Day One: Perga, St. Paul, and Antalya

“Welcome to Turkey.”  After a full day of global travel and a night of rest, we awoke this morning in the city of Antalya. Located in the southwest region of Turkey, Antalya is a beautiful city nestled along the turquoise coast. 

We began our journey by visiting the ancient Greco-Roman city of Perga. According to the biblical narrative, Perga was one of the cities in which Paul preached during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:13-14; 14:25). Traversing the ruins of this ancient city, we placed ourselves in Paul’s context. The layout contained all the features of a Roman city—stadium, theater, gates, cardo (Main Street), agora, public fountains, and many temples. In the midst of these cultural institutions of idolatry, lust, and violence, Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the message of the good news. The gospel of Christ challenged the dominance of paganism and spread throughout the land. In response to Paul’s preaching and the power of the Holy Spirit, the church flourished in the very region we discovered. 

We ate lunch in the St. Paul Cultural Center. We were privileged to hear how God is working today in Turkey. Christians here are called to create a culture of love so beautiful that the nations are eager to learn more. The world to which Paul addressed his gospel may once again shine as it did two thousand years ago. 

We spent the afternoon filling in our ancient reconstruction of the biblical world by examining artifacts in the award winning Antalya Archeology Museum. Statues of Roman gods and emperors once filled the gates of these ancient cities, inspiring the worship of all passers-by. A certain corner of the museum contained the statues of two striking figures—Zeus and Hermes. Our minds recalled the episode in Acts where Paul and Barnabas healed the cripple in Lystra (Acts 14). The crowds responded in worship, believing Barnabas to be Zeus (because he was older) and Paul to be Hermes (because he was a messenger from God). Here stood statues of these very two gods, one facing the other, lifeless idols. Paul tore his robes and cried out to these men that he also is merely a man but that he has come to proclaim to them the living God. 

The more we retrace the steps of Paul and experience the world in which he lived, the greater we understand the power of his ministry. The gospel possesses the power to transform culture, even the most pagan of societies. It begs the question— what culture is our ministry creating? Are we tolerant of pagan culture, even enticed by it perhaps? Are we building a culture that sanctions idolatry, lust, and violence? Or are we builders of a kingdom culture, one that proclaims the good news and possesses the power to transform lives? 

Later in his ministry, Paul wrote words that still challenge us today: ^“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:2, 9-11).

Group in Perga 

City of Perga