The Path of Paul to Neapolis
- Posted by on June 4th, 2017 filed in Uncategorized
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Today, we were introduced to the peaceful land of the town Lydia, named after the fist woman to be baptized on European soil. Here we entered a Baptismal, whom’s beauty cannot be explained in words, so below is a photo to help you see how truly breathtaking this place was. The icons in the Baptismal were amazing. The circles around the figures are a halo from God. The circles on the pillars resemble the cycle of life.
After taking in the beauty of this building, we exited the baptismal and entered the peaceful riverside where we listened to Dr. Putt read Philippians 2 aloud. A truly amazing moment of listening to God’s word with the sound of a river trickling downstream.
Dr. Putt reading Philippians 2
We then departed Lydia and traveled to Philippi, formarly known as Neapolis to see the sites. Philippi is important to Christian history due to the missionary journey that led Paul to this area. Here, the first church was built on European soil. The church of Philippi was also the only church Paul praised in his many letters. The sites at Philippi are now protected by UNESCO.
Some of the sites we visited in Philippi were an ancient theater, the remains of two basilicas, a Roman Forum, the Octagon, and the place speculates to be Paul’s prison. Pictured below is the very spot Paul is said to be imprisoned while he was in Philippi.
Visiting Philippi is an amazing opportunity for anyone. It puts in perspective Paul’s journey and the story of Lydia. Visiting the sites that Paul actually visited himself makes the Bible come to life in the eyes of each and everyone of us. Now each time we read Acts 16 or Philippians we will be able to excitedly proclaim that we have been there and better understand the context of the story. With this information we will better be able to help others understand these Biblical stories as well!
Hopefully you are impressed as we were!
Kiersten Smeal and xinxin Mao
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