39. Travel Greece with a Bible in Your Suitcase | Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Greece | Acts 19:29 | 2 Corinthians 9:2,4 | Daniel 8:20-21 | Acts 27:9-44 | 2 Corinthians 11:25-26

by Lorelei GaugerTour GreecePosted on No Comments

The Macedonian language that some people claim that they speak today has nothing to do with Macedonian inscriptions. The language that the Macedonians used in antiquity, was not Slavic, but definitely, without any doubt, was Greek.

Slavic Macedonians cannot name themselves as “The Macedonians.” Rather, they are “Slavic Macedonians.” Macedonians preexisted Slavic Macedonians. Clear? Because there is a debate today. And unfortunately, in that debate, President Bush recognized the little state with the name Macedonia without another identification. He said, “The Bible speaks about the Macedonians.” President Bush disappointed Greece, even the Christians of Greece, with his proclamation because the Macedonians in Scripture are not Slavic Macedonians. The Macedonians in Scripture were Greek Macedonians.

Imagine with me, Greeks who are coming to the United States, keeping their Greek language, and one day saying to the Americans, “Look, all the others are not Americans, we are the only Americans, and you are the occupiers of our country here.” Imagine how strange it would sound in the ears of all the other American people. This is what some so-called Macedonians do today.

The Bible definitely speaks about the Macedonians, (Acts 19:29, 2 Corinthians 9:2,4) but does not support the argument of Mr. Bush. The letters in the Bible, sent to the Macedonians, were all written in Greek, not Slavic. The letter written to the Philippians is in Greek. The two letters written to the Thessalonians are in Greek. When Daniel speaks about the King of Macedonia, Alexander the Great, he calls him the King of Greeks (Daniel 8:20-21).

Next is a column from the Via Ignatia. This column served as a distance marker on the Via Ignatian Road, and it was found in Macedonia, the area of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Distance marker along the Via Ignatia in Macedonia

Of the 1000’s of these milestones, today only 35 have survived and here we have one. The Apostle Paul saw these milestones and these milestones helped him to know how far he had yet to go while walking to the next city. Every Roman mile was marked by a milestone, marking the distance from the stone to the closest city.

The Apostle Paul travelled on foot and by ship, and we know that he shipwrecked (Acts 27:9-44, 2 Corinthians 11:25-26.)

Imagine how difficult and expensive it was to use a ship to travel during the time of the Apostle Paul. Travelers paid for an expensive ticket, but travelers had to stuff themselves among the jars and containers of goods on the ship. There were no cruise ships! All ships were cargo ships. So, to travel (if there was room) cargo ships took passengers with them.

Travel by Ship in Ancient Macedonia

You are familiar with the word symposium. Imagine dining among furnishings, on a couch reclining and having conversations, eating and drinking. This is in the Greek Symposium and it was very common for the young members of the family, especially the male members.

Symposium today has as an equivalent – the party. The Symposium was divided into two parts, the dinner or supper and the drink afterwards. The supper, or the dinner, was short and the drink afterwards lasted longer, sometimes overnight.

The Greek Symposium

In the description of the Last Supper in John’s Gospel, John described the Last Supper as a symposium.  We read, “after the supper” and then we have three chapters after the supper. And so you see how the people participated at the symposium. All the time, when we see Jesus invited to such a meal, he reclined. He reclined, not sat down. This is how the people reclined at that time, to eat and to drink.

In Simon’s house, Jesus reclined.

And this is how John came to the chest of Jesus. For example, sometimes today we are two people on the same recliner. Reclining… and so, John came a little bit farther back, and John says he was at the chest of Jesus, very close to face to face.

This is how we can explain what happened with a lady who came to the area where Jesus’ feet were. She broke the alabaster and washed his feet. Jesus was not sitting. He was reclining.

What was she doing in the men’s symposium? This lady was very familiar with the men’s escort.  And so, seeing her in the Pharisee’s home where supposedly the theologians of Jerusalem were gathered, they were surprised, and the owner was even more surprised when he saw her touching the feet of Jesus. If he was a prophet, he should know who she was.

Remember that Socrates used this way to teach his disciples. He was invited to symposiums. Symposium means to drink together. While drinking together they discussed very serious things.

Today, metaphorically, we use the term symposium for seminaries and scientific announcements.

