Globe trottin': Stalking Paul in Europe

The Paul I’m talking about is the Apostle Paul from the Bible…I don’t know how to put this but he’s kind of a big deal... People knew him. He was very important and if he was alive today, he would have many leather-bound books and his apartment would smell of rich mahogany.

He was first infamously known as the man who persecuted the Christians but then later became a Christian. He became a missionary and journeyed all over the Mediterranean (Turkey, Greece, Italy, and more) preaching about the love of Jesus Christ. After several years, he was arrested and eventually ended up in Rome, where he wrote many letters that would become most of the books of the New Testament.

My initial intentions of going to Europe had nothing to do with Paul’s journey. I just wanted to learn about the history of the countries, enjoy the array of food, and take pictures of the "cool looking buildings." I was actually unaware of many the places that he went to. It wasn’t until a tour guide pointed out all the facts and information regarding Paul’s life which made me realized that my agenda followed his. Thus, going to Europe not only allowed me to see the amazing history and culture of these countries, it made me discover the journey of Paul, by following along in his footsteps. You could say that I was basically stalking him, except I was doing it about 2000 years later.

Like any other accomplished stalker, I found out what he did in these countries, how long he stayed, and who he was with.

First Location: Ephesus, Turkey

He came to Ephesus twice, the second time staying for roughly 3 years (from 54-57 A.D.). While he was there, he met up with the disciples of John the Baptist and he preached at the historical and famous "Great Theatre" in Turkey. The stadium can fit up to 25,000 people! Just so you know, Turkey is actually not apart of Europe, it’s apart of Asia (I had no idea until this year).

The "Great Theatre"