Every January, the urge to make new year changes tugs hard. There’s just something about flipping that calendar over that taps us on the shoulder and says: “It’s time for a change.”

(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)

We long to grow and develop to our full potential. With that as a goal, we love change. In fact, self-improvement is part of our culture. It’s huge! It sells change by marketing discontent.

But before you make those new year changes, here are 3 questions to ask and 3 thoughts to consider.

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Roads are often built for one reason, but God uses them in our lives for another altogether. The Appian Way in Rome proved this so in the life of the Apostle Paul. I walked the road recently.

(Photo: Walking the Appian Way)

The Roman official Appius Claudius took the initiative to build a road in 312 BC as a means of transporting troops and supplies to and from Rome. In time, the road took his name and helped secure a Roman victory in the Second Samnite War. The Appian Way proved a huge success and eventually extended 350 miles southeast to the port of Brindisi. It served as Rome’s primary highway for centuries.

The restoration of the ancient Appian Way today allows both locals and tourists a beautiful walk in the footsteps of history.

When I walked the road recently, I thought about Paul, who traveled along the same path.

Getting to the Appian Way

I caught a subway south of Rome and trekked several miles west to merge with the ancient road. On the way, I passed beneath the ruins of the massive Aqua Claudia, one of nine aqueducts that provided water for Rome.

(Photo: Aqua Claudia)

When Paul saw the structure, it had been standing for only ten years. Crossing over the Appia Nuova (“new”) — the modern highway that parallels the old road — I finally reached the Appian Antica (“ancient”) — the Appian Way.

The ancient path has enjoyed a beautiful restoration. Pedestrians, hikers, bikers, and even cars still use the route! Beautiful Italian Broom Pine Trees canopy the road, and crumbing ruins all along the path stand like abandoned filling stations. Interpretive signs explain the stone structures.

Paul walked the road, beginning at Puteoli, where his ship landed. From there, he walked 170 miles(!) along the Appian Way into Rome. (I only walked the last five miles.) But Paul didn’t walk alone. As a prisoner, he would have been accompanied by his Roman Centurion Julius, and Christians who traveled 43 miles from Rome to meet Paul.

And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. (Acts 28:15)

(Photo: Appian Way paving stones at Forum of Appius. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

After stopping at the Appia Antica Cafe for a cappuccino, I continued north into Rome. The ancient path became covered with asphalt, and before I knew it, I found myself facing a major one-way road (going in the opposite direction) with high walls on either side. The cars zipped by me at 45 mph with only a few feet between us! I‘ll never do that again.

Finally, the gauntlet released me into a road that led through the ancient walls and the Arch of Drusus and Porta Capena, the gate Paul likely entered Rome as well.

(Photo: Paul likely entered Rome at the Porta Capena)

Imprisoned and Unhindered

As Paul awaited his trial, he penned the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. The final verse in the Book of Acts says it this way:

And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered. (Acts 28:30–31)

How wonderful! In spite of Paul’s imprisonment, his impact was absolutely unhindered. In fact, as he wrote to the Philippians:

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. (Philippians 1:12–14)

As I walked in the footsteps of Paul, I took two minutes to record a video with some devotional thoughts.

We Walk the Appian Way

In our lives, we also walk an Appian Way. We have dreams of going to Rome — of doing some great service for God and God’s people — but the Lord brings us there in ways we would never have imagined, often with trials we never expected nor welcomed. It’s a road we walk each day, in fact. Some days find us sipping cappuccino and most days find us going against the traffic with walls that hem us in.

But as we look back down the road, we gain the perspective of hindsight that proved His way was best.

Tell me what you think: How has hindsight helped you see that God’s way in your life was best? To leave a comment, just click here.

Here’s the path I walked:

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The best way to make sure we respond positively to the opportunities God provides us is to prepare ahead of time for them. But how do we anticipate those moments? The Lord has shown us how.

