Thessalonica and Berea
We spent the night in the modern Greek city of Salonika, built on top of the ancient Thessalonica. Because of the modern city, there are no excavations of ancient Thessalonica, to which Paul traveled with Silas and Timothy after they were asked to leave Philippi during his 2nd Missionary Journey.
The holiest site in Salonika in the Basilica of St. Dimitrios, a 4th century Thessalonian Christian who was martyred in the Galerian persecution in 306AD. The Basilica has spectacular mosaics and icons, ranking among the finest in Greece. It is an active church, and a mass was being conducted at the high altar during our visit, which made it a bit awkward.
Icon of Christ Pantocrator in the Basilica of St. Dimitrios
Mosaic Dome over the altar in the Basilica of St. Dimitrios
The pattern of St. Paul's stay in Thessalonica was very similar to that of his visits to other Hellenistic cities. He went immediately to the synagogue, and taught there on three consecutive Sabbaths. He presented a carefully detailed explanation from the Hebrew Bible, that showed the Messiah was to suffer and be raised from the dead. There is extensive prophecy in the Old Testament about the Suffering Servant (Psalm 22, Isaiah 51-54, the Book of Hosea), but never before had Jews linked this redemptive Suffering Servant to the Messiah and salvation. There is also extensive prophetic visioning about the bodily resurrection of the dead (Ezekiel), but that too had never been linked to the Messiah. Paul's teaching in Thessalonica was well received. Many Jews were persuaded and came to faith, as did many Greek women of high social standing. But other Jews who rejected the message, angrily gathered a mob that accused Paul of advocating another king, Jesus, who was superior to the emperor. Although the city officials didn't act in response to the rabble, the believers in Thessalonica felt it was expedient to send Paul and his companions on to Berea under the dark of night. (Acts 17:1-9)
Teaching on Paul in Thessalonica outside the Basilica of St. Dimitrios
We too followed in Paul's footsteps to Berea (modern Veroia). The same Pauline pattern unfolded there. As it says in Acts 17:10-15, "When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away..." Paul went on to Athens.
In Veroia, there is one of the great Pauline sites, for Christian tradition has preserved the very step ("bema" in Greek) from which Paul preached in Berea. A shrine has been built there with beautiful mosaics, frescos and statuary. I was thrilled to stand on St. Paul's "bema", and offer a teaching on Paul's two Letters to the Thessalonians.
Statue of St. Paul near the Bema of St. Paul, Berea
Teaching about the Letters to the Thessalonians in St. Paul's Bema
Mosaic of St. Paul's vision of the "man in Macedonia", St. Paul's Bema
Mosaic of St. Paul Preaching to the Bereans, St. Paul's Bema
Mosaic of St. Paul, directly above the St. Paul's Bema
Pilgrims in front of the Bema of St. Paul, Berea
We then drove through the breathtakingly beautiful mountains of Central Greece, along steep winding roads to arrive at our next stop: the clifftop monasteries at Meteora. We will visit them in the morning.
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