CON CAMPBELL: I'M IN PURSUIT
OF PAUL THE APOSTLE. MY NAME IS CON CAMPBELL. I'VE STUDIED PAUL'S 13 NEW
TESTAMENT LETTERS FOR YEARS. NOW I WANT TO KNOW HIM BETTER. FOR THE FIRST TIME I'M
FOLLOWING HIS JOURNEYS, FROM JERUSALEM ACROSS
THE MEDITERRANEAN, ALL THE WAY TO ROME
WHERE HE WAS MARTYRED. KENNY GARON: WHAT A
BEAUTIFUL DAY, HUH, CON? CON: YEAH, IT IS. KENNY: A GOOD TO BE
ALIVE KIND OF DAY. CON: SO KENNY, WHAT CAN
YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS AREA? KENNY: WE'RE NOW
SITUATED IN THE NORTHERN SECTION
OF THE GOLAN HEIGHTS. WE'RE ACTUALLY STANDING ON THE
TOP OF ONE OF THESE FORMER, OR SHOULD I SAY
EXTINCT, VOLCANO PEAKS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
IT ON YOUR ISRAELI MAPS IT'S LISTED AS MOUNT BENTAL. YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU THAT MODERN, PAVED ASPHALT ROAD, TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE SAME NATURAL RIFT BETWEEN
THE HILLS HERE, AND THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF THE
ANCIENT BIBLICAL NORTHERN ROAD, AND CONNECTED IN THE
BOOK OF ACTS WITH THE STORY OF THE CONVERSION OF PAUL. CON: AND HOW CLOSE
ARE WE TO DAMASCUS? KENNY: DAMASCUS... ALONG
THAT ROAD AND BEYOND THE... THE TALL PEAKS OF MOUNT HERMON, WELL, BY ROAD WE'RE LESS
THAN 40 MILES AWAY. CON: SOMEWHERE WITHIN MY VIEW
TOWARD DAMASCUS, THE RISEN JESUS
INTERCEPTED SAUL. IN JERUSALEM SAUL HAD
LAUNCHED DOOR TO DOOR ATTACKS AGAINST THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, BUT NOW HE HAD TAKEN AIM
AGAINST JEWISH FOLLOWERS OF JESUS AS FAR
AWAY AS DAMASCUS. ON HIS WAY, SAUL WAS BLINDED
BY A FLASH OF LIGHT FROM HEAVEN. THEN HE WAS CAPTURED
BY DARKNESS. THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOK
OF ACTS TELLS THE STORY. "FALLING TO THE GROUND, HE
HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO HIM, 'SAUL, SAUL, WHY ARE
YOU PERSECUTING ME?' 'WHO ARE YOU, LORD?' HE SAID. 'I AM JESUS, THE ONE
YOU ARE PERSECUTING.' "THEN SAUL GOT UP
FROM THE GROUND, AND THOUGH HIS EYES WERE
OPEN, HE COULD SEE NOTHING, "SO THEY TOOK HIM BY THE HAND AND LED HIM INTO DAMASCUS. "HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE FOR THREE DAYS AND DID NOT EAT OR DRINK. "THERE WAS A DISCIPLE IN DAMASCUS NAMED ANANIAS, "AND THE LORD SAID TO HIM
IN A VISION, 'ANANIAS.' 'HERE I AM, LORD,' HE SAID. 'GET UP AND GO TO
THE STREET CALLED STRAIGHT,' "THE LORD SAID TO HIM,
'TO THE HOUSE OF JUDAS, 'AND ASK FOR A MAN
FROM TARSUS NAMED SAUL, 'SINCE HE IS PRAYING THERE. 'IN A VISION HE HAS SEEN A MAN NAMED ANANIAS COMING IN 'AND PLACING HIS HANDS ON HIM
SO HE CAN REGAIN HIS SIGHT.' 'LORD,' ANANIAS ANSWERED, 'I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY
PEOPLE ABOUT THIS MAN, 'HOW MUCH HARM HE HAS DONE
TO YOUR SAINTS IN JERUSALEM, 'AND HE HAS AUTHORITY HERE
FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS 'TO ARREST ALL WHO
CALL ON YOUR NAME.' "BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'GO, FOR THIS MAN IS
MY CHOSEN INSTRUMENT 'TO TAKE MY NAME TO GENTILES, KINGS, AND THE ISRAELITES. 'I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MUCH
HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME.' "SO ANANIAS LEFT
AND ENTERED THE HOUSE, THEN HE PLACED HIS HANDS
ON HIM AND SAID, 'BROTHER SAUL, THE LORD JESUS WHO APPEARED TO YOU 'ON THE ROAD YOU WERE TRAVELING HAS SENT ME SO THAT 'YOU CAN REGAIN YOUR SIGHT AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.' "AT ONCE SOMETHING LIKE
SCALES FELL FROM HIS EYES "AND HE REGAINED HIS SIGHT. "THEN HE GOT UP
AND WAS BAPTIZED." AND YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE
ANYONE WHO SAW THAT HAPPENING WOULD HAVE TROUBLE
BELIEVING THEIR EYES. "IMMEDIATELY SAUL
BEGAN PROCLAIMING "JESUS IN THE SYNAGOGUES, SAYING THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD." SINCE WE COULDN'T GO TO
DAMASCUS BECAUSE OF UNREST, WE WENT TO AN ANCIENT
SYNAGOGUE NEARBY. KENNY: THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
ONLY VERY RECENTLY BEGAN TO EXCAVATE HERE. CON: THE SYNAGOGUE IS
TUCKED IN A VALLEY THAT DESCENDS TO THE SEA OF GALILEE. THE TOWN DATES CLOSE
TO THE TIME OF PAUL. KENNY: IT'S NOT EVEN OFFICIALLY
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, SO THIS IS A SNEAK PREVIEW
FOR THE BOTH OF US. CON: THAT'S WONDERFUL. SO WHAT ARE THEY USING THAT HOIST FOR? KENNY: TO LIFT ALL OF
THE HEAVY STONES, TO ASSIST THEM IN
THE RECONSTRUCTION. CON: THEY'RE REBUILDING IT. KENNY: YES,
THEY'RE REBUILDING IT. CON: WOW.
KENNY: YEAH, YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN. ALL PEOPLE ARE INFLUENCED BY
THE PEOPLES AND CULTURES THAT SURROUND THEM,
THAT IS TO SAY, ARCHITECTURALLY,
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A TYPICALLY-DESIGNED
ROMAN BASILICA BUILDING, WHETHER WE'RE REFERRING
TO THE DOUBLE ROW OF COLUMNS, THE TYPICALLY-DESIGNED
ROMAN CAPITAL HEADPIECES. THE ENTRANCE TO THE
SYNAGOGUE IS FROM THE SOUTH. A JEW, NO MATTER WHERE HE OR SHE IS STANDING IN THE WORLD, WHEN WE WANT TO PRAY,
WE ALWAYS PRAY FACING THE DIRECTION OF JERUSALEM. HERE IN THE GOLAN HEIGHTS,
TRANSLATE THAT TO MEAN JERUSALEM IS TO THE SOUTH. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS
EXCAVATED SYNAGOGUE, AS WELL AS THE HIGHLIGHT
OF THE SYNAGOGUE IN USE IN ANCIENT TIME, IS HERE IN FRONT OF US, IN HEBREW THE BAMAH, OR THE RAISED RITUAL PULPIT. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS ONE
IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A EXCELLENT PRESERVED
STONE STAIRCASE GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PULPIT. THERE UNDERNEATH
THE DOUBLE ARCHES WOULD HAVE BEEN
THE...THE HOLY ARK, THE EQUIVALENT OF THE
HOLY OF HOLIES UP ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT
IN JERUSALEM. CONTAINED IN THE HOLY ARK
WAS THE TORAH SCROLLS, THE TORAH, THE FIVE
BOOKS OF MOSES. SO THE LEADER OF THE
COMMUNITY, THE RABBI, OBVIOUSLY CLIMBING UP
THIS STONE STAIRCASE, OPENING UP THE DOUBLE
DOORS OF THE HOLY ARK, REMOVING THE TORAH SCROLL, DESCENDING THE STAIRCASE
AND NOW BRINGING THEM TO THE CENTER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, WHERE THE TORAH SCROLL WOULD BE
LAID ON THE STONE TORAH BENCH, UNROLLED, AND THAT
WEEKLY PORTION WOULD HAVE BEEN READ FROM. VERY IMPRESSIVE.
