IntroductionLuke has always been a mystery man to me. More questions than answers come to mind when I read Luke's account in Acts. For example; why did God chose him to write the most words in the New Testament? Why does Luke know more about Jesus' birth than any other writer? Why did he become a Jew before he became a believer? The biggest question of all, why didn't he tell us what happened to Paul at the end of his stay in Rome. I wish I could tell you that I was going to answer all these questions, but the best I can do is to speculate.We get almost no personal information about Luke from his own writings. The word "we" is used several times in Acts and is the only indication that he even traveled with his mentor. We know he was a physician only because Paul mentions it in one of his letters. It's obvious that Luke's approach was to focus Paul and not himself.

He gave us a wonderful account of Paul's travel, one that is unparalleled in the ancient world.I use narrative to tell the story of Luke as he travels with Paul through Asia, Greece Palestine and eventually to Rome. The pace of the story is much slower than in Acts, so I spend much effort filling in the background that Luke didn't have time for; what each city looked like, and the culture that Paul and his mission team was immersed in.' This also gives me more space to delve into the conflicts that Paul and his team faced when they brought the message of Christ to a new area.Paul's journeys took place during a unique period. A time when Rome's power was at its Zenith, and it was during the Pax Romana, a two-hundred year period when the Empire was generally at peace. This allowed Paul's group to travel freely and Christianity to take root. Isn't funny how God controls or works though human history for His benefit? If you have had trouble keeping all the trips and cities on Paul's journeys you're not alone.

All those different color lines on the maps have always been confusing to me. With single maps and more information about the visits, you should come away with a better understanding of Paul the people he met, and the places he visited.