(Photo: Scribe copying the Scriptures. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

At the end of the exile, God moved the heart of the pagan King Artaxerxes to allow Ezra — a scribe and priest — to return to Jerusalem in 458 BC. Fourteen years before Nehemiah returned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Ezra returned to rebuild the people. He did it by calling them to return to the Word of God.

Ezra shows us both how to prepare for the opportunities God provides and how to protect ourselves from what threatens them.

JERUSALEM’S WATER GATE & Ezra’s Priority

The best-known verse in the book of Ezra serves well as Ezra’s life verse:

Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel. —Ezra 7:10

Ezra’s threefold passion models a priority for all of God’s people. Each part is essential, as is the order in which they occur:

• Determined . . . to study the Law of the Lord
• Determined . . . to obey the Law of the Lord
• Determined . . . to teach those decrees and regulations

One of the recorded instances in which Ezra taught the people occurred at Jerusalem’s Water Gate.

Truth Told at Jerusalem’s Water Gate

The location of the Water Gate in the City of David is still debated. But archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer believes, with credibility, that it likely lay near the Gihon Spring — perhaps as a distribution point for water. If so, the location where Ezra read the Law — near Jerusalem’s only source of fresh water — provides in itself a powerful metaphor.

He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law. —Neh. 8:3 NLT

(Photo: Water Gate excavated by Eilat Mazar. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

When Ezra first stepped on the scene years earlier, the post-exilic Jews struggled with weak spiritual lives (Ezra 9:1-4; 10:2, 10). But Ezra’s teaching of the Word of God — combined with a life that modeled the Scriptures — assisted the people to reignite their devotion to the Lord.

• It prepared them spiritually. Because Ezra devoted himself to dispense God’s Word to the people, when Nehemiah came to Jerusalem fourteen years later, the people responded immediately to his challenge to rebuild the walls.
• It protected them spiritually. When enemies threatened to discourage their work, the people pressed on despite the threats. Ezra’s preparation of the people with the Word of God had made this possible.

So, it’s no surprise why the people requested Ezra read them the Bible that day at the Water Gate. Ezra had whetted their appetite for truth for years.

The Source of Truth Flows into Our Lives

In our lives, we need to remember that guarding our intake of God’s Word is as essential as walling off our only source of water.

• Our regular study, obedience, and teaching of Scripture will prepare us for the opportunities of service God provides.
• Our devotion to the Bible protects our hearts from the discouragements that invariably attempt to dissuade us from persevering in the good work.

Take your time at the Water Gate.

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Tell me what you think: Do you have a Water Gate where God’s Word regularly channels its life-giving truth in your heart? To leave a comment, just click here.

The post Jerusalem’s Water Gate—Where the Source of Truth Gushed appeared first on Wayne Stiles Site.

Local schoolchildren ate their lunches across the olive grove from my wife and me.

Like the kids, we came on a field trip to explore ancient Shiloh. Although our lunch was hardly a feast, it reminded me of the reasons the young nation of Israel initially came to this site. They came to worship at the annual feasts before the Tabernacle at Shiloh.

(Photo: Area of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. Courtesy of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

Ask most Americans where Shiloh is, and you’ll likely get a blank stare.

• Historians may point to a Civil War battle in Hardin County, Tennessee.
• Music buffs may start singing the chorus to a Neil Diamond song.

But question someone who knows his or her Bible, and Shiloh means something far more significant.

Shiloh in the Bible: a Promise & a Person

The patriarch Jacob first spoke of Shiloh on his deathbed, giving a promise to the tribe of Judah:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. —Genesis 49:10

Most commentators agree that Jacob’s prediction had messianic overtones and included a promise of kings as well as a place of rest. Ultimately, the tribe of Judah would produce the Messiah, Jesus (Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5).

After Israel entered the Promised Land, the Tabernacle of Moses indeed did rest from its wanderings. It rested at a place named Shiloh (Joshua 18:1).

Shiloh is a Place

After finishing lunch, I followed a path to where archaeologists have identified a large, level area. The space measures 400 feet long and 77 feet wide. Although not all agree, this place likely represents the place where the Tabernacle at Shiloh rested.

