Greece is among the obvious destinations for the study of the apostle Paul, his world, his mission and his writings. Seven letters in the New Testament are widely regarded as having been written by Paul. Most of these were written to churches located in what is today modern Greece. The narrative of Acts depicts Paul entering Europe for the first time at Neapolis, which was the port for the Roman colony Philippi. From there, he traveled to Philippi, on to Thessaloniki and then to Beoria. All of these cities are located on what was called the Via Egnatia, one of Rome’s major trade routes. All are located in the north of modern-day Greece. In Thessaloniki and Philippi, Paul founded churches and later wrote letters to them. From there, he journeyed to Athens and finally to Corinth where he lived, worked and established a number of churches. From Corinth, Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans.
While also enhancing our general understanding of New Testament backgrounds, our journeys in Greece focus on Paul’s world, his missionary strategies and how an understanding of these informs our understanding of the letters he wrote.
Greece is also a major port of entry into Europe for refugees from the Middle East. Our journeys often introduce us to Christian relief work. We encourage you to consider traveling to Greece during Orthodox Holy Week in order to experience Orthodox liturgy and the celebration.