VERY BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED. CON: WHAT I LOVE ABOUT BEING HERE IN THIS
ROMAN PERIOD SYNAGOGUE IS IT'S JUST LIKE THE
SYNAGOGUE IN DAMASCUS WHERE PAUL PREACHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NAME OF JESUS. AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE
ABLE TO JUST PICTURE HIM PERHAPS TAKING THE SCROLL, AND COMING DOWN FROM
THE BAMAH, DOWN THE STEPS AND WALKING HERE AND
UNROLLING THE SCROLL, AND DEMONSTRATING FROM
THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH. HE'S THE CHRIST.
HE IS GOD'S ANOINTED KING. AND AS I THINK ABOUT THAT, I'M JUST STRUCK BY HOW
AMAZING IT IS THAT HIS INTENTION FOR
GOING TO DAMASCUS WAS TO HUNT DOWN THE
FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, AND HE WOULD HAVE USED THE
SYNAGOGUE AS A BASE TO DO THAT. AND HE WOULD HAVE PREACHED
AGAINST THE NAME OF JESUS. BUT WHEN HE FINALLY GOT HERE,
HIS SERMON WAS QUITE DIFFERENT, AND HE PREACHED IN
THE NAME OF JESUS, PROVING THAT JESUS
IS THE MESSIAH. HE'S NOW A VERY DIFFERENT GUY.
HE'S BEEN TRANSFORMED. SAUL'S MESSAGE ABOUT
JESUS AS MESSIAH, WHO OFFERED HIMSELF AS THE
FINAL SACRIFICE FOR SIN, STOOD IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE
MANY REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW THAT PAUL HAD BEEN
FIGHTING TO DEFEND. YEARS LATER PAUL DESCRIBED
THIS PERIOD IN HIS LIFE, A FORMATIVE TIME WHEN JESUS DIRECTLY HELPED HIM FIND HIS SPIRITUAL WAY FROM THE IMPOSING CANYON
OF OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW TO THE PATH OF
FREEDOM AND FORGIVENESS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST. "THE GOSPEL PREACHED BY ME
IS NOT BASED ON HUMAN THOUGHT, "FOR I DID NOT RECEIVE IT
FROM A HUMAN SOURCE "AND I WAS NOT TAUGHT IT, "BUT IT CAME BY A REVELATION FROM JESUS CHRIST. "WHEN GOD WHO, FROM MY BIRTH, SET ME APART "AND CALLED ME BY HIS GRACE, WAS PLEASED TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME "SO THAT I COULD PREACH
HIM AMONG THE GENTILES, "I DID NOT IMMEDIATELY
CONSULT WITH ANYONE. "I DID NOT GO UP TO JERUSALEM
TO THOSE WHO HAD BECOME "APOSTLES BEFORE ME,
INSTEAD I WENT TO ARABIA." FROM DAMASCUS, THE ONLY WAY TO
ARABIA RAN STRAIGHT SOUTH ALONG A MAJOR TRADE ROUTE
CALLED THE KING'S HIGHWAY, THROUGH THE CITY OF PETRA. I'M IN THE ANCIENT
CITY OF PETRA, WHICH WAS THE CAPITAL
CITY OF THE NABATAEAN KINGDOM, WHAT PAUL CALLED ARABIA. NOW, PAUL SAID HE
SPENT THREE YEARS SPEAKING AND TEACHING
ABOUT JESUS IN ARABIA. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW
MUCH ABOUT THIS PERIOD. IN FACT, WE KNOW NOTHING
EXCEPT THAT HE SAID THAT HE WENT THERE
FOR THREE YEARS. SO IT'S A BIT OF A GUESS
THAT HE CAME HERE TO PETRA, BUT IT'S AN EDUCATED GUESS. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO REASONS
FOR THINKING THAT HE SPENT SOME OF HIS TIME
HERE IN PETRA. FIRST, PETRA WAS
THE CAPITAL CITY. IT WAS THE CENTER OF
CULTURE AND TRADE FOR ARABIA. AND WE KNOW FROM PAUL'S FUTURE
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS THAT HE ALWAYS FAVORED SUCH PLACES, CITIES, PLACES OF IMPORTANCE, PLACES OF INFLUENCE WHERE HE WOULD GO AND PREACH JESUS, AND THEY WOULD ALWAYS BE STRATEGIC LOCATIONS. SO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, IT WOULD BE VERY STRANGE IF HE DIDN'T, AT LEAST FOR SOME OF HIS TIME, COME HERE TO PETRA. THE SECOND REASON WE THINK HE MAY HAVE COME TO PETRA IS THAT WE KNOW FROM HIS
OWN WRITINGS THAT HE MANAGED TO UPSET
KING ARETAS IV, SO MUCH SO THAT ARETAS
TRIED TO CAPTURE PAUL WHEN HE WENT BACK
TO DAMASCUS. NOW, THIS BUILDING YOU
SEE BEHIND ME IS COMMONLY KNOWN
AS THE TREASURY, BUT, IN FACT, IT IS A TOMB.
