Paul’s Missionary Journeys in October 4 – 16, 2018

Led by Dr. Jeffrey A. D. Weima Led by alk in the footsteps Dr. Jeffrey Weima is Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, of Paul during the day where he has taught for the past 25 and learn more about years. He is a sought-after speaker, able to W communicate well the truths of the Bible in an interesting, contemporary, and practical the apostle at night! Travel by manner. Jeff is the author of numerous scholarly articles, academic essays, and motorcoach and cruise ship to sites book reviews. He has published five books, connected with Paul’s Second and including a recently completed major commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians. Jeff is an active member of several academic Third Missionary Journeys: Neapolis, societies and he lectures and teaches courses around the world, leads biblical study tours, conducts intensive preaching seminars , , , for pastors, and preaches widely in churches in both the USA and Canada. Jeff and his wife, Bernice, have been married for Thessaloníki, Berea, , Corinth, 34 years. They have four children and five very cute grandchildren. This is Dr. Weima’s 29th time leading a biblical study tour. Cenchrea, and . Dr. Jeffrey A. D. Weima (616) 328-3110 Also see other major sites of biblical, [email protected] archeological, and cultural interest www.jeffweima.com including Pátmos, , Metéora, Tour Cost Vergína and the islands of Mykonos, $4,495 per person from Chicago, based on double occupancy. , and Santorini. Most evenings Round-trip van or bus transfers from West Michigan to Chicago feature a study session on O’Hare will be made available at an additional cost of $100 to $160 per person, provided there is sufficient interest. “Paul: His Life & His Letters.” Register online at Join host Jeff Weima, professor of New bookings.wittetravel.com Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary use booking code 100418WEIM or complete and return the printed registration form. and leading Pauline scholar, for this truly TOUR PACE RIGOROUS inspirational tour. EASY

  Tour Highlights • Air transportation roundtrip from Chicago to Greece • Land and sea transportation via deluxe, air-conditioned motorcoach and by cruise ship • Hotel accommodations in standard first-class to superior first-class hotels and outside cabins during the cruise • Breakfast daily, three lunches, and nine dinners • Greek tour manager to accompany the group during the land portion of   the tour • Sightseeing and admission fees in accordance with the itinerary, along with most shore excursions during the cruise • Use of personal headsets • All taxes including hotel, local government, port, and airport taxes, as well as gratuities to cruise personnel during the cruise • Extensive study materials