Examining the ruins, I saw an outline of the Tabernacle’s footprint. I walked to the back where the rocks roughly formed a rectangle.

(Photo: Standing where the Holy of Holies was.)

It was hard to take in the truth of it, but if the Tabernacle at Shiloh stood where I was standing, then the Holy of Holies had been beneath my feet. God’s glory — right there!

• For three centuries, those obedient among the tribes of Israel would have come here to the Tabernacle at Shiloh for the annual feasts.
• Joshua divided the tribes’ allotment of land at Shiloh (Joshua 18).
• At Shiloh, the godly woman, Hannah, prayed to conceive, and her son Samuel ministered before the Lord here (1 Samuel 1:1-28; 3:21).
• From the time Israel entered the land until the time of Samuel, the Ark of the Covenant remained in the Tabernacle at Shiloh.

Why did God destroy Shiloh? Because ancient Israel refused to walk with God,

He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, the tent which He had pitched among men, and gave up His strength to captivity and His glory into the hand of the adversary. —Psalm 78:60-61

The Philistines took the Ark and destroyed Shiloh in 1104 BC (1 Samuel 4:10-11).

Shiloh is a Parable

Centuries later in the days of Jeremiah, the stubborn leaders of Judah had a false sense of security because they had the Temple of God in Jerusalem. So the Lord told Jeremiah to use Shiloh as a parable—or illustration.

Go now to My place which was in Shiloh . . . and see what I did to it. — Jeremiah 7:12

• Jeremiah’s words became prophetic, for twenty years later the Babylonians would destroy Solomon’s temple.
• After Herod rebuilt the temple, Jesus used Jeremiah’s words to predict what would happen if God’s people refused to listen to God’s messenger (Mark 11:15-17; Luke 21:6). Amazingly, the Second Temple was also destroyed in AD 70.

Once Israel came to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship at the feasts, but today only archaeologists, a few tourists, and schoolchildren visit.

Once the presence of God dwelt at Shiloh, but now only weeds and rocks remain.

Devotional Thought for Tel Shiloh

Read Jeremiah 7:1-15; 26:6; Mark 11:15-17.

“Go to Shiloh and see,” God said. In traveling to Shiloh, God’s people could see what happened when a previous generation did not follow Him.

The people of Jeremiah’s day, as well as those at the time of Jesus, felt that the presence of God’s temple gave them security.

• Both Jeremiah and Jesus pointed to Shiloh to show that security comes not from the Tabernacle at Shiloh or the Temple in Jerusalem.
• Security comes from God’s presence. For three hundred years, only the high priest could stand in the place of the Holy of Holies. But today, anyone can wander where the Tabernacle at Shiloh stood, because “the glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:22).

Although today God’s temple is His church (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19) — and although He will never remove His Spirit from us (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) — we do face the possibility that God may choose not to use us any longer (Revelation 2:5).

Let us remain faithful to the Lord so that we may remain a vessel through which His glory can shine to a watching world.

Tell me what you think: Where do you see people placing their security, even as Christians? To leave a comment, just click here.

Shiloh on the map:

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We come to the line every day. It’s a border. Fear keeps us from stepping over it. What we see feels more compelling than what God has said. Kadesh Barnea was such a place.

(Photo: Kadesh Barnea. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

Two decisions at Kadesh Barnea determined the future. Twice God’s people stood on the edge of their future. The first time, the Hebrews made the decision; the second time, Moses did. Nobody made an announcement of what would happen at Kadesh.

No one knew how significant the transition would be.

As you face the day before you, you have the same two decisions to make.

Welcome to Kadesh Barnea

In southern Israel, the wilderness of Paran and the wilderness of Zin both lay claim to Kadesh Barnea, which also served as a southern border to Canaan (Num. 34:4; Josh. 15:3) and a western border to the Edomites’ control (Num. 20:16).

The Old Testament refers to Kadesh Barnea 10 times and calls the site simply “Kadesh” 14 times. Significant events occurred there:

• Moses’ sister, Miriam, died there (Num. 20:1)
• Moses’ brother, Aaron, died near there (Num. 20:22)
• Israel camped there for quite a while (Deut. 1:46)

But the most significant events at Kadesh reflected two decisions made there.

