Dave introduces us to Saul and we visit his hometown of Tarsus in present-day Turkey. We travel a segment of the Road to Damascus and experience Saul’s supernatural encounter with Jesus. Dave climbs Mount Bental in the Golan Heights of Israel to get a glimpse of Syria, while examining the dramatic transformation of Saul the persecutor to Paul the Apostle. Dave ends in Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to explore the life and legacy of Herod Agrippa and his persecution of the early church in Judea.

Saul of Tarsus & the Road to Damascus

Dave Stotts

Paul's First Missionary Journey - The Island of Cyprus

The Gospel Spreads to the Gentiles

Dave reintroduces us to the Apostles, who were living in Jerusalem after the remarkable events surrounding the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. On Pentecost, the Apostles experienced something truly special, when the Holy Spirit empowered them to start sharing the Gospel. After Peter’s first sermon, the church was launched in dramatic fashion when 3,000 Jews became followers of Jesus. These first followers were known as “The Way,” a movement that began spreading in homes throughout Jerusalem. Boldly, the Apostles went to the Temple grounds each day to preach the Good News of Jesus.

The Gospel Shared at Pentecost

The church continued to grow in Jerusalem and the Apostles continued preaching at Solomon’s Colonnade on the Temple Mount. Peter and John healed a crippled man and were imprisoned by the authorities because they were perceived as a growing threat to the religious establishment. However, after Peter and John miraculously escaped, they continued to perform miracles in the name of Jesus, and crowds continued to come from nearby towns all around Jerusalem. As the movement grew, the religious leaders finally took a stand against a courageous deacon named Stephen. In the end, they killed Stephen for his adherence to the Gospel, and he became the first martyr for his faith in Jesus Christ.

The Church Grows in Jerusalem

Dave travels to a number of sites outside Jerusalem to share accounts of the Gospel being preached in Samaria, Judea, and beyond. We follow Philip to the Samaritan city of Sebaste, where he confronted a sorcerer, and the Roman Road to Gaza, where he baptized an Ethiopian court official. We then travel with Peter through the Judean town of Lydda, where he healed Aeneas, and the port city of Joppa, where he healed Tabitha and lived with a tanner named Simon. Dave ends in Caesarea, where Peter shared the Gospel with a Roman centurion named Cornelius, and his entire household became the first Gentile followers of Jesus Christ.

Followers of Jesus started congregating in Syrian Antioch, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. There, the church grew quickly among the Jews and Gentiles. Dave travels to modern-day Antakya, Turkey, and the ancient church known as “St. Peter’s Cave,” to explore the Biblical accounts. Ultimately, the church at Antioch chose Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark to lead the first missionary journey deeper into the Roman Empire. Dave jets from Antioch to the incredible island of Cyprus – the first stop for Paul and his team. Leaving room for fun, Dave drives the entire island, from Salamis to Paphos, investigating the events described in the Book of Acts.

In this episode, Dave continues traveling the route of Paul’s first missionary journey, sailing north from Cyprus to the coast of Asia Minor. Dave visits the Biblical sites of Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, where Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel, healed the sick, and faced dramatic challenges. While experiencing the food and fun of the Turkish culture, Dave journeys to other ancient sites in Turkey that help explain the early growth of Christianity in the region, despite severe persecution.

The First Journey Continues - Pamphylia, Galatia & Asia Minor

Paul and Barnabas returned to Syrian Antioch, where they spent a considerable period of time strengthening the church there. After a number of months, they traveled to Jerusalem for a special meeting of church leaders. James and the Jerusalem Council ultimately decided that Gentile believers were not required to follow the Mosaic Law, but should abstain from immoral acts practiced throughout the Roman Empire. After returning to Antioch, Paul and Silas left on a second missionary journey. This three-year trek started in Galatia, where Paul revisited the churches he previously launched in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch.

The Jerusalem Council & Paul's Second Missionary Journey

Paul and his team continued their missionary journey through Macedonia in present-day Greece. After crossing the Aegean Sea, they landed at Neapolis and traveled to nearby Philippi. Dave visits the ancient ruins of Philippi and investigates the Biblical accounts that happened there. Dave then takes a road trip to ancient Thessalonica, where Paul and his team preached the Gospel, but were ultimately run out of town by a violent mob. Despite growing persecution, the church continued to grow throughout the Roman Empire.

The Second Journey Continues - Philippi and Thessalonica

Paul, Silas, and Timothy escaped Thessalonica and set-up shop in the remote city of Berea, where they preached the Gospel. Once again, the mobs got violent, and Paul was sent ahead to Athens for his safety. Dave takes a 300-mile road trip from Berea to Athens in present-day Greece, visiting ancient sites such as Mount Olympus and Thermopylae along the way. In the epic city of Athens, Dave investigates the accounts of Paul, including his work as a tentmaker in the Agora and his peaching of the Gospel at the Areopagus.