October 2018 temporary “home” for the next same ancient Roman road the Sunday, October 7 two nights, and enjoy a night apostle took into the city. Here Thessaloníki, Véria Thursday, October 4 of well-deserved rest. at Philippi, Paul preached his (Berea), Vergína, Departure from the U.S. (B-in flight, D) first sermon in Europe (Acts Kalambaka Our adventure begins! Before 16:13-15) and baptized the Today we’ll follow the footsteps it is possible to follow in the Saturday, October 6 first Christian convert on the of Paul in Thessaloníki, named steps of the apostle Paul, we Kavála (Neapolis), continent. The Philippian church after Thessalonica, the sister must first travel to Greece. Philippi, Amphipolis, became one of Paul’s favorite of . The Group members will converge Apollonia, Thessaloníki congregations and many years apostle spent a number in Chicago, where we’ll Our first full day in Greece later, while under house arrest of weeks here during his connect with our transatlantic begins with a scenic bus in Rome, he wrote them a Second Missionary Journey, flight. (D-in flight) drive, much of it along the letter (Philippians) expressing establishing a church (Acts , to Kavála (ancient his gratitude for their faithful 17:1-9) to whom he would, Friday, October 5 Neapolis), the port city of support of his missionary a short time later, write two Arrive Thessaloníki Philippi, where Paul landed activity. Continue to Amphipolis letters (1 & 2 Thessalonians). After changing planes, we’ll by boat and thus first brought (:1) to view the famous Visit the Roman connect with our flight to the gospel to Europe. After Lion Monument that Paul Thessaloníki, the second exploring the picturesque Old would have seen as he traveled largest city in Greece and the Town of Kavála, we’ll travel into this city. Pass by Apollonia capital of , where inland through the Macedonian (Acts 17:1) and return to our tour manager, Christiana, Plain to Philippi, named Thessaloníki. This evening we’ll  Old city and fortress, Kavála will show us to the waiting after Philip II, the father of begin our one-hour evening  Ruins of the Roman Forum of motorcoach. Welcome to Alexander the Great. We’ll study sessions on “Paul: His the Agora, Thessaloníki sunny and beautiful Greece! Life & His Letters.” (B)  Lion Monument, Amphipolis follow the Via Egnatia, the  Philippi We’ll check into the hotel, our Cover: Corinth (marketplace), where a mob  was formed against Paul and an ensuing riot started in the city (Acts 17:5). Other impressive sights include the triumphal of Galerius (AD 305-311), remnants of two beautiful Byzantine churches (Hagia Sophia and Saint Demetrius), the ancient ramparts of the city, and the White Tower—the symbol of the city. Following the Via Egnatia again, we’ll briefly visit Berea (modern Véria), the place whose Jewish citizens “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). After viewing the Bema—the spot where tradition has Paul teaching the Bereans—and the beautiful monument dedicated to the apostle, we’ll travel the short monasteries whose buildings good reason that Delphi is distance to Vergína (ancient were decorated with frescoes widely acknowledged as the  Aigai), the original capital and icons by the great artists most beautiful ancient site in of the ancient Macedonian of the day. After touring one of Greece. Also visit the Delphi empire. Spectacular tombs and these historic and breathtaking Museum, whose collection funerary objects are housed monasteries, we’ll stop briefly includes the life-size bronze in an impressive modern at an icon workshop, where Charioteer of Delphi (470 museum onsite. One tomb we can witness the skill with BC), one of the prizes of the with a beautiful façade almost which these religious artifacts transitional period of Greek certainly contained the body of are made and where we have art. The museum also contains Philip II, the father of Alexander an opportunity to buy some an inscription concerning the the Great, who died in 338 BC. distinctively Greek souvenirs. governor Gallio (Acts 18:12), At the day’s end, we will reach End the day by enjoying the which plays a crucial role in Kalambaka, where we will have scenic drive to Delphi. (B, D) establishing the chronology a worship service and dinner at of Paul’s life and ministry. We the hotel. (B, D) Tuesday, October 9 reluctantly leave the peaceful Delphi, Athens splendor of Delphi, comforted Monday, October 8 that our next stop is Athens Metéora, Delphi Today we’ll visit Delphi, also at the (“Mars identified in Greek tradition with its own extraordinary Hill”) where he addressed Today’s sites will take your as the center of the ancient sights and beauty. (B, D) city leaders (Acts 17:19-33). breath away! Here we find the world—the omphalos (“navel”) Then go up to the , famous Cenobitic Monasteries of the earth. Located on the Wednesday, October 10 which towers over the city that are perched precariously slopes of Mount Parnassos Athens and houses the , a on top of huge columns of in a landscape of unparalleled We have a full day for the building so masterfully created rock that rise up out of the beauty and majesty, Delphi magnificent sights in Athens, that it has been the subject ground, thereby giving them is the home of the Sanctuary which Paul visited during his of architectural study since the name Metéora, which of Apollo and the world- Second Missionary Journey its creation. This magnificent means “in the air.” It was in renowned “Delphic oracle.” (Acts 17:15-34). Before Doric temple was built to the 11th century that the first Other impressive ruins ascending the Acropolis, stop honor Athena, the goddess hermits sought refuge in the include the Temple of Athena, at the Agora (marketplace) and patroness of Athens. caves of Metéora, since the an athletic stadium seating of ancient Athens where Equally impressive buildings solitude and spectacular vistas 7,000 people, a gymnasium the apostle dialogued with on the Acropolis include the enhanced the mystic way of for physical training, various the Athenian citizens and with its Porch of life. Eventually the hermits stoas, and treasuries. It is with philosophers (Acts 17:17) and Maidens, the Temple of Athena began to group together in  Metéora  the apostle (Rom. 16:1). We’ll  Parthenon, Athens also pass through Isthmia,  Erechtheion with its Porch of Maidens which housed an impressive  View from the Acropolis temple to Poseidon and the  Photo courtesy Celestyal Cruises Isthmian Games. These games were celebrated biannually in Paul’s day and were second in importance only to the Olympic  Games. Spend time visiting , the place where Paul ministered for 1½ years (Acts 18:1-18) and would later write at least four letters, two of which have survived (1 & 2 Corinthians). The city is located on the slopes of the Acrocorinth, a towering mountain rising 1,886 feet above the sea and crowned in ancient times by the temple of Aphrodite. Extensive ruins of Corinth visible today include several temples, water fountains, shops, various public buildings, the largest Agora (marketplace) in the ancient world and the Bema, where Paul likely met before the governor Gallio (Acts 18:12- 17). The Corinthian Museum  contains many significant artifacts, several of which have a direct link to events, items, and people mentioned in the New Testament. Return to Athens for another evening study session and dinner. (B, D)