Facing Fear at Kadesh

In Numbers 13-14, Moses dispatched 12 men to do some reconnaissance in the land of Canaan before Israel entered in order to settle there. They saw how the land looked exactly as God said it would. However, they also saw the inhabitants — and fear gripped them (Num. 13:26).

What they saw seemed more compelling than what the Lord said — despite His history of miracles.

They opted to elect a leader and return to bondage in Egypt. As a result, the Lord refused to allow them to enter—and Israel would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that unbelieving generation passed away.

(Photo: Near Kadesh Barnea. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

Take Two at Kadesh Barnea

After 40 years of wandering, the Hebrews found themselves back at Kadesh Barnea for round two. Once again, the people stumbled over what they saw — or rather, what they didn’t see.

No water.

The Lord told Moses to speak to a rock and water would flow for the people. But Moses’ anger toward the people’s unbelief challenged his attentiveness to obedience. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock — as Moses had done before — in fact, Moses struck it twice with the rod in his hand (Num. 20:11). Graciously, the Lord provided water, despite Moses’ actions.

However, God also censured Moses because his “unbelief” put a ding in the Lord’s holy reputation.

Ironically, Moses had called the people “rebels” before he struck the rock, and the Lord said Moses also had “rebelled” in his actions that same moment (Num. 27:14).

You Stand at the Border of Your Potential

At Kadesh Barnea, the Hebrews and even Moses lost the privilege to enter the Promised Land. Their actions show how unbelief can swing in two directions.

• Refusing to trust that God can do what He says.
• Refusing to trust God by doing what He says.

We come to Kadesh Barnea when we come face to face with the fear that faith cannot avoid. As creatures of the Creator, we live in dependence on Him. No life scenario will ever offer a path that doesn’t require faith. We come to a fork in the road when we choose to walk the path of faith or the way of unbelief. Ironically, only faith offers the safety we seek.

You’re on the border today. You stand at a place of decision. How essential that you look at your future with the eyes of faith, not with the eyes of fear.

Your strong God stands ready to lead you forward. Just follow in faith.

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Tell me what you think: What decision right now frightens you? To leave a comment, just click here.

The post Kadesh Barnea — How to Push Your Faith Past the Border of Fear appeared first on Wayne Stiles Site.

All my life as I’ve studied the Bible and heard it taught, reading the odd list of Canaanite names feels like driving over potholes. I think, Why doesn’t somebody fill in those holes? Who were the Canaanites, and why should I care about them this week?

(Photo: Megiddo’s Canaanite temple and sacrificial altar. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

In fact, most of the time when I hear preachers read the list of “Canaanites, Hittites, and Jebusites,” they typically add “Termites” to the list just to get a laugh. We chuckle because—if we’re honest — including those Canaanite names seems a bit ridiculous—and irrelevant.

What difference do all those “—ites” make to us? In this post, I’ll give a simple overview of these names, who they were, and where they lived.

But more importantly, I’ll share what difference they make to us today.

Who Were the Canaanites? Seven Nations Greater Than You

Just before the Hebrews entered the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses said:

When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you . . . —Deuteronomy 7:1

Who were the Canaanites in the Bible? These seven nations represent people groups in different locations:

1. Canaanites
2. Hittites
3. Girgashites
4. Hivites
5. Amorites
6. Perizzites
7. Jebusites

1. Canaanites

Canaan was Noah’s grandson through the line of Ham. His direct lineage included the “[Hittites] and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite” (Gen. 10:15–16).

As a result, “Canaanites” often serves as the general term for the inhabitants of the land—the indigenous people of Canaan (Gen. 12:6; Num. 21:3; Judg. 1:10).

(Photo: Canaanite god El, found at Megiddo. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

2. Hittites

Migrating from Anatolia (modern Turkey), the Hittites settled in the hill country around Hebron. Abraham bought the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (Gen. 23:10).

