The city of Ephesus “was filled with confusion; and people rushed together to the theater [this theater!], dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travel companions.” Acts 19 says the crowd was angry and chanted “Great is Artemis!” for two hours.

At Ephesus the Apostle Paul and his companions had challenged the worship of traditional gods, and nearly got lynched. Silversmiths of Ephesus made good money with the sale of silver images of the goddess Artemis, and were not pleased with the Christian message.

What idols and empire should Christians resist today? What Good News should we proclaim to a war-weary and divided world?

A generation after Paul was at Ephesus, John of Patmos evidently spoke up there against emperor worship and the construction of a massive new temple for the “divine” Caesar. John’s audacity probably is what got him exiled to an isolated island–where he wrote the book of Revelation with its strident critique of emperor worship and economic exploitation.

Paul, John and other early Christians also had a hope-filled vision of a new global community that would be multi-ethnic, reconciling, peacemaking, serving and inclusive.

Visiting ancient sites where early Christians proclaimed this hope is engaging and enriching–and I invite you to join me for a tour to biblical locations in Türkiye and Greece, October 19–November 3, 2025. The trip includes Ephesus, Philippi, Thessaloniki, Corinth, Athens and much more; magnificent ancient temples, and the Oracle of Delphi; medieval monasteries perched on great rock columns at Meteora; sites related to Homer’s Odyssey; teaching and discussion on the meaning of Christian witness in a world with empire, religious pluralism, and modern forms of idolatry.

For the past fifteen years I’ve annually taught on tours arranged by TourMagination. Traveling to biblical sites with fellow seekers always is inspirational. I keep working with TourMagination because they care about their clients, foster faith, and organize well. For this tour they are offering a clergy discount. Would love to have you join me! For more info see:

https://www.tourmagination.com/tours/2025-world-of-paul-and-john-tour-in-turkiye-and-greece