ACTS TO REVELATION: THE WORLD OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS - PART 2

A VIDEO STUDY: APRIL 7 TO JUNE 2, 2024, SUNDAYS, MAKAI ROOM 2

Two sessions available every Sunday: 9:30AM and 11:30AM | No registration needed. Everyone’s welcome!

IF YOU NEED ACCESS TO PART 1 (VIDEOS 1-9), ACCESS THEM HERE.

INFORMATION FOR SMALL GROUPS TO WATCH ON THEIR OWN

YOUR SMALL GROUP CAN WATCH AND DISCUSS DRIVE THRU HISTORY ON YOUR OWN

You can stream the videos for free. All episodes are available online at tubitv.com. You will need to create a free account on TubiTV to watch the episodes (which include breaks for commercials). Note, it is apparently not possible to turn off the commercials by purchasing a subscription. DVD’s of Drive Thru History: Acts to Revelation can be purchased. Click HERE for more information.

You are welcome to download the weekly discussion questions that will be linked in the course overview below (when available). Click on the BOLD GREEN TEXT in the session outlines below to see the questions.

Course Overview – Part 2 (VIDEOS 10-18)

SESSION 10
ANCIENT CORINTH
After a short time in Athens, Paul hit the road again. His next stop was Corinth, the capital city of Achaia Province. Corinth was a pretty immoral place, filled with pagan temples and idols. Dave explores the accounts of Paul working and teaching in the city, investigating a number of artifacts that support the Biblical record. Although the Corinthian Jews brought charges against Paul, the proconsul of the region ruled in his favor, and Paul was able to preach in peace. He spent a year and a half in Corinth before leaving the city and retuning to Antioch, thus ending his second missionary journey through the Roman Empire.

SESSION 11
PAUL’S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY: EPHESUS
After spending time in Syrian Antioch, Paul left once more to travel the Roman Empire and share the Gospel message. Paul’s third missionary journey took him back through Tarsus, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. He visited churches and friends throughout the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples as he went. Ultimately, Paul arrived at the incredible city of Ephesus. Dave travels to Ephesus in present-day Turkey to share the accounts of Paul among the ruins and artifacts at this well-preserved site. After more than two years in Ephesus, Paul finally left and completed his missionary journey through Macedonia and Greece.

SESSION 12
PAUL’S FINAL TRIP TO JERUSALEM AND CAESAREA
Despite the warnings, Paul’s heart was to return to Jerusalem one last time. While there, the Jewish leaders brought false charges against him and a riot broke out. The Roman legion stationed near the Jerusalem temple saved Paul from the mobs and sent him to Caesarea Maritima to face the Roman governor. Dave makes the trip from Jerusalem to Caesarea and investigates the incredible harbor, ruins, and artifacts there. This is where Paul was under house arrest for two years until he was finally sent to Rome to face the Roman Emperor himself.

SESSION 13
ADVENTURES AT SEA: THE ISLAND OF MALTA
After two years of house arrest in Caesarea, Paul was finally sent to Rome to stand trial before the emperor. Under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, Paul and the other passengers endured a perilous journey at sea, ultimately being shipwrecked on the Island of Malta. Dave explores ancient Malta and investigates Luke’s account of the shipwreck, the Maltese people, and Paul’s ministry on the island. After three-months, Julius arranged for another ship to finally get Paul to Italy.

SESSION 14
A FINAL JOURNEY TO ROME
After three months on Malta, Paul finally arrived in Rome, where Julius turned him over to the Emperor’s Praetorian Guard. Dave travels the Appian Way to the Eternal City to investigate Paul’s two years of ministry there while under house arrest. Dave also enjoys some pizza while exploring ancient ruins such as the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. The Apostle Peter also ended up in Rome later in his life, where he wrote his letters and acted as the source for Mark’s gospel. Dave goes to the Trastevere section of Rome to examine Peter’s final years.

SESSION 15
THE MARTYRDOM OF PAUL AND PETER
Persecution was heating up for the Christians in Rome and throughout the entire Mediterranean region. The Book of Acts ended with Paul awaiting his trial before the Roman Emperor. Dave stays in Rome to investigate Nero’s burning of the city in 64 AD. He also explores the final days of Paul and Peter and their ultimate deaths for the Christian faith. Dave visits some of the most famous churches in Rome, which honor the legacies of these two important leaders. Despite Christianity being illegal, Christianity spread in Rome, especially in the homes of wealthy Romans. Dave visits a church built over one of the oldest house churches ever discovered.

SESSION 16
JOHN AND THE ISLAND OF PATMOS
The most famous exile to be banished to Patmos was the Apostle John, a personal disciple of Jesus and the writer of one of the four Gospels. Dave travels by sea to the incredible Greek island to investigate the story of John and his impact on the New Testament. Dave visits the Cave of the Apocalypse, the traditional site for John’s writing of Revelation. He also drives to the highest point of the island to explore the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, where a variety of manuscripts and artifacts are housed.

SESSION 17
THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION
Dave travels to the ancient province of Asia Minor, which is now part of present-day Turkey. There, he continues his investigation of the Apostle John and takes a road trip through the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Remarkably, ruins related to each of these ancient cities still exist nearly 2,000 years later, revealing more evidence for the credibility of the New Testament scriptures.

SESSION 18
THE BOOK CLOSES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT PERIOD
Dave ends his road trip through Asia Minor at Laodicea and Colossae, revealing more evidence for the accuracy of Scripture that continues surfacing at archaeology sites like these. Dave then returns to the island of Malta to complete his journey through the world of the first Christians. He explores the development of the New Testament canon and the growth of Christianity over 2,000 years despite intense persecution. Dave ends the series with some personal reflections on his travels through the Roman Empire of the first century, exploring the New Testament accounts on-location, in the context of life-changing history.