28. Travel Greece with a Bible in Your Suitcase | Office of the Generals | Philippi, Greece | Acts 16:16-40

by Lorelei GaugerTour GreecePosted on No Comments

What is the design on this rock?

It is a shield and a spear!

Everybody who saw this symbol, whether Greek or Latin speaking, or illiterate, knew they were standing at the Office of the Generals.

The tools and the equipment that the Athenians had, 600 years prior to this structure, were more or less the same as what we have today, with one exception. They had a weight limit, a limit of up to 14 tons. With a wooden crane, four men could lift up 14 tons. A model of such a crane is at the Museum of the Acropolis in Athens.

I would like you also to look carefully at the floor. It was developed in three levels. The roof of the building was wooden, and filled in with adobe.

We have here a miniature theatre, a theatrical structure. The desks of the generals were set all around in a council room, a small little council room.

What was the function of the council room? It was a place for the generals to speak together about issues that they were facing. The generals met in the council room and sat in the round with their desks facing each other. If they had someone to question, then that person stood in the middle of the room while the generals stood around him.

We read in the Bible, beginning in Acts 16:16. And it happened that as we (Paul and Silas) were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl, having a spirit of divination met us.

Spirit of divination is a translation of the Greek phrase, πνεῦμα Πύθωνος, Pneuma Pythōnos, which means Spirit of python – the snake python. Pythōnos relates the activity of this slave-girl with the major and international religious center called Delphi (the Oracle of Delphi.) The god of all, in Delphi, was called Pythias. The high priestess of Delphi was called Pythia. Inter-Greek games, organized every four years, were called Pythian games. So, the activity of this slave-girl is related to the activity of the international religious center called Oracle of Delphi.

Acts16:16. And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a Spirit of Pythōnos met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

This slave girl was a servant of a personality, called in the Bible, the father of the lie. She was a possessed person – possessed by a demon.

Is it possible for such a servant, the servant of the father of the lie, to speak the truth? No. Was her message the truth or a lie? A lie.

In reading the original text, the Greek text, the reader would be alerted that the slave girl was proclaiming that Paul and Silas were there to proclaim a way of salvation. The astute reader understood her lie and would understand that Paul and Silas were in Philippi to proclaim the only, one way to be saved, the way of salvation.

In Philippi, all mysteries and mystical rituals were ways of salvation. The slave girl said that Paul and Silas were servants of the Most High God and they were there to proclaim a way of salvation.

Our Bible translations should read a way of salvation because in the Greek text the definite article is missing in front of the word way. She said they were proclaiming a way, one among many ways, to be saved. And that was her lie. There are some English translations that pick up on it but if yours does not, erase the definite article “the” and put in the indefinite article “a” in Acts 16:16.

This was her lie: “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.”

Paul and Silas were proclaiming the way of salvation.

Acts 16:17-20a “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.” And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the agora (the town square, the little paved square) before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates…

First Paul and Silas were dragged to the agora and then they were brought before the chief generals. Your translation might use the word magistrates. Instead of magistrates, mark your copy of the text to read generals. Paul and Silas were brought before the chief generals. Stratēgos (στρατηγοῖς – the original Greek word) means generals and it has been incorrectly translated as magistrates in some translations.

So, “they brought them in front of the chief generals.”

Archeologists knew about this place because of the Bible and they came to Philippi to verify the Bible. This place was buried until 1914. To see Philippi is to touch the history and authenticity of the New Testament with your bodily self.

Paul and Silas were brought before the chief generals in the council room of the Office of the Generals. The Office of the Generals is not a room of magistrates. They were not brought before the magistrates because Paul and Silas were not breakers of the penal law, they were not thieves, nor murderers. They were brought before the generals because they were accused of a political crime. Paul and Silas said there was a king other than Caesar. In Thessaloniki, this political crime was pronounced as conspiracy/high treason, as a political crime.

Bema in Philippi, Greece

Acts 16:20-40 And when they had brought them to the chief generals, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” [Where was this revolt against Paul and Silas? Outside, on the agora, the town square] And the crowd rose up together against them, and the chief generals tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them (this happened at the bema) they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened. And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. Now when day came, the chief generals sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief generals have sent to release you. Now therefore, come out and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, [remember, the bema, where they were beaten, was close to the council room!] men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” And the policemen reported these words to the chief generals. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

The Office of the Generals is a place that historically has not been associated with the Bible. But now, because of archeology, it is a place that is associated directly to the Bible,. There is no doubt that this is the actual location of the Office of the Generals in Acts 16. The Bible says that Paul and Silas were brought in front of the generals. We stepped upon the same floor where Paul and Silas, 2000 years ago, stepped, were accused, and faced those in authority.