AND WHO'S BURIED THERE? KING ARETAS IV, THE VERY
KING WHO PURSUED PAUL. YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THIS
FROM THE FILM INDIANA JONES
AND THE LAST CRUSADE. IT'S PROBABLY MY
FAVORITE "INDIANA" FILM. IT'S A GREAT ONE.
THIS IS A GREAT SPOT TO BE. TODAY, RIDING A CAMEL IN PETRA
IS A NOVELTY FOR TOURISTS, BUT NOT WHEN PAUL WAS HERE. CARAVANS WITH HUNDREDS OF
CAMELS PASSED THROUGH PETRA LIKE TRAINS THROUGH CHICAGO, LOADED WITH SPICES AND GOODS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. IMPOSING RED SANDSTONE
FORMATIONS FRAME PETRA WITH ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE. THE SANDSTONE, MAINLY RED, IS
INTERRUPTED WITH VEINS OF COLOR. CON: CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT
PETRA IN THE FIRST CENTURY? JAMES: YES, PETRA DURING
THE FIRST CENTURY USED TO BE IN A
BUSINESS CENTER. PEOPLE BEEN TRADING BETWEEN PETRA AND SOME OTHER PLACES AROUND THE WORLD. EVEN THESE PEOPLE
REACHED CHINA, IMPORT AND EXPORT
BETWEEN HERE AND CHINA, THAT EACH TRIP USED TO TAKE
BETWEEN TWO TO THREE YEARS. THE PEAK OF PETRA MAINLY
WAS DURING THE FIRST CENTURY, AND THE POPULATION
OF THE CITY WENT UP TO BETWEEN 27 AND 30 THOUSAND. CON: OKAY, SO THERE ARE A LOT
OF TOMBS CUT INTO THE ROCK. WHAT...WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT? JAMES: THEY DO BELIEVE THEY'RE GONNA LIVE IN
THESE TOMBS FOREVER. THAT'S WHY THEIR TOMBS
IN PETRA HAS BEEN CARVED. AND IT HAS A REALLY NICE
DECORATION ON THE OUTSIDE. CON: THEY MUST HAVE BEEN VERY
CONSUMED WITH THE IDEA OF DEATH. JAMES: YEAH, EXACTLY RIGHT.
