Travelling Pioneers

This is the city where the name “Christians” came from. It is a city rich with history and I would like to present to you the 3 best things to see in Antakya to really experience it. Most Bible readers refer to it as Syrian Antioch. We were just 5 miles from the Syrian border, so we were a little nervous. However there was really nothing to worry about. There are amazing things to see here both new and old and list all of them below. Enjoy. 1. The Church of St Peter (Saint Pierre Kilisesi) Where is it located? This “church” is actually a cave. It is located here. It was carved into the mountain of Haç ( translation: ‘Mountain of the Cross’). Much like the early Christian history of Cappadocia, Christians met in caves. As Christendom does with most Christian sites, they built a church on it. A little disappointing, but expected. To really see the cave, you must go inside the church. Was this really where the 1st century Christians met? There is no exact way to know. The assumption is b

Cappadocia is the most surreal sight you will see in Turkey. But even more interesting is it’s very early Christian history. This was a pivotal place where Christianity accepted the trinity doctrine and became part of the political world. Something Jesus had warned about. I want to share this with you how this region, buzzing with true Christians in the first century, witnessed the fall of Christianity in Cappadocia. It started with the rise of the trinity doctrine, the melding of the political world and Christianity, and the worship of imagery. I present it here in a timeline. Enjoy. 700 BC Jews in Cappadocia For the first time in the Bible we read about this region as the Land of Tubal at Isaiah 66:19. Many historians believe this refers the region of Cappadocia * . An early Jewish establishment would form the base of Jewish Christians that were to emerge in the first century. Here is a map showing the likely location of Tubal as known to the Hebrew nation of Israel. 33 CE Christian

Aizanoi (or Aezani) is an ancient Greek city in Turkey with a few of interesting tidbits of history. It is located here . We visited this city on our way back to our home in Konya . I want to share with you a couple must-see items that make it a great stop. The Penkalas Bridge of Aizanoi Of all the restorations made to this city, this one has been given the most attention. And that restoration comes with an interesting story. According to an incription the bridge was built by the Roman merchant Apuleius Eurykles * . He built it in the second century after surviving a nearth death experience at sea. His legacy had an effect on a Turkish businessman who survived a similar incident at sea in recent times. So the businessman decided to restore the bridge out of his own pocket * . He somehow felt a connection to this bridge-builder. Here is the result: Aizanoi bridge built by Apuleius Eurykles Thousands of years of wagon wheels have worn into the rock. Modern inscription at the base of the

Thyatira is our last visit to the seven congregations of Revelation. I want to show you some amazing parallels between what is written in the Bible about Thyatira and the artifacts that come from this city. First I will show you a connection between the message to the Christians in Thyatira from the Bible book of Revelation. I will also show you evidence of the deep connection between the Bible character of Lydia and this city. Let’s start. “I will refine you like copper.” Revelation 2:18: To the angel of the congregation in Thyatira write: These are the things that the Son of God says, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine copper. New World Translation – Study Bible Jesus used metaphors that people could relate to. Thyatira is no exception. Thyatira was a center for manufacuring. This is revealed in the coins minted in Thyatira. For example, they reveal that it had many trade guilds such as tanners, leather workers, linen workers and coppersmiths. In fa

Pergamon (or Pergamum as many spell it) is the last congregation of the book of Revelation on our road trip. The people of this city were once the “ Temple-keepers of Asia .” Hence the city has 5 major temples for different purposes. So we wondered, ‘Which of these was considered the infamous “throne of Satan?”‘ Most people think it was the temple of Zeus. I want to put forth reasons why this is likely NOT the case. It is actually a different temple that Jesus refers to in Revelation. But before I get into this, I must admit that there is much controversy as to exactly which temple there corresponds to this throne. On our tour we noticed that of the 5 large temples erected here, there is no clearcut answer. After all, Jesus did not specify. But there is a key clue to determine which one it likely was, and it’s in a Bible verse. Here is the text from the New World Translation. 12 “To the angel of the congregation in Pergamum write: These are the things that he says who has the sharp, l

Sardis is our next stop on our road trip through Turkey to see the seven congregations of Revelation. Just like on our visit to Philadelphia , we again see some really interesting connections between what we see in Sardis and what Jesus writes to the congregation in the book of Revelation. When addressing the seven congregations in Revelation, Jesus used language and metaphors that the residents could relate to. So in this post I want to share three things that will make more sense to you when reading Jesus’ words to this congregation. You can connect them with things that you see in or around the city. But first, let’s see the text from the New World Translation. In bold are the connections we will make:  1. “To the angel of the congregation in Sarʹdis write: These are the things that he says who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have the name that you are alive, but you are dead.   3. Therefore, continue mindful of how you have received