Friday, October 12 Piraeus, Cruise: Mykonos

http://americas.celestyalcruises.com/en/cruise-ship-celestyal-olympia Depart for the nearby port city of Piraeus where we’ll begin a fantastic three-day cruise of Nike (the goddess of “Victory”) session, we hope to visit with only about 3.5 miles wide. The the Greek islands and ancient and the Altar of Augustus Rev. George Adam, a pastor in city of Corinth, in Paul’s day, Ephesus in Turkey. Our journey as part of the Imperial Cult. the Greek Evangelical church controlled all traffic crossing parallels somewhat that of The area surrounding the who will share with us the this narrow isthmus and Paul, who traveled across the Acropolis houses a number of challenges and opportunities of contributed to this ancient Aegean Sea on more than one other striking archaeological ministering in a country where city’s power and wealth. occasion between Corinth and sites: the , 99% of the citizens are Greek After stopping briefly at the Ephesus. Our first port of call is the , the Orthodox. (B) Corinthian Canal, proceed to Mykonos, a fashionable resort Odeion of Herodes Atticus, nearby Cenchrea, one of the that has maintained the simple the , Thursday, October 11 two harbors of ancient Corinth. yet charming life of a Cycladic the Arch of , and the Corinth, Cenchrea, Cenchrea is not only the place Island. The whitewashed Temple of Olympian Zeus. Isthmia, Athens from which Paul sailed on more buildings and windmills of this We also plan to visit the New than one occasion (Acts 18:18), Leave the hustle and bustle island have enchanted visitors , which but it was also the home of of Athens for the serenity of for decades. (B, L, D) helpfully explains the rich the Peloponnesus, a huge land both another early church history of this famous place. mass linked to the mainland of and an influential Christian In place of our evening study Greece by a narrow isthmus woman briefly mentioned by  

Saturday, October 13 Cruise: Kusadasi, Ephesus, Pátmos Arrive early in the morning at the Turkish port of Kusadasi for a short drive inland to the ancient city of Ephesus. Paul visited Ephesus only briefly during his Second Missionary Sunday, October 14  Journey (Acts 18:19-21) but Cruise: Crete, Santorini returned to the city during This morning we’ll arrive on his Third Missionary Journey the island of Crete, birthplace for a much longer period of of the Minoan culture and two years and three months ministry location of Paul’s (Acts 19:1-41). The ancient fellow missionary, Titus. An city of Ephesus is remarkably optional excursion to Knossos well-preserved and includes Palace will be offered, or we’ll such significant sights as the have a chance to explore , the Library Heraklion on our own. Back of Celsus, the two , the on board the ship, we’ll spend Odeion, the Roman baths, the the afternoon at sea as we Marble Road, and the Grand travel to the spectacular island Theater—where a huge riot of Santorini. This stunningly involving some 24,000 people beautiful place was formed against Paul took place. After by one of the largest volcanic visiting the Ephesus Museum, eruptions in history (around Monday, October 15 have seen during the past which exhibits many fabulous 1450 BC) that created Piraeus, Cape Sounion, week. Following this, there will finds from the excavations at impressive black-rock cliffs Athens be free time for independent Ephesus and the surrounding on which are perched quaint Our delightful cruise comes to exploration in the city. We’ll area, we return to the ship white-washed homes with a close with an early morning have a final “debriefing” for lunch while sailing to the brilliant blue roofs. It is still arrival in Piraeus. We’ll travel session and farewell dinner at island of Pátmos where John a volcanic island, with the along the lovely Apollo Coast the hotel this evening. (B, D) wrote the book of Revelation most recent explosion having to Cape Sounion, the outpost (Rev. 1:9) while in exile. Though taken place in 1928, and it is of , where a temple Tuesday, October 16 our visit here is brief, we referred to as the “Black Pearl” to the sea god Poseidon is Return have time to ascend to the because of its black, volcanic located. This Doric temple was This morning we’ll transfer to island’s highest point and visit ash beaches. Return to the built between 444 and 440 the Athens Airport to check the Monastery of St. John ship for our evening worship BC by order of , and it in for our flights home. Upon (founded in 1088) as well as the service and dinner, after which replaced an earlier sanctuary arrival in Chicago, travelers Grotto of the Apocalypse, the we sail through the night back from the 6th century BC. After continuing on to other cave where John is believed to mainland Greece. (B, L, D) taking in the wonderful views, destinations will clear customs to have received his vision and we’ll travel to Athens to visit before catching a connecting recorded his message to the the National Archaeological flight. We are confident that seven churches of Asia Minor. Museum, which houses a Paul’s Missionary Journeys in (B, L, D) spectacular collection from Greece has been an instructive,  Temple of Poseidon, Cape all of Greece, including items inspirational, and memorable Sounion from many of the places we trip for you! (B, L-in flight)  Grand Theater, Ephesus  Santorini