THEIR MAINLY STRONG INFLUENCE HAD IN DEATH HAS TO
DO WITH THE EGYPTIANS. CON: AND THE GODDESS ISIS
IS CARVED INTO THE TREASURY. JAMES: ISIS FROM
THE EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY, SHE REPRESENT THE LIFE. AND THAT'S WHY THEY CARVED
THE CARVING OF ISIS, BELIEVING THAT THIS GODDESS
WILL GIVE THEM A LIFE. CON: THIS THEATER THAT SEATS AROUND FOUR OR FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE WAS ACTUALLY NOT BUILT FOR ENTERTAINMENT. IT WAS BUILT FOR FUNERALS. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE ROMANS
CONQUERED PETRA IN AD 106 THAT IT BEGAN TO BE USED
FOR SHOWS AND PLAYS. BUT ALL OF THAT JUST REMINDS
US THAT THE NABATAEANS WERE KIND OF
OBSESSED WITH DEATH. I LIKE TO IMAGINE
PAUL COMING TO PETRA AND DRAWING ON THAT CONCERN, THAT CONCERN ABOUT DEATH AND PREACHING THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF PETRA AND THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH BY GOING HIGHER, MUCH HIGHER. UP HERE SOME STILL LIVE
A SIMPLE BEDOUIN LIFE. GREAT VIEW OF THE
THEATER DOWN THERE. LOOKS KIND OF SMALL FROM HERE. AND I SEE SOME PEOPLE
WALKING THROUGH THE TOWN CENTER OF PETRA. IT'S REALLY A
SPECTACULAR VIEW. THE TRUCK COULD ONLY
TAKE US SO FAR SO WE HIKED HIGHER
IN THE SUMMER HEAT. THE EFFORT TO MAKE THE ASCENT TO
THE ALTAR AT THE HIGH PLACE TOLD ME THAT THIS
ANCIENT CIVILIZATION WAS SERIOUS
ABOUT ITS BELIEFS. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THESE
VALLEYS HERE BEHIND ME ARE THE DESCENDANTS
OF THE NABATEAN PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE AMONG
WHOM PAUL LIVED DURING HIS THREE
YEARS IN ARABIA. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT JEWS, BUT THEY'RE NOT FULLY
GENTILES EITHER. THEY ARE ALSO, LIKE THE JEWS, DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM. BUT WHILE THE JEWS ARE
DESCENDED THROUGH ISAAC, THESE PEOPLE ARE
DESCENDED THROUGH ISHMAEL, ANOTHER SON OF ABRAHAM. I THINK PAUL WAS FORCED
TO REFLECT ON THE ISSUE OF WHO ARE THE TRUE
SONS OF ABRAHAM? AND HE ARGUES THAT THE
TRUE SONS OF ABRAHAM ARE THOSE WHO HAVE
THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, NOT SIMPLY THE DESCENDANCY THROUGH ISAAC. HERE WE SEE THEIR
HIGH PLACE ALTAR BUILT FOR ANIMAL
SACRIFICES. AND I THINK IN THIS
PERIOD OF TIME IN ARABIA, PAUL IS THINKING THROUGH
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PREACH JESUS' NAME TO PEOPLE WHO
DO NOT SHARE THE BELIEF IN THE GOD OF ABRAHAM,
ISAAC, AND JACOB? AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS
A VERY, A VERY FORMATIVE PERIOD WHERE PAUL IS WORKING
OUT HOW HE WILL GO ON TO BECOME THE APOSTLE
TO THE GENTILES. HERE, A SINCERE
PEOPLE HAD ATTEMPTED TO REACH UP TO THE GODS. PAUL HAD ATTEMPTED
TO REACH GOD, TOO, BY KEEPING THE LAW AND
OFFERING SACRIFICES. BUT THE STUNNING
REVELATION OF FORGIVENESS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR PAUL. HE NO LONGER HAD
TO CLIMB HIGHER. HE WAS NOW FREE TO LIVE
BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST AND TO TAKE THAT
FREEDOM TO THE WORLD. THAT'S QUITE BEAUTIFUL. CON: HOW ARE YOU DOING?
