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Nobody Liked Paul

Join us for a 2-season adventure through the life of the apostle Paul, a man often misunderstood, yet whose bold message shaped the early Church. Set against the cultural and historical backdrop of the ancient world, discover how his radical journey changed the course of history.

Behind the Letters: The Untold Story of Paul’s Journey

From persecutor to preacher, Paul’s journey didn’t just change his life—it shaped the world. But how much do we truly know about the man behind the letters, his transformative travels, and the cultural battles he faced? Join historian Matthew Larsen as he unravels the untold story of Paul’s mission, exploring the ancient world’s key locations that shaped his message and legacy.

Step into Paul’s world. Start exploring and discover how his bold actions continue to impact us today.

Follow Paul's Journey

Rome

In Rome, Paul the Apostle continued to spread the gospel even while under house arrest. Although he was a prisoner, he was granted a measure of freedom to teach, write, and proclaim Christ’s resurrection to both Jews and Gentiles. During this time, Paul writes several of his letters, or epistles, which are canonized in the New Testament as Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Although he was martyred in Rome, his time in the city significantly contributed to the establishment and growth of the early Christian church in the heart of the Roman Empire.

Athens

In Athens at the Areopagus (also translated as Mars Hill), the Apostle Paul delivered his famous sermon on the “unknown god” before the council of local leaders and philosophers who had invited him to speak. He observed that the Athenians were a culture devoted to many deities whose idols, temples, shrines, and altars were abundant throughout the city. He observed that the Athenians also worshiped at an altar to a deity that was unknown and unnamed. Using this altar as a starting point, Paul connected the “unknown god” to the one true God, creator of heaven and earth, who calls all to repentance through Jesus Christ.

Road to Thessaloniki

Travel in the Ancient Roman World was long, difficult, and expensive. But Paul and his companions traveled extensively. On the road to Thessaloniki, Paul traveled from Philippi, where he and Silas had been imprisoned and subsequently released. Their travel was marked by their dedication to spreading the gospel despite challenges. During this journey, Paul’s mission faced the usual difficulties of travel and opposition. In Thessaloniki, they faced resistance from local Jewish leaders, but their arrival marked the beginning of a significant Christian community in the city. Their travel from Philippi to Thessaloniki was a critical part of their broader missionary efforts in the region.

Philippi

In Philippi, Paul the Apostle and Silas preached the gospel, leading to the conversion of Lydia, a wealthy merchant, who became the first known European convert to Christianity. Paul and Silas were later imprisoned for casting out a spirit from a slave girl, but their miraculous release during an earthquake led to the conversion of the jailer and his entire household. Paul’s work in Philippi laid the foundation for a strong and supportive Christian community, to whom he later wrote the Epistle to the Philippians, expressing his deep affection and gratitude.

Ephesus

Over two years, Paul the Apostle used Ephesus as a base for spreading the gospel throughout Asia Minor. He established a significant Christian community in the area, preached extensively, and performed miracles such as healing the sick and casting out demons through the power of Jesus Christ. The profound impact of Paul’s ministry in the area, however, led to a riot among local craftsmen who saw Christianity and its spread as a direct threat to their trade in idols of the goddess Artemis. This intense upheaval compelled Paul to leave Ephesus and he continued on his missionary journey.

Corinth

The Apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker in Corinth, continuing to preach the gospel to Jews and Gentiles and develop the local Christian community. When he preached, he referenced local cultural and religious practices to help his listeners understand and connect to the gospel of Christ. His local ministry was met with success in the form of converts and a growing community of believers, but it was also met with resistance, hostility, and legal challenges. He left Corinth for Ephasus to continue his ministry.

Cenchrea

In Romans 16: 1-2, Paul mentions a church leader named Phoebe of Cenchrea, a port town outside of Corinth. As a deacon in the church and a patron of Paul and many others, she is an example of one of the wealthy and influential women who ardently supported early Christian expansion in the Ancient World. It is from this region that Paul writes his letter to the Romans, which is entrusted to Phoebe to be personally delivered by her in Rome.

Season 1

Episodes

1 | Athens

In Athens, historian Matthew Larsen considers what the ancient city may say about Paul himself.

2 | Road to Thessaloniki

In the ancient world Paul found himself in, religion was not so limited to one god or movement. In fact, many people would collect as many gods as they could to ensure a life well-lived.

