Corinth

Corinth today felt like stepping straight into the pages of Acts.

We walked to the pavement stone of Erastus—the city official Paul mentions in Romans 16. To stand on a stone carved with his name, right where he served this city, makes Scripture come alive. We met the group from Pittsburgh being led by the Center for Holy Land Studies (fifth day we were at the same spot!)

From there we visited the Bema, the judgment seat where Paul was brought before Gallio (Acts 18). One of the only places in the world where you can stand on the exact stones of a New Testament trial. Amazing to imagine Paul right here, facing pressure, and yet protected by God’s promise that “no one will harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

Corinth was a wealthy, complex, spiritually intense place—26 temples and shrines in Paul’s day. No wonder the Corinthian letters are filled with courage, correction, and discipleship. This city needed deep transformation.

Then we hiked Acrocorinth, the massive fortress towering above the city. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Ottomans all fought to control this mountain. At the top once stood the Temple of Aphrodite—reminding us how real the battle for hearts and minds was in Paul’s ministry.

We ended the day in Cenchreae, the eastern port where Paul boarded a ship after 18 months of ministry in Corinth. To stand at the shoreline where he departed—and where Phoebe served the church (Romans 16:1)—gave the whole day a beautiful sense of continuity. And once again we connected with the group from Pittsburgh!

Corinth is more than a place on the map—it's a living reminder that the gospel takes root in difficult places, busy places, broken places… and still changes lives.Read more