Footsteps of Paul and the Greek Islands Cruise

You arrive in Athens, the ancient city where the Apostle Paul once reasoned with the philosophers. Our team gives you a warm welcome and transfers you to your hotel. This evening we gather for dinner and prepare for the journey through the world of the early church.

"Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus."

Acts 17:22

This morning we climb to the Acropolis and stand before the Parthenon, then go to Mars Hill, the rock where Paul preached to the Athenians about the unknown god. We walk through the ancient Agora, where he reasoned each day with those who happened to be there. The afternoon takes in the old streets of the Plaka.

"For as I walked around, I found an altar with this inscription, to an unknown god."

Acts 17:23

We drive to Corinth, pausing at the great canal that cuts through the isthmus. At ancient Corinth we stand at the Bema, the judgment seat where Paul was brought before Gallio. We see the ruins of the city to which he wrote two of his best loved letters, then return toward the coast to begin our voyage.

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."

1 Corinthians 3:6

We embark our ship and sail into the Aegean, the sea Paul crossed on his missionary journeys. Our first call is the bright island of Mykonos, with its white houses and windmills above the water. There is time to wander the lanes before we sail on under the stars.

"We put out to sea and sailed."

Acts 27:2

Today we come to Patmos, the small island where John was exiled and received the visions of the Book of Revelation. We climb to the Cave of the Apocalypse, where tradition says he heard the voice like a trumpet. Above it stands the fortified Monastery of Saint John, watching over the island.

"I was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God."

Revelation 1:9

We come ashore near Ephesus, one of the seven churches of Revelation and the city where Paul stayed longest. We walk its marble streets past the great library and the vast theatre, where the silversmiths once rioted against him. We visit the Basilica of Saint John and the house honored as the last home of the Virgin Mary.

"All the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord."

Acts 19:10

We call at the island of Crete, where Paul once sailed along the coast on his way to Rome. Later we come to Santorini, perhaps the most beautiful island in all the Aegean, its white villages set high on cliffs above a flooded volcano. There is time to take in the view before we turn back toward Athens.

"We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens."

Acts 27:8

We return to the port of Piraeus and come ashore in Athens. The day is unhurried, with time to rest or explore. Those who wish may join an optional excursion to Delphi, the mountain sanctuary the ancient world called the center of the earth. In the evening we gather to share all we have seen.

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."

Romans 10:15

Your pilgrimage comes to its close. After breakfast we transfer you to the airport for your journey home. You carry with you the islands and the harbours of the early church, and the words of Paul and John made real by the places that shaped them.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people."

Revelation 22:21