Antioch

Jacob
July 18, 2010
Greek
July 18, 2010

Antioch

While "Antioch" can refer to either Antioch of Psidia or Antioch of Syria, here we refer to Antioch of Syria. Antioch of Syria played an important role in the Book of Acts. Jerusalem Christians fled to Antioch from fierce persecution (11:19). Acts 11 gives details of Barnabas and Paul’s teaching in the Antioch church and of the benevolent gift of the believers there to suffering Christians in Jerusalem. The term "Christians" was first used in Antioch (11:26). Acts 13 records that the first missionaries were sent from there. The Jerusalem church council’s statement on requirements for gentile believers was in part a result of the work in Antioch among Gentiles (see Acts 15 and Gal 2).

From the third century to about the eighth century, Antioch was an important center for the development of Christian theology. The approach to Scripture and to the nature of Christ taken in Antioch tended to be historical and rational, in contrast to an overly spiritualized, allegorical approach taken in Alexandria (Egypt) by such theologians as Origen and Clement.

Elwell, Walter A. ; Beitzel, Barry J.: Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Book House, 1988, S. 120-1

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