read the scriptures together at various sites along the journey - and this experience has enriched our understanding and deepened our love for the scriptures. Paul's words suddenly came alive for many of us!

So watch this space as I begin to post my reflections and highlight some scholarly debates on some of the archaeological evidence that we saw at the various sites.

For my earlier postings on the Greece Trip, click here. Also, do check out the blog posts on the trip by Alex.

Greece Trip (2): What Makes the Ladies Go Ohhhh in Greece?

They say a picture paints a thousand words. I don't think I have anything else to say. Just look at my colleague in the first photo (she's in the centre).

Just what are the ladies looking at? What makes them go "ohhhhh!"

Here's the answer!

I think these couple of photos might just compliment Sze Zeng's post on Key to the Men's Heart.

Update:
Click here to see what Alex believes made me go ahhhh!
So, Sze Zeng, you might have to rethink your post on the Key to the Men's Heart... :-)

Greece Trip (1): Back from Greece

I am back from Greece! Will post some reflections and photos of the trip in the next few days. At the moment - I think I need some rest.

Off to Greece: Following St Paul's Footsteps

I am now at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, waiting for my Emirates flight to Athens via Dubai. Together with me are a group of 28 enthusiastic travellers, all very eager to begin our pilgrimage together to Greece in following St Paul's footsteps in his Second Missionary Journey, visiting places like Athens, Corinth, Philippi, Neapolis, Thessalonica, Berea, in addition to Kalambaka, Delphi, Thermopylae, Tempi and a 1-day cruise to the lovely islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra.

I will be away until May 28. Subject to internet connection, I may blog about my trip whenever I have the opportunity. Else, I will update about the trip after I return.

For details of this trip, please click here. For an idea of our itinerary, please click here.

Paul and the Amazing Race

How does a budding NT scholar attempt to make the studying of scriptures fun, rewarding and inspiring, all at the same time? This is a difficult and challenging question.

For instance, I have always wondered how to make the teaching of Paul's various missionary journeys as recorded in Acts of the Apostles come alive. For example, one could show a geographical map of the cities visited by Paul and give some background and historical information of each of these cities. However informative this approach might be, it can be rather boring and passive at best, with little or no participation from the audience. How can one expect the audience to appreciate or remember the highlights of Paul's missionary journeys in these cities?

I find some very helpful and interesting ideas for teaching Paul's missionary journeys in the book edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray, Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction, Resources for Biblical Study 49 (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature 2005) as highlighted in a previous post on Classroom Ideas for Teaching the Bible.

With some modifications to suit a younger and non-academic audience, and together with two other "partners-in-crime", we hope to try out the idea of "Paul and the Amazing Race" in one of the meetings of the College and University Group in my church in November.

The whole idea is to borrow from the CBS's show, The Amazing Race, and with the appropriate modifications and some creative imagination, we will run a competition among the participants in tracing one of Paul's missionary journeys (most like the 2nd missionary journey).

While this is not only an interesting but also challenging idea, it does get some of us excited. We have finally nailed down a date to test run this idea. Let's hope that this will present a very fresh and participatory approach to comprehend Paul's missionary journeys by utilising contemporary culture, modern technology and creative imagination.

Hopefully, this will make the teaching of Paul's Missionary journeys more exciting, fun, memorable, and engaging. Ultimately, it is our aim that learning and digging into the Scriptures can be fun and rewarding at the same time, and this project will be a small step to instill some excitement in the hearts of the young adults in wanting to explore further and to dig deeper into the Scriptures for themselves. Hopefully, this will make the Scripture comes alive too for them in a fresh and exciting way.

Experience Ancient Rome!!

Are you like me, still dreaming of that day that you would be able to experience ancient Rome in a very real way? Have you ever wondered how some of the interiors of the Senate, the Colosseum and the basilica built by the emperor Maxentius looked like? Ever wondered how the numerous statues and monuments as they would appear without the dark smudges left by pollution looked like?

Dream no more! The Institute of Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia has launched Rome Reborn 1.0, a digital reproduction of ancient Rome as it appeared in AD320.

The purpose of this project which took 10 years in preparation is to "spatialize and present information and theories about how the city looked at this moment in time, which was more or less the height of its development as the capital of the Roman Empire."

It contains still images, video clips, audio clips and papers concerning ancient Rome (unfortunately, I am unable to stream the video clips at the time of writing - no thanks to streamyx!!)

Read the news report below, and make sure you check out Rome Reborn!

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By ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press Writer

ROME - Computer experts on Monday unveiled a digital reproduction of ancient Rome as it appeared at the peak of its power in A.D. 320 — what they called the largest and most complete simulation of a historic city ever created.

Visitors to virtual Rome will be able to do even more than ancient Romans did: They can crawl through the bowels of the Colosseum, filled with lion cages and primitive elevators, and fly up for a detailed look at bas-reliefs and inscriptions atop triumphal arches.

"This is the first step in the creation of a virtual time machine, which our children and grandchildren will use to study the history of Rome and many other great cities around the world," said Bernard Frischer of the University of Virginia, who led the project.

The US$2 million simulation will be used by scientists to run experiments — such as determining the crowd capacity of ancient buildings — and as a scholarly journal that will be updated at each new discovery of one of Rome's marvels.

Frischer also said students and tourists can also use the program to learn about ancient Rome.

The simulation reconstructs some 7,000 buildings at the time of emperor Constantine, when Rome was a vibrant and cosmopolitan city of about 1 million people, said Bernard Frischer of the University of Virginia, who led the project.

Guided by laser scans of modern-day Rome and advice from archaeologists, experts have rebuilt almost the entire city within its original 13-mile-long wall using the same computer programs architects use to plan new constructions, he said.

It even includes the interiors of about 30 buildings — among them the Senate, the Colosseum and the basilica built by the emperor Maxentius — complete with frescoes and decorations.

The simulation shows statues and monuments as they would appear without the dark smudges left by pollution. The computer experts also were able to accurately recreate buildings that are now almost in ruins, such as the temple dedicated to the goddesses Venus and Roma and the Meta Sudans, a fountain that stood near the Colosseum, Frischer said.

The program was created over 10 years by an international team of archaeologists, architects and computer specialists from the University of Virginia and UCLA, as well research institutes in Italy, Germany and Britain, he said.