One of the most well-known Hittites was Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba and one of King David’s mighty men (2 Sam. 11:3).

3. & 4. Girgashites and Hivites

We know precious little about these people groups, other than they lived near the area of Mount Hermon and the Lebanon mountains (Josh. 11:3; Judges 3:3).

5. Amorites

The Amorites came to Canaan from Aram (Syria) and took over much of the hill country. As a result, their name appears numerous times in the Bible in interaction with the Hebrews (Deut. 3:11; Josh. 10:10; 11:8; 1 Sam. 7:14).

The discovery of the Armana Letters— 15^th-century cuneiform clay tablets discovered in Egypt—has offered scholars insight into the Amorite language (among many other things). These clay tablets also give geographical confirmation of many place names in the land of Israel. (See map below.)

(Map of Canaanite locations, courtesy of Satellite Bible Atlas)

6. Perizzites

Although little is known about this group, the Perizzites are listed along as a people the Hebrews were to drive out of the land (Gen. 15:20; Ex. 3:8, 17; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11). However some of them lingered in the land, and Solomon reduced them to servitude (1 Kings 9:20).

Easton’s Bible Dictionary refers to the Perizzites as “dwellers in the open country, the Canaanitish nation inhabiting the fertile regions south and south-west of [Mount] Carmel. ‘They were the graziers, farmers, and peasants of the time.’”

7. Jebusites

The Jebusites inhabited Jebus, or ancient Salem—what we know today as the part of Jerusalem called the City of David.

• They were considered a group of the Amorites (Josh. 10:5).
• The Jebusites persisted living in Jebus until David conquered the city 400 years after Joshua—and made it his capital in 1004 B.C. (2 Sam. 5:6-10).
• David purchased the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, a site that became the Temple Mount (2 Samuel 24:16-24).

(Photo: Temple Mount with the City of David just south of it. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

2 Lessons from the Seven Nations

There are a couple of things we can learn from these nations:

1. God’s mercy and patience toward the unrepentant is long but not eternal.
2. God often leads His people to victory over impossible odds.

1. God’s Mercy and Patience Toward the Unrepentant

The Lord’s command for Joshua to destroy and drive out these seven nations has drawn fire as cruel and out of character for a God of love. But this isn’t true.

• The Canaanites knew of God’s power. If any Canaanite repented and turned to God—they were not destroyed. Rahab is an example (Josh. 2:8-13; Heb. 11:31).
• God told Abraham one of the reasons God waited 400 years to redeem the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and return them to Canaan stemmed from God’s mercy to the Canaanites. The Lord gave the Canaanites time to repent of their sins.

In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete. —Genesis 15:16

Is God tapping your shoulder? God’s mercy and patience are long—but not eternal. His delay stems from His kindness meant to lead you to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

2. God Often Leads His People to Victory

Moses said these seven nations were “greater and stronger” than God’s people (Deut. 7:1). This reminds us that God’s people will only succeed with God’s help.

From that perspective, the list of all those Canaanite names simply represented a list of victories God would perform.

Your struggles are also a list of God’s potential victories in your life.

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Tell me what you think: What Canaanites are you facing today? To leave a comment, just click here.

The post Who Were the Canaanites? How To Apply Those Odd Names And Places appeared first on Wayne Stiles Site.

For most Christians, the book of Leviticus is as untraveled as the wilderness in which Moses wrote it. It’s not hard to understand why. I mean, who cares about sacrifices no longer needed or diet codes no longer in effect? Can they teach us anything today? In a word: plenty.

(Photo courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

Here’s a brief summary of the five offerings in Leviticus—what they were and why they mattered.

I’ve also included a free chart you can download and a short list of resources to help you make sense of Leviticus. God gave the book of Leviticus to a people already redeemed. The offerings in Leviticus served as God’s gracious provision for how one could regain and sustain fellowship with God.

