Paul the Traveler

Sixth Wednesday of Easter

Lectionary Texts:

Luke 24:44-53

Ephesians 1:15-19

 

Today we return our Acts Bible Study. We're just doing two verses today, Acts 19:21-22, which set up Paul's travel plan. The next story is "the riot in Ephesus," which is a complex story that will probably take me more than one blog. Please read Acts 19:21-22.

 

First, you should turn to the maps in the back of your Bible or look at a map of Paul's journeys on the internet. Paul's total itinerary is usually divided into four missionary journeys. We are on the third journey at this point. 

 

In verse 21 Paul resolves "in the Spirit" to go back through Greece and then to go to Jerusalem. As is usual with the word s[S]pirit (pneuma in Greek), translators must decide whether to capitalize it. Greek makes no distinction between upper and lower case letters. If it's s, Paul is making his own emotional/spiritual decision. If it's S, Paul is in a mental/emotional/spiritual state through which the Holy Spirit is directing him. We mainline Protestants would rarely use the phrase "in the Spirit" to describe ourselves at a particular moment or time, but Pentecostals commonly use the phrase. It's also used frequently in Ezekiel and Revelation for what modern psychologist would call "an altered state of consciousness." I think the NRSV and virtually all other English translations are right to use the capital S. If we were reading or translating into German, we would not have this problem. German capitalizes all nouns.

We have mentioned the regions before, but just for reminder, Ephesus is on the West coast of Turkey on the Aegean Sea.  Macedonia is the northeastern part of Greece. It contains Philippi and Thessaloniki, where Paul has founded churches. Achaia is a central section of Greece that contains Athens and Corinth. Paul has made his journey from Antioch to Ephesus overland. The journey from Corinth to Jerusalem will be by sea to Caesarea with several important stops on the way, and the overland to Jerusalem.

 

Luke does much more narration of events during Paul's stays in the cities than of Paul's travels from one city to another. Acts does not give us a full picture of how difficult travel is, especially land travel, for unarmed people. Roman roads and bridges are exceptionally good for the time period, but there are still many streams and rivers that have to be crossed. Maps are non-existent. Food is hard to come by. The traveler must reach a town or village in no longer than two days in order to secure food. If traveling by horse, the traveler can go much faster and can carry more supplies. Horses can adequately graze on local grasses, but many parts of the middle east, including much of interior Turkey, are rocky and arid. There is no evidence that Paul ever traveled on a horse. 

 

The other major problem was lawlessness. Robbery abounded. Law enforcement was non-existent outside the cities and villages. Disease was another problem. Medical care was virtually non-existent.

The one positive about travel throughout the eastern Mediterranean world was language. Practically everyone spoke Greek. Verbal communication was easy.  

 

Though Luke has little to say about this, Paul tells quite a bit in 2 Corinthians 11:21-33.

Not many ancient travelers logged more miles than Paul. Right now Marianne and I are at our condo in the Outer Banks. All the gas stations are out. We need to come back to CH next Tuesday, I'm a little worried. But my little gas situation is such a nothing compared to what Paul encountered daily.

Faithful God,

We give you thanks that you brought Paul through it all. May our own little gas problems remind us of how fortunate we are in virtually all matters material. Amen.

Faithfully,

Christian