Day 03 - Hierapolis, Laodicea

Latishia:

I joined the Turkey tour, and I have to say it greatly deepened my understanding of the New Testament. Our tour guide, Ozan, has been leading tours for 30 years, and his knowledge is truly remarkable. He is not only hospitable and kind but also has a great sense of humor, which made our experience even more enjoyable. Along with our bus driver, Rajah, they form an ideal duo for guiding anyone on these tours.

My favorite stop on the tour was Hierapolis. I learned that it is the site where St. Philip was martyred, and in his honor, a martyrium was built to lay to rest all those who suffered martyrdom. This unique structure was designed in the shape of an octagon, featuring a Christogram that spells "fish" in Greek (ΙΧΦΓΞ). Other fascinating landmarks included the Roman Theater, the Domitian Gate, and insights into Hades, both as a figure and a place. I'm truly grateful for this enriching experience and would highly recommend this tour to anyone keen on exploring the history of the New Testament or anyone who simply loves history.

Christopher:

The thing that strikes me the most is, aside from the difference in architecture and culture, there is much about the ancient world that is almost identical to the world in which we live. And nothing screams that louder to me than my experience in Laodicea. Laodicea was a wealthy place, a banking center, a cultural hub with their twin theaters, and an area for skilled tradesman in salves and clothmaking. In other words, they were affluent, self-sufficient, and well-to-do. All these qualities are qualities we desire in ourselves and in our country in the United States. To be able to "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" and make a name for yourself is the idyllic reality for a United States citizen, something which the Laodiceans could empathize with. Yet, the Laodiceans were also overly self-reliant and distracted. John makes that point abundantly clear in his letter to the Laodicean church in Revelation: They think they are well-off, needing nothing, and yet they are destitute. They are "lukewarm," useless and unenjoyable like the tepid water piped to them from far off places. Here too, nothing is new under the sun. We in the United States pride ourselves by being well-off, and yet we are also destitute, useless in our own efforts and merit because we do not ascribe our abilities to who gives us use and riches beyond all human comprehension: Jesus Christ. Laodicea showed me, that just like the church of that time, we in the present are no better: We still are destitute. We still need to rely less on ourselves. We still need Jesus Christ, our Savior.