1. Burnt Offering

The burnt offering teaches that God is pleased to accept anyone who comes to Him through His prescribed sacrifice (Leviticus 1:3). The whole animal was consumed on the altar, and it atoned for the worshipper’s sin. It satisfied God’s wrath against sin and made fellowship possible between a holy God and a sinful person.

2. Grain Offering

Someone accepted by God by His grace—through the burnt offering—could respond in gratitude through a grain (or cereal) offering (Leviticus 2:2). It usually was an offering of flour and oil in which a handful was burned and the priests ate the rest. It was a gift to God from the best of the worshipper’s agricultural produce in an act of thanksgiving for sins forgiven.

An additional offering, the drink offering (or “libation”), was poured on top of the grain offering as a symbol of joy (Leviticus 23:13; cf. Exodus 29:40-41).

3. Peace Offering

Unlike the other offerings, the peace offering was optional, given in addition to the burnt offering. The peace offering closed with a meal, in which the priests (representing God) the worshipper, and his or her friends ate together. The sacrifices had to be eaten in one or two days.

There were three primary peace offerings:

1. Thanksgiving Offering—a freewill offering given as an act of thanksgiving to God when He blessed someone without their asking for it. Only in this instance could an imperfect animal be offered (Leviticus 7:12-15).
2. Wave offering—the priest’s portion of the peace offering was waved before the Lord as a special act signifying that it was His (Leviticus 7:30-31).
3. Votive Offering—a freewill offering given because of a vow taken, or in relation to a favor, or a simple voluntary act of worship (Leviticus 7:16-17).

4. Purification (Sin) Offering

Though often called the “sin offering,” a better translation is “purification offering.” It dealt with two issues: the necessity of forgiveness from unintentional sins and of cleansing from ceremonial uncleanness (Leviticus 4:2-3). The purpose of the sin offering was to cleanse the tabernacle from human defilement, thus making possible the continuing fellowship and presence of God among His people.

5. Guilt (Reparation) Offering

The guilt offering caused the individual to look beyond the sin to the damage it caused (Leviticus 5:16). The guilt offering is also called “reparation” because the person not only sought forgiveness, but first he or she also paid full restitution, adding to the price an additional percentage.

Because the offerings in Leviticus had their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, there is no need for them today (Hebrews 10:1-18). In fact, after Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross and rose again, the temple was destroyed in AD 70. No sacrifices have been made there since.

4 Resources for Understanding Leviticus

1. Offerings in Leviticus Chart. I made this chart to help simplify what’s often confusing about the sacrifices. You can download it here.
2. Insight’s Bible Application Guide: Genesis–Deuteronomy—A Life Lesson from Every Chapter. This is a handbook that gives you a one-paragraph application of every chapter in Genesis—Deuteronomy. I wrote the applications for Leviticus. (The series eventually will include the whole Bible.) You can get it here.
3. Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, by Allen P. Ross. This is a commentary and guide on how to teach the book of Leviticus. It found it invaluable when I taught the book. You can pick it up here.
4. “How to Live a Holy Life” (Audio Sermon Series). This is a series of messages I taught on the book of Leviticus. You can listen to the messages here.

Have you ever studied these offerings? What did you learn?

The post Offerings in Leviticus—What They Were and Why They Mattered appeared first on Wayne Stiles Site.

Christian sites in Rome offer a unique perspective for believers, standing out among the city’s famous landmarks like the Trevi Fountain, the Forum, Piazza Navona, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. I’d like to show you six of these significant Christian sites to visit, including one that isn’t even on the map.

(Photo: The Arch of Constantine in Rome)

Essential Christian sites in Rome include:

1. Mamertine Prison
2. Tre Fontane Abbey
3. The Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls
4. St. Peter’s Basilica and Square
5. The Arch of Titus
6. Catacombs

1. Mamertine Prison

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans of his plans to see them:

I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain — for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while (Romans 15:23-24).

To be sure, Paul would go to Rome — but not like he thought he would.

Paul went to Rome before there were Christian sites to see. He went as a prisoner in chains. Acts 27-28 tells us the story. Arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned at Caesarea for two years, Paul appealed to Caesar and suffered a shipwreck on his way to Rome as a prisoner.

