Every summer, I have the pleasure of leading a biblical study tour. This summer’s trip was to Turkey (ancient Asia Minor) to explore how the church spread from a small group of Jesus’s followers to become an official religion of the Roman Empire in less than 300 years. The challenges these early believers faced were incredible. As we explored this subject, we walked in Paul’s footsteps. We visited the sites of several of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Walking the land where the biblical story unfolds has always helped me gain new insights into Scripture.

The city of Perga in ancient Pamphylia warrants only three brief references in the Book of Acts (13:13–14 and 14:25). We know very little about how this city received the Good News of Jesus from Acts. Luke mentions it more as a waypoint to more important destinations. Perga is best known as the city where John Mark abandons Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. This event would ultimately lead to a schism between Paul and Barnabas.

However, Perga is a much more impressive city than one might think from reading Acts. It boasted a small port, a theater, a large marketplace (agora), Roman baths, impressive towers, and a stadium that could seat 12,000 people—suitable for chariot races and gladiator contests. Perga was no small town. It was an impressive city that served as a gateway to other regional cities.

One of the most striking features of the ancient ruins is a long colonnaded road that runs through the city from North to South. Even more interesting is that down the middle of this street was a man-made stream. The source of this stream was a large fountain complex (nymphaeum) dedicated to Cestrus—the river god. The fountain also included statues of Zeus, Apollo, and Artemis. At one point, the statue even included an image of the Emperor Hadrian. The architecture and decorations of the fountain sent a clear message: the gods (and Caesar as their representative on earth) were the source of water that flowed through the city. In the ancient world, access to water was essential for life.

However, this stream flowing through the city reminds me of John’s vision of the new Jerusalem at the end of Revelation.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev 21:1–2, NRSV).

      John’s vision includes a river flowing from the Throne of God and the Lamb running through the middle of the street. Such a river would be remarkable in Israel since Jerusalem sits atop the ridgeline in the Judean hills.

We need to remember that the original audience of Revelation was the churches of Asia Minor and surrounding regions. Most of these people had never been to Israel. Although John’s vision is of a new Jerusalem, I wonder if a Christian in Asia Minor would envision a river like the one flowing through Perga (or another city in the region). If so, there’s a critique of the Roman Empire embedded in John’s vision. In John’s vision, the source of the living water is not some local god (or the Emperor) but God Almighty and Jesus Christ. This image reminds these Christians to remember who is actually in power and providing for their needs and well-being.

Walking through Perga helped me read Rev 21 with new eyes. I imagined how a Christian in a city like Perga might understand John’s vision. It also helped me remember that God provides for our needs and well-being despite what our society or employer might claim. For the Christians of Asia Minor, that reminder was a call to remain faithful and persevere, as it is for us today.

 

Rob Kranz is a PhD student in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. He is a member and regular Bible teacher at the Greenville Oaks Church of Christ in Allen, TX.

His grandfather was Charles Kranz, sister of Irene Chowning.