The scene in Acts 16 occurs at the Office of the Generals.

Office of the Generals, Philippi Greece

The crowd rose up against Paul and Silas in the agora (the town square.)

Agora, the town square (where the crowds revolted) in Philippi, Greece

Paul and Silas were beaten at the Bema.

Bema platform with steps, where the crowds inflicted many blows upon Paul and Silas in Philippi, Greece. Acts 16:20-40.

27. Travel Greece with a Bible in Your Suitcase | Town Square, Agora | Philippi, Greece | Acts 16:19

by Lorelei GaugerTour GreecePosted on No Comments

Acts 16:12 refers to the little village of Philippi, Greece, a city of the first portion of the district of Macedonia. New Testament translators sometimes use the terms “living city” or “leading city” in Acts 16.12. However, Philippi was not a living city, or a leading city. It was small like a village, but a city of the first portion of the district of Macedonia.

Acts 16:12 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a city of the first portion of the district of Macedonia, a city or village with special privileges.

This is the New Testament village of Philippi. A little bit further, we will see part of it excavated.

The Apostle Paul arrived here in 50-51 AD. The Apostle Paul saw the ruins in poor shape 100 years before Marcus Aurelius. Greece does not have cathedrals and pilgrimage spots covering the ruins. We have the actual thing. Greece is free of later buildings being built on top of ruins, which maintains and preserves authenticity.

To explore Philippi, Greece we start with the most important part of Philippi – the town square, the center of the village.

See the main road of the ancient city, a part of the residential area with a side road which connected with the Via Ignatia, two city blocks divided by the city road and in the road the sewer system. 

We can see the theater and the acropolis.

Back in the time of monarchy, the palace sanctuary had been the most important place in the city. The palace sanctuary was the residence of the king-priest, and therefore, the center of religion and administration,

Religious activities occurred up at the acropolis and in the administration.

After monarchy was abolished a change occurred, religious activities occurred in the agora (another words for town square) and the agora became the most important place in the city. Crowds gathered in the town square for both political and religious reasons and sometimes the gatherings lasted a long time – which brought about the first appearance of commercial activity into the agora.

Eventually the town square became an economic and financial center, but the agora cannot be characterized by economic activity. The significance of the commercial, financial significance of the agora lags far behind the administrative and religious significance of activities in the agora. Far behind.

Yes definitely, there was commercial activity in the town square/agora, but it was not the most important activity of the town square.

The first town square in history, in Athens, began alongside Athenian democracy at the end of 6 BC. The town square was called ἀγορά, agora. The New Testament uses the Greek term, ἀγορά/agora. Later the Romans called the same place forum.

The Agora that you see here was built by Octavian Augustus and Mark Antony right after the battle of Philippi which took place here 42 BC.

Still today, many cities are built around a town square as the center of the city. A modern-day town square is surrounded by administrative court, and municipality buildings with a religious center, a cathedral, in the center of the city.

Paul and Silas, of the New Testament, were arrested and dragged to the agora.

The Apostle Paul and Silas were arrested in Philippi and then they were dragged. (Acts 16:19) To where? What was the agora? Was it a town square or was it a marketplace. Some New Testament translations suggest that Paul and Silas were dragged to the Greek marketplace. But, were they dragged to the supermarket to be judged? No, that does not make sense. The Greeks have never used their shops to judge people. Paul was dragged in the town square, not the marketplace.

So, please, please be careful with the translation of the term agora. The New Testament agora of Paul and Silas’s time was the town square, not a marketplace.

From the term agoraphobia, we do not find a description of the fear of buying and selling things.

Agoraphobia is the fear of being in an open-air place among crowds. If you find in the New Testament book of Acts, that your Bible translation of the word ἀγορά is translated as “marketplace” you should think about replacing it with the original word ἀγορά/agora, meaning town square or later in history, the forum.

The shape of the town square is small and rectangular. It has two short sides there and two long sides. Now, this long side here is neighboring Via Ignatia, the main road of the city, an incredibly famous, particularly important road for all the region. On this long side here, we have two water fountains, and, in the middle, we have an incredibly special place, a little platform, the bema. Costas is going to describe that next.