After two years, Paul was released from his imprisonment, after which he traveled and wrote two more epistles before his final Roman imprisonment in the Mamertine Prison. Here Paul wrote these words to his protege, Timothy:

I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6–7).

(Photo: The site of the Mamertine Prison in Rome, where Paul wrote 2 Timothy)

2. Tre Fontane Abbey

Tradition tells us Paul was martyred outside the walls of Rome at a place most folks have never heard of—one of the Christian sites not on the tourist maps. (You can find it here.)

Don’t confuse Tre Fontane with the famous Trevi Fountain. It’s called Tre Fontane (“Three Fountains”) because, according to legend, after Paul’s head was cut off, it bounced three times and three fountains sprung up! Although the fountain story is apocryphal, the location of his death is historical.

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs relates Paul’s martyrdom as follows:

“Paul, the apostle, who before was called Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution under Nero. Abdias, declareth that under his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptized at His sepulcher. This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his neck to the sword.”

(Photo: The pathway at the Tre Fontane Abbey leads to the small chapel that marks the site of Paul’s martyrdom)

3. The Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls

Tradition points to this location as the place where the Apostle Paul was buried, about two miles away from Tre Fontane Abbey. Emperor Constantine erected a building over the site where Paul’s followers had venerated the burial spot of the apostle.

The structures that marked this spot changed and expanded throughout the centuries. The grand basilica we see today largely reflects 19^th– and 20^th-century architecture. Paul’s grave is clearly marked inside the ornate church.

(Photo: The beautiful Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the traditional site where Paul is buried)

4. St. Peter’s Basilica and Square

Contrary to popular belief and Hollywood movies, it’s unlikely any Christians were killed in the Colosseum. Instead, they were almost all martyred in the Circus of Gaius/Nero—the site where St. Peter’s Square now stands. This place receives the most attention of all Christian sites in Rome. The Egyptian obelisk in the center of the square is original to the circus, though it stood in a different spot.

According to tradition, Peter was crucified here upside down (see John 21:18-19). He is most likely buried deep beneath the basilica in the original burial cave.

(Photo: St. Peter’s Square, near where many Christians were martyred, including Peter)

5. The Arch of Titus

Constructed in AD 82 by Emperor Domitian, the Arch of Titus venerates his older brother Titus’ victories.

Most notably, the inside relief of the arch portrays Roman soldiers carrying off treasures from the Jerusalem Temple, destroyed by Titus in AD 70. Jesus predicted this destruction in AD 33 (Matthew 24:1-2).

(Photo: The underside of the Arch of Titus shows a relief of Roman soldiers carrying off Jerusalem Temple treasures)

6. Catacombs

Most famous for the early Christians who were buried here, the catacombs offer an essential contribution to early Christian art. Early frescoes and sculptures still exist in the catacombs.

Most touching for me were the smaller burial spots carved out for children who had died.

(Photo: Catacombs in Rome, by GerardM, via Wikimedia Commons)

Reflections from Christian Sites in Rome

Paul, Peter, and the early Christians are why we have Christian sites in Rome. When I think of Paul’s desire to go to Rome, it reminds me of how God will give us a dream and we head off towards it.

• We plan to go by means of A-B-C, but God often gets us there by means of 10-9-8.
• We can expect the same as Paul. We dream, but we should not put God in a box regarding His methods.
• He will fulfill His purposes, but He will do it His way.

We should make long-term plans for a life of faithfulness and fruitfulness. But be ready and willing for God to redirect. 

Because He most certainly will.

What Christian Sites in Rome Speak to You?

If you have been to Rome, what site meant most to you? What site would you most like to see if you’ve never been? Scroll down to leave a comment.

Here’s a map of all the sites I recommend:

SEE CHRISTIAN SITES YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT

Would you like to see these and other Christian sites to visit from the comfort of your home? Take a journey with a virtual tour of the Bible Lands.

The post 6 Christian Sites in Rome You Should Know About and Visit appeared first on Wayne Stiles Site.