I
took a Biblical tour of Corinth at the beginning of my trip in Greece
and wanted to share a couple of the insights our knowledgeable tour
guide shared with us.
First
the canal - it was impressive and super helpful to transportation in
Greece. It now connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas, a major feat. And
like I said, it really was pretty :)
Ok, on to Biblical times -
- The Agora is more than what we translate as marketplace. It includes the places people congregated and where Paul taught.
- The place Paul stood to share the Gospel is the same kind of location people like Plato and Socrates would teach and debate.
- The largest temple in Corinth is to Aphrodite, goddess of love and passion. In ancient times people would walk 2 hours up a steep mountain to the temple and fornicate with the prostitutes (priestesses) as an act of worship to the goddess. This realization gave me a new appreciation for - "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20" Paul really knew who he was talking to!
- I got to see the harbor where Paul would have left Corinth after his 1.5 year stay. There was still a marble pillar in the water.
