Paul's Letters
to Thessaloniki
Arch of Galerius
Dionysos Mosaic
Slave Relief
(for Philippians)
  Other Sites
in Thessaloniki
Alexander Statue
Asklepius Bust
 Most High God Dedication
Osiris Sculpture
Papyrus Finds

The content on this website is maintained by Robert Myallis, pastor at Zion's Lutheran Church, of Jonestown, PA. 

The photos were taken by Emily Myallis, a diaconal minister in the ELCA who also serves at Zion's Lutheran. 

This website and travel to Greece was made possible by a grant from the Fund for Theological Education, which provides grants to assist the education and formation of Christian  leaders from numerous denominations.

Bible quotes are taken from the New Revised Standard Version, unless cites otherwise.

The above photo of Greece comes from NASA; The icon of Saint Paul comes from George Mitrevski's website. 

 

 

Arch of Galerius

Built by the Roman Emperor Galerius in 305, this arch commemorated his victory of the Persians.

How is this statue of Arch of Galerius significant for understanding the world of Paul?

In the Bible, the word parousia normally refers to the second coming of Christ. However, the secular meaning of this word was victory or royal parade. Galerius made himself this arch for his own parousia, his own royal victory parade. Visiting or returning kings would processes with their victory spoils and slaves. This parade was meant to show the people the strength of the king.

How does Paul remix his culture?

In his first letter to the congregation at Thessalonica, Paul describes the second coming of Christ:

For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming (parousia) of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. (Chapter 4:15-17)

In addition to the term parousia, Paul uses two other military terms: keleusma (command) and salpigx (trumpets which could be heard for nearly 7 miles).

In this passage in his letter to the Thessaolonians, Paul wants to talk about the most amazing display of God's power: the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.  He also wants to explain to the Thessalonians that even those that have already died will come again with Christ. This idea strikes the modern reader as crazy just as much as it struck readers nearly two millennia ago!

So Paul explains it using the most powerful display of human power he can think of: the procession of kings after war. When Christ comes, he will come as the fully victorious king, complete with his entourage (Christians that have already died). Such a display of power and victory is beyond human words; the display of power at a parousia is the closest humans could come in Paul's day.

sources:
info on royal processions: Tambasco, Anthony. In the Day of Paul: The Social World and Teaching of the Apostle. Paulist Press: New York, 1991.
info on greek words: Bauer, Walter. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. ed. by Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, available through Bible Works.