Bible Study Fellowship exists because we believe that reading and studying the Bible can be a life-changing experience. This is because God’s Word is “alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). In BSF you will often hear it said that the key to understanding the Bible is context. Context here can refer to literary context, or the progress of the plot (in a story) or the author’s argument (in a letter). For example, the great chapter about love, 1 Corinthians 13, must be understood in light of the apostle Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12–14. The spiritual gifts, Paul asserts, are of no value unless they are practiced with an attitude of love for others.
But in addition to literary context, there is also historical context. This means understanding the world in which the Bible was written. It is critically important, for example, to know that in the first century AD the people of Israel were ruled by the mighty Roman empire and that Rome viewed any hint of rebellion as a threat to its security. Jesus’s arrest, trial, and crucifixion can only be properly understood in light of this historical context. Similarly, the missionary activities of the apostle Paul, including his arrest and journey to Rome, can only be understood in the context of the Roman legal system.
How Travel Changes Our Perspective
We can learn much about this historical context by reading about it in books. But an even more exciting way to learn is to actually be there—that is, to visit the lands of the Bible! It is wonderful, of course, to visit Israel and to walk where Jesus walked. My hope is that every Christian would have a chance to visit Israel at least once in their lifetime. (I’ll save details of my favorite places in Israel for another time!)
Because of the recent wars and unrest, however, many travelers have ruled out Israel for the time being. So let me suggest another exciting possibility for travel to the lands of the Bible. This is a “footsteps of Paul” or “footsteps of the apostles” tour to Turkey and/or Greece. These trips can be cruises throughout the Aegean Sea, bus tours through Greece and Turkey, or some combination of the two.
The bonus of these trips is that some of the places Paul spent the most time are also some of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. Consider a visit to Athens, the great intellectual capital of the ancient world. It is one thing to read the account of Paul’s preaching to the Areopagus, the ruling council of philosophers in that great city (Acts 17). It is quite another to stand on Mars Hill in the shadow of the magnificent Parthenon, surrounded by the altars and temples of the Acropolis. My spine tingles from the boldness of Paul’s preaching despite the spiritual oppression he must have felt when, as Luke reports, “he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16).
Or stand in Corinth at the place of judgement—the bema seat—where the Roman governor Gallio pronounced Paul innocent of political crimes against Rome (Acts 18:12-16). This event confirmed God’s prophecy—“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking…For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you” (Acts 18:9-10)—and extended Paul’s ministry in southern Greece.
Or visit the vast archeological site of Ephesus, the crown jewel of western Turkey. The ruins are remarkably well preserved because the city’s harbor kept silting up and the port had to be repeatedly moved. Standing in the magnificently theatre, with its amazing acoustics, one can almost hear the crowds shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:28).
This is just the tip of the iceberg (or bow of the cruise ship). We could talk more about Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Colossae, Laodicea (neither hot or cold), Pergamum (where Satan’s throne is, according to Revelation 2:13), Patmos (John’s place of exile when writing Revelation), and many, many more.
Experience a Tour: Opportunity in 2026
One of the comments I hear most during and after these trips is, “I’ll never read my Bible the same!” And it’s true. In the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the movie begins in black-and-white, with Dorothy’s everyday life in Kansas. The movie turns to color, however, when Dorothy and her dog Toto are magically transported to the land of Oz. Some have suggested that visiting the lands of the Bible is like going from the black-and-white of Kansas (the written text) to the full color of Oz—the world of the text!
A BSF consulting theologian will be leading a Footsteps of the Apostles tour to Greece for BSF members and friends in September 2026. To learn more about this exciting tour, click here: Footsteps of the Apostles.