The Romans believed in good highways, so built them throughout their empire. It was awfully good of them as it stepped up trade and the economy. More importantly, it improved travel from place to place.
Paul capitalized on this Emperor's Highway making it his personal Highway for the Kingdom of God. Apparently, one could get from one main city to the next at a comfortable day's stretch of between 40-50 kms (20-30 miles), more or less, per day.*
Fortunate for Paul, since he often had to leave one city for the next in a hurry; one time let down over a wall in a basket or clandestined midnight ride escapes were on his unlisted bucket list of adventures. Life was never dull in his neck of the woods.
He went from Phillipi, to Thessalonica, to Berea and Athens with seeming ease despite the whippings he and Silas had gotten in Phillipi. He, along with Silas, pushed resolutely along, going for the "juglars" of Macedonian cities. When they got to the cities, feet moving like Fred Flinstones in his automobile on higher speed, they'd go for the juglars within the juglars - the synagogues. Here they would preach and many listened and were converted to Jesus Christ by Pauls' persuasive Holy Spirit led words. Of course, this is when the religious leaders got furiously jealous and stirred up trouble. Once again Paul would be in hot soup and have to bolt along to the next city often with the kind assistance of the new converts.
On the highway again to the next major city, traveling on.... This pattern or modus operandi that Paul established, seemed to be most effective. No doubt missionary organizations the world over have noted and adopted this method to some extent.
In my mind I was thinking, however, shouldn't it be to the small outback regions they should target? The people are just as needy of Jesus there as were the city folks. In my limited experience, I have joined just such short term 'expeditions' to very rural areas. This is the way it should be! Such was my thinking.
However, after further thinking, I had to laugh at myself. Yeah, I came from the major city. The major city folk who'd already accepted salvation through Jesus Christ because some missionaries had come, preached, taught, established a gathering of believers, and perhaps moved on, leaving the baton in those cities to those city folk to pick up and run with it to the outlying areas. Go out from the city hub to the towns and villages beyond, this is the way, along the highways to the byways.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing anyone's mode of spreading the gospel. I'm just making observations that have previously eluded my notice. No matter how the Holy Spirit leads us to work in any one given situation, I think its' quite fine to use the benefits of the circumstances to our advantage as Paul used the Emperor's Highway when he was not using the sea route. We do well to use our "King's Highway" He provides in any which form.
So promote Christ and gain treasure for Heaven until He tells you to stop.
~ERC October 2021~
Based on Acts 17:1-9.
*SPM A Study Guide Book of Acts Bible Knowledge; Goh Kim Guat; copyright 2005; Issachar Sdn. Bhd.
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