3 | Phillipi

On multiple occasions, Paul found himself writing letters from prison, often asking the Phillipians for money, support, or aid. But who were the Phillipians, and what does it mean that they helped Paul in his times of need?

4 | Ephesus

While in Ephesus, the people would have likely considered Paul to be a strange sort of magician. With his signs, wonders and healings, all presented through the power of Jesus, Paul would have not only disrupted the rhythms of everyday life, but also presented a threat to their goddess, Artemis.

5 | Corinth

The context of where Paul teaches shapes the style of his message delivery. In the ancient world, freed slaves would become metaphorical slaves to deities. Paul, in saying he was a slave to Christ, is actually insinuating that he found freedom in his conversion to Jesus.

6 | Cenchrae

Without funds and support, travel is incredibly expensive and difficult in the ancient world. Somewhere along his ministry, Paul met Phoebe, a wealthy and influential woman from Cenchrea who became his patron, funding much of his journey.

Season 2

Episodes

1 | Delivering Paul's Letter to Rome

To Paul, the world is ending, and he must spread the Gospel to the farthest corners of the earth which, in his mind, means Spain.

2 | Listening to Paul's Letter to Rome

In our 21st century context, there are very few barriers to contacting someone. But in Paul’s world, his various letters to churches required much preparation and forethought

3 | Ostia - "Our Daily Bread" in Ancient Rome

In this episode, Matthew Larsen explores what community would have looked like in ancient Rome– where life was lived and bread was broken.

4 | Pompeii - Life in a Roman City

What was a Roman city like, and how would this have impacted Paul’s writing? Pompeii, left preserved by Mount Vesuvius, offers us true historical context to how a Roman city may have operated.

5 | Were There Christians in Pompeii?

Where is the earliest material evidence for Christianity found? Could it be that there is a case for Christians having been in Pompeii?

6 | Neighborhoods and the Churches of Rome

Romans 16 gives us an important clue as to when Christianity may have arrived in Rome. At least one theory suggests that Christianity may have been in Rome even in the early 40’s.

7 | Christianity After Paul

In the first century, the Colosseum was staggering in its size and scope. We still consider it a wonder today which means that thousands of years ago it would have been even harder to comprehend and take in.

Meet Your teacher

Matthew Larsen

Matthew is an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in using archaeology to study the social world of the first Christians. Prior to Copenhagen, Matthew taught at Yale University and Princeton University. He is the author of the award-winning book, Gospels before the Book (Oxford University Press, 2018), which has been translated into Italian (Editrice Queriniana, 2022). His research is published in top academic journals and his scholarship has been featured in The Daily Beast, CHOICE, and Christian Century.

Did You Know?

Paul the Apostle was remembered as short, bald, and bow-legged, with sunken eyes, a unibrow, and a crooked nose. The oldest known depiction dates back to the fifth century and is painted on a wall in the Grotto of St. Paul, located just outside of Ephesus.

Learn more in Season 1, Episode 4

The Apostle Paul may now be associated with religious reverence, but in his own lifetime he was really, really troublesome to a lot of people. He ran into legal trouble in Philippi, Corinth, Jerusalem and Rome. He was chased out of Philippi, Thessaloniki, Berea, and Ephesus. He incited a riot in Ephesus, and was ultimately martyred in Rome after years of house arrest.

Learn more in Season 1, Episode 3

The Areopagus, where Paul delivered his famous “unknown god” sermon,” refers to both a place and the council that met there to discuss law, philosophy, and religion. The ruins still exist today.

Learn more in Season 1, Episode 1

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Original Docu-Series | Now Streaming

Nobody Liked Paul

Behind the Letters: The Untold Story of Paul’s Journey

Follow Paul's Journey

Rome

Athens

Road to Thessaloniki

Philippi

Ephesus

Corinth

Cenchrea

Season 1

Episodes

1 | Athens

2 | Road to Thessaloniki

3 | Phillipi

4 | Ephesus

5 | Corinth

6 | Cenchrae

Season 2

Episodes

1 | Delivering Paul's Letter to Rome

2 | Listening to Paul's Letter to Rome

3 | Ostia - "Our Daily Bread" in Ancient Rome

4 | Pompeii - Life in a Roman City

5 | Were There Christians in Pompeii?

6 | Neighborhoods and the Churches of Rome

7 | Christianity After Paul

Meet Your teacher

Matthew Larsen

Did You Know?

Pricing

Start Free. Grow at Your Pace.

Read the Latest

Articles & Devotionals

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