Ray Vander Laan - A Clash of Kingdoms Discovery Guide: Paul Proclaims Jesus As Lord – Part 1

As a Bible teacher and study tour leader, I have had the privilege of hiking with thousands of Jesus followers in the lands of the Bible where Abraham, Ruth, David, Jesus, and Paul lived. It has been thrilling to watch group after group experience the pilgrim excitement of walking in the same places where Bible characters walked and to realize that their stories were set in real times and places. Many have returned home from places such as the wilderness of the Negev desert, the ancient streets of Jerusalem, the springs of En Gedi, and the villages of Galilee with a greater hunger for Gods Word.

Seeing firsthand the context in which God revealed his redemptive plan has led them to a deeper faith and understanding of Gods story. It has helped them to apply Gods Word to their lives. Often they have said, I will never read the Bible the same way again. I know their experience, for that has been my journey too.

Unfortunately, I made an assumption about understanding the Bible that turned out to be completely wrong. I knew it was helpful to study and understand the Hebrew Bible and the life of Jesus in the context of where and when particular events occurred, but I assumed that Paul, the great teacher who traveled throughout the Roman Empire, was more like a philosopher who spoke in the abstract with little awareness of the context of his audience. Then I visited the world that he was so passionate aboutEphesus, Philippi, Corinth, Athens, and Rome. And I discovered that the same experience of context that is helpful for understanding the Hebrew Bible applied to Pauls part of Gods story too.

Although Gods revelation is timeless and relevant to people throughout history, that revelation takes place in a cultural contextthe unique circumstances and conditionsin which his people lived. Abraham cut up animals to seal a blood covenant much as the ancient Hittites did. The design of the temple of the Lord built by Solomon in Jerusalem was familiar to the neighboring cultures of Gods people. In Corinth where people displayed clay and marble body parts as votive offerings to the pagan god of healing, Paul described the community of faith as a body made up of many parts.

God had a unique purpose for communicating his message through these culturally familiar concepts and practices that made the point of his message strikingly clear and relevant. Thus the cultural setting in which he placed his revelation is useful for not merely knowing what words mean but for understanding the message and application of the Text, much like the study of the language of ancient culture provides for the interpreter. By learning how to think and approach life as the people of the Bible did, modern Christians will deepen their appreciation of Gods Word.

Like the biblical writers before him, Paul communicated through the context of his worldits metaphors, manner of communication, historic events, and cultural practicesto address its problems and issues. The more we know about his world, the more clearly his teaching and letters speak to us in our cultural setting. For that reason, we begin our exploration of Pauls second teaching journey on the ancient Via Egnatia in modern Greece.

One of the highlights of my exploration of Pauls world was to follow the ancient trade route called the Via Egnatia, knowing that Paul had walked that very road. The ancient road is still visible and in some places is in remarkably good condition. Built more than a century before Paul brought the good news of the Messiah to the land of Greece in about 50 AD, the Via Egnatia represented the world of Imperial Rome. You can follow it west from Kavala (Neapolis in Pauls day) ten miles or so to the ruins of Philippi where it passes through the heart of the ancient city. That experience made a significant impression on my faith walk, not simply because I walked where Paul walked but because the road represented the confrontation of worldviews that had such a great impact on that part of the world and Pauls ministry to its people.