Day 02 - Pisidian Antioch & Colossae

The text came alive to our imaginations again today as we traveled a route that would have taken Paul and Barnabas weeks to walk. After traveling through the Taurus mountains to the city of Yalvac last night, we toured both the excellent museum and excavated ruins of Antioch of Pisidia this morning, the place where Paul delivered his first recorded sermon in Asia Minor (Acts 13:13-52).

To think of the radical news he brought the Jewish faithful and God-fearing Gentiles there: news of an Anointed One who was killed by the "kings of the earth and rulers" of his own people (Psalm 2) but whom God raised up victorious over sin and death (and our efforts to be righteous by ourselves), became even more radical to our ears as we realized he was offering not only his Jewish compatriots the chance to "kiss the Son," and bow the knee before Jesus as Lord, but also the proud Roman empire which already hailed Caesar as Lord.

In fact, according to our excellent rabbi Craig Hill, the ruins of a Byzantine Era church we stood in may have been built on the ruins of the very synagogue where Paul first spoke, and that was in turn right under the shadow of a massive temple to Caesar Augustus. Talk about a radical sermon! What Spirit-inspired boldness! (Also, according to our excellent Turkish guide Ozan, the modern city name of Yalvac means "prophet." The people respected a prophet there, though many rejected Paul too.)

So we pondered the questions: who has true authority in our world? Do we dare to believe that faith in Jesus is enough? Are we willing to be bold witnesses to the new freedom that God in Christ has opened up to us? (See Acts 4:25-26 for another time Psalm 2 is the promised fulfilled in the NT church). The good news is the same today as it was that Sabbath in Pisidian Antioch. Radically good. But if we are his inheritance, do we live like it? Oh, and instead of heading east to the towns where Paul got persecuted and even stoned, we instead headed west to soak in the natural hot springs of Pamukkale.... Rough life ; )

Joel