Thursday, June 6 - CORINTH! Today provided me with a meaningful historical and spiritual experience. Susan and I visited Corinth, just west of Athens.
The Bible is full of events that should be historically verifiable through independent research, but the Bible stories often don't hold up to that scrutiny. However, some stories do match the independently known historical context. Whether one objectively believes the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, we can date it to the time Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea, up to about 37 CE. Following that event, the Bible provides stories of Paul (author of much of the New Testament). Paul traveled the known civilized world to gain followers of a died and risen Jesus.
There is little doubt that Paul existed as a real person. The Romans kept good records, and Paul was born a Roman citizen to wealthy parents. Many details of Paul's life cannot be verified, and there are discrepancies between the Bible and the historical record, but this is true for almost any major ancient figure, including those with no connection to the Bible.
In the Book of Acts, chapter 18, verse 12 (Acts 18:12), it is written, "But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal." (NRSV)
We independently know that Gallio served as proconsul 51-52 CE. At that time in Corinth, when a person was brought before the tribunal, that person was brought to a specific, centralized spot in the business district referred to as a "bema", which is a stone platform used by orators (top photo where the white stones are sticking up, right of center). The person being questioned would stand on the bema where citizens could watch from all sides.
Paul's mission was to spread the story of Jesus, and Paul (according to the Bible) was handed a monumental opportunity to do that, on a platform in the middle of town with the leaders in attendance. When questioned by the Roman authorities, Paul preached his little heart out. The Romans took no further action since Paul was not advocating insurrection against Roman authority.
Today, this bema is now ruined but partially visible. The ancient Corinthian ruins are surprisingly open to foot traffic within an enclosed area of a museum property, and I was able to stand on the bema, on the ancient platform where Paul would have stood. This was even cooler than standing in Sun Studio on the spot where Elvis recorded for the first time.
June 15 - In 2 Cor 5:10, Paul writes, "For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil."
Some people read this in a way that suggests it was Gallio the Roman proconsul who stood on the bema in order to judge someone brought before him. The bema is rectangular, so it makes sense that Gallio and his advisors would be on the bema, judging someone standing just below them. Many commentators equate "bema" with "tribunal". However, I think this is quite incorrect; the bema is the stone platform, and Acts 18:12 does not say where the human judges who comprised the tribunal stood or sat, only that Paul was brought before the tribunal.
Adjustments 19 Aug 2024:
Acts 18:12 - "...the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal."
2 Cor 5:10 - "For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ..."
OK, let' get into the weeds. Both verses use the Greek word βῆμα , anglicized as Bema. In most Biblical usages, this refers to a judgement seat used by a local leader or ultimately by Jesus. However, various commentaries (see biblehub.com/commentaries/acts/18-12.htm and biblehub.com/commentaries/2_corinthians/5-10.htm) note that classical Greek uses this to refer to an orator's pulpit. Did I stand on a platform from which the Corinthian tribunal questioned Paul (who would have been standing on the ground in front of and below the platform), or did I stand on the pulpit from which Paul preached during his months in Corinth? Was Paul placed on a high platform to be questioned, where Paul would be exposed to, say, stones thrown by a mob?
The typical interpretation of Acts 18 is that the tribunal did not begin the questioning with a negative view of Paul. Paul was not on trial. The tribunal was acting on complaints from townsfolk, but the Roman leaders were aware Paul was, in fact, an educated Roman citizen, although Jewish and potentially against Roman occupation. One can easily believe Paul was brought forth casually in front of the tribunal with little concern for a violent outcome or criminal conviction. It is unlikely the tribunal was setting Paul up for mob justice, and the tribunal found no official fault in Paul's actions or speech.
However, one can also believe that over the course of Paul's time in Corinth, he preached from the platform. That would explain the use of that particular Greek word, bema. It would be just like the Bible to present such a paradox: Paul was questioned in front of his own pulpit.
The Gospels often describe scenes in which Pharisees and others begin to question Jesus in an adversarial way, but Jesus shows the fault in the others' logic. The Gospel texts were written after Paul's visit to Corinth, but Paul would likely have heard such stories from Peter and other disciples.
Susan and I flew United Airlines flight 423 from Athens to Chicago on June 17. Ahead of us in the baggage check-in line was a group of 25 teenagers and chaperones (coincidentally booked on UA423). UA averaged five minutes per teen to scan a passport and check a bag. No others were scrutinized to this extent; when Susan and I reached the counter, it took us only a minute. The delay with the teens bogged down baggage check-in for 40 minutes, causing some customers to be late enough that they may have missed their flights. Later, the departure seating area had an additional passport check and security desk. Most customers were passed in easily, but not those unfortunate teens. Their carry-ons were opened and their bodies were scanned with security wands. This scrutiny was performed by uniformed United Airlines personnel, not the police. This scrutiny was undoubtedly due to the brown color of the skin of most of the teens. The teens behaved impeccably; they endured demeaning and unnecessary bureaucratic and physical mistreatment, then moved along with straight faces to the next racist UA employee.