MAN: GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? CON: GOOD. YOU GONNA
SHOW ME HOW YOU DO THIS? MAN: YES, I WILL SHOW YOU
HOW WE MAKE THE CAMEL BY THE NATURAL SAND, SANDSTONE. WE PUT THE BLACK SAND. CON: LATER PAUL WROTE, "THOUGH I AM THE LEAST
DESERVING OF ALL GOD'S PEOPLE, "HE GRACIOUSLY GAVE
ME THE PRIVILEGE "OF TELLING THE GENTILES ABOUT THE ENDLESS TREASURES "AVAILABLE TO THEM IN CHRIST. "I WAS CHOSEN TO EXPLAIN
TO EVERYONE THIS "MYSTERIOUS PLAN THAT GOD, THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, "HAD KEPT SECRET
FROM THE BEGINNING." CON: HOW DID YOU LEARN HOW TO DO THIS? WHO TAUGHT YOU? MAN: IT'S FROM
MY FATHER, YOU KNOW. CON: LOOK AT THIS CAMEL. TWO
MINUTES. WOW, THAT'S AWESOME. AFTER THREE YEARS IN
DAMASCUS AND ARABIA, PAUL RETURNS TO THE GREAT
CITY OF JERUSALEM. HE LIVED HERE SINCE
HE WAS A TEENAGER. HE STUDIED UNDER
GAMALIEL HERE. HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS
OF PHARISEEISM HERE. HE BECAME A PERSECUTOR
OF THE CHURCH HERE. IN FACT, IT'S THE FIRST
TIME HE'S BEEN HERE SINCE HE BECAME A
FOLLOWER OF JESUS. BUT THE OTHER DISCIPLES OF JESUS
IN JERUSALEM ARE NERVOUS. THEY'RE FRIGHTENED OF HIM. HIS REPUTATION AS A
PERSECUTOR PRECEDES HIM. BUT ONE OF THESE DISCIPLES,
BARNABAS, TOOK PAUL, AND INTRODUCED HIM
TO THE APOSTLES, MEETING THEM FOR
THE FIRST TIME. AND BARNABAS TOLD THE APOSTLES
HOW PAUL HAD ENCOUNTERED THE RISEN JESUS ON
THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, HOW PAUL HAD BOLDLY PROCLAIMED THE NAME OF JESUS IN DAMASCUS. AND SO THE APOSTLES WELCOMED HIM
AND HE STAYED WITH THEM. HE MOVED ABOUT
FREELY IN THE CITY, PREACHING BOLDLY
IN THE NAME OF JESUS. BUT THAT ACTIVITY, ONCE AGAIN,
GOT HIM INTO SOME TROUBLE. AND SOME JEWS
TRIED TO KILL HIM. TO PROTECT PAUL FROM THE
THREAT OF DEATH IN JERUSALEM, SOME DISCIPLES BRING
HIM HERE TO CAESAREA ON THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST. AND FROM HERE PAUL SET
SAIL NORTH TO TARSUS, HIS BIRTHPLACE,
IN MODERN DAY TURKEY. AND THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND UNKNOWN
PERIOD IN PAUL'S LIFE, WHICH IS ABOUT
A DECADE LONG, TEN YEARS THAT ARE
UNDOCUMENTED IN PAUL'S LIFE. AFTER THOSE TEN
YEARS OF SILENCE, THE BOOK OF ACTS PICKS UP THE STORY OF PAUL ONCE AGAIN. PAUL IS STILL IN HIS
HOMETOWN OF TARSUS AND NOT FAR AWAY IN THE
CITY OF ANTIOCH IN SYRIA, A RAPIDLY GROWING
NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE BECOMING
FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. IN ANTIOCH, A TERM OF INSULT
BEGAN TO BE USED AGAINST THE
FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY WOULD
BE CALLED CHRISTIANS. NOW, IT WAS MEANT AS
A TERM OF INSULT. BUT OF COURSE, THEY WORE IT
AS A BADGE OF HONOR. AND FOR THE NEXT 2,000 YEARS, THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WOULD
BE KNOWN BY THAT NAME. MEETING JESUS CHANGES US, WHO WE ARE, OUR IDENTITY.
WELL, IT CERTAINLY DID FOR ME. I USED TO THINK OF MYSELF
PRIMARILY AS A JAZZ SAXOPHONIST, AND THAT WAS IT. BUT I BECAME A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND NOW I KNOW WHO I REALLY AM. AND JUST LIKE PAUL, JESUS
CALLED ME TO FOLLOW HIM INTO DEEPER WATERS OF
TRUTH AND PURPOSE. THE ADVENTURES OF PAUL'S
NEXT YEARS WOULD MAKE THE NAME OF JESUS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN, FROM JERUSALEM TO THE
VERY HEART OF THE EMPIRE, THE GREAT CITY OF ROME.