A Road Trip to Athens

After a short time in Athens, Paul hit the road again. His next stop was Corinth, the capital city of Achaia Province. Corinth was a pretty immoral place, filled with pagan temples and idols. Dave explores the accounts of Paul working and teaching in the city, investigating a number of artifacts that support the Biblical record. Although the Corinthian Jews brought charges against Paul, the proconsul of the region ruled in his favor, and Paul was able to preach in peace. He spent a year and a half in Corinth before leaving the city and retuning to Antioch, thus ending his second missionary journey through the Roman Empire.

Ancient Corinth

After spending time in Syrian Antioch, Paul left once more to travel the Roman Empire and share the Gospel message. Paul’s third missionary journey took him back through Tarsus, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. He visited churches and friends throughout the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples as he went. Ultimately, Paul arrived at the incredible city of Ephesus. Dave travels to Ephesus in present-day Turkey to share the accounts of Paul among the ruins and artifacts at this well-preserved site. After more than two years in Ephesus, Paul finally left and completed his missionary journey through Macedonia and Greece.

Paul's Third Missionary Journey - Ephesus

Despite the warnings, Paul’s heart was to return to Jerusalem one last time. While there, the Jewish leaders brought false charges against him and a riot broke out. The Roman legion stationed near the Jerusalem temple saved Paul from the mobs and sent him to Caesarea Maritima to face the Roman governor. Dave makes the trip from Jerusalem to Caesarea and investigates the incredible harbor, ruins, and artifacts there. This is where Paul was under house arrest for two years until he was finally sent to Rome to face the Roman Emperor himself.

Paul's Final Trip to Jerusalem & Caesarea

After two years of house arrest in Caesarea, Paul was finally sent to Rome to stand trial before the emperor. Under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, Paul and the other passengers endured a perilous journey at sea, ultimately being shipwrecked on the Island of Malta. Dave explores ancient Malta and investigates Luke’s account of the shipwreck, the Maltese people, and Paul’s ministry on the island. After three-months, Julius arranged for another ship to finally get Paul to Italy.

Adventures at Sea – The Island of Malta

After three months on Malta, Paul finally arrived in Rome, where Julius turned him over to the Emperor’s Praetorian Guard. Dave travels the Appian Way to the Eternal City to investigate Paul’s two years of ministry there while under house arrest. Dave also enjoys some pizza while exploring ancient ruins such as the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. The Apostle Peter also ended up in Rome later in his life, where he wrote his letters and acted as the source for Mark’s gospel. Dave goes to the Trastevere section of Rome to examine Peter’s final years.

A Final Journey to Rome

Persecution was heating up for the Christians in Rome and throughout the entire Mediterranean region. The Book of Acts ended with Paul awaiting his trial before the Roman Emperor. Dave stays in Rome to investigate Nero’s burning of the city in 64 AD. He also explores the final days of Paul and Peter and their ultimate deaths for the Christian faith. Dave visits some of the most famous churches in Rome, which honor the legacies of these two important leaders. Despite Christianity being illegal, Christianity spread in Rome, especially in the homes of wealthy Romans. Dave visits a church built over one of the oldest house churches ever discovered.

The Martyrdom of Paul & Peter

The most famous exile to be banished to Patmos was the Apostle John, a personal disciple of Jesus and the writer of one of the four Gospels. Dave travels by sea to the incredible Greek island to investigate the story of John and his impact on the New Testament. Dave visits the Cave of the Apocalypse, the traditional site for John’s writing of Revelation. He also drives to the highest point of the island to explore the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, where a variety of manuscripts and artifacts are housed.

John and the Island of Patmos

Dave travels to the ancient province of Asia Minor, which is now part of present-day Turkey. There, he continues his investigation of the Apostle John and takes a road trip through the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Remarkably, ruins related to each of these ancient cities still exist nearly 2,000 years later, revealing more evidence for the credibility of the New Testament scriptures.

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Dave ends his road trip through Asia Minor at Laodicea and Colossae, revealing more evidence for the accuracy of Scripture that continues surfacing at archaeology sites like these. Dave then returns to the island of Malta to complete his journey through the world of the first Christians. He explores the development of the New Testament canon and the growth of Christianity over 2,000 years despite intense persecution. Dave ends the series with some personal reflections on his travels through the Roman Empire of the first century, exploring the New Testament accounts on-location, in the context of life-changing history.

The Book Closes on the New Testament Period

Dave Stotts explores the amazing lives of the very first Christians. Beginning in Jerusalem and using the Book of Acts as a roadmap, Dave travels the Mediterranean region to share the people, places, and events that launched the Christian faith.

Saul of Tarsus & the Road to Damascus

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