02.34. From vibrant outreach to dead orthodoxy

From vibrant outreach to dead orthodoxy On Paul’s first visit to Greece, and possibly his subsequent visits, he landed at the port of Neapolis (modern Kavala) and visited nearby Philippi, site of the first church he planted in Europe.¹ Any trip from Philippi west would use the Egnatian Way, a Roman highway that joined Neapolis on one side of Greece with the Adriatic Sea on the other. Along this route was Thessalonica,² modern Greece’s second largest city.

Paul planted a vigorous, outreaching church in Thessalonica, and another in Berea, which was off the Egnatian Way and on the route south to Athens.³ Athens was a magnificent city and a famed centre of learning and philosophy. But if Paul had hopes of establishing a strong church there, he was disappointed. The church that became prominent in Achaia was not Athens but Corinth, though in time it became for Paul a source of heartache.⁴

Today Greece has many ancient landmarks to remind people of itsglorious past, but the church in general does not reflect the robustChristianity of apostolic times. The Orthodox Church, while enjoying a status of privilege with the government, is more an upholder of Greek culture than a guardian of the gospel. Most people belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, but fewer than two percent attend church regularly. There is widespread resistance to the proclamation of the gospel. At some stage during his travels, Paul went to Illyricum, a region that stretches north from Greece along the Adriatic coast through Albania and into the countries of Former Yugoslavia. The southern part of this region was known in Roman times as Dalmatia.⁵ Today the religion of most people throughout ancient Illyricum is either Orthodox, Catholic or Muslim.

1. Acts 16:11-12; Php 4:1; Php 4:15-16 2. Acts 17:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-9 3. Acts 17:10-12 4. Acts 17:15-16; Acts 18:1 5. Romans 15:19; 2 Timothy 4:10

Athens: view from the Roman Forum to an Orthodox church