Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Apostle Paul, who is also known as the "Disciple of Nations," is one of the greatest figures in Christian history. Paul traveled around the world to teach the gospel of Christ. He preached in 16 Greek regions and his Epistles - the letters Paul sent to the early church communities - summarise his teachings.
  • The way to Macedonia
Paul began his journey in 49 AD, taking the Via Egnatia, a large road constructed by the Romans which linked the Adriatic Sea with Byzantium, through the cities of Macedonia. In Philippi, (Nothern Greece) Paul taught for the first time on European soil. The prosperity of the city in the 5th and 6th centuries was attributed to Paul and his ministry.
  • Preaching the Unknown God to Athenians
On his way to Thessaloniki, Paul visited another important Macedonian city, Amphipolis. In Thessaloniki,  Paul preached about the end of the world. In his letters to the Christians of the city, who were heavily prosecuted, Paul assures them that the dead will rise first.

Paul’s visit to Athens - the cradle of philosophy - is groundbreaking (51 AD) and a landmark in the history of the ancient world. When Paul walked to the city, he discovered an altar which Athenians had dedicated "to the Unknown God." Discussing with philosophers in the agora, he seized the opportunity to preach to those who enshrine the benefit of the doubt.
  • Love is patient, love is kind
Paul stayed in Corinth for 18 months. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul covers the subject of love, principally the love that Christians should have. Passages of his Epistle have been notably influential throughout history. They can be summarised as the following: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”