Asia

The Roman province of apostolic times, where the gospel spread from Ephesus and the seven churches of Revelation were located.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, “Asia” denotes not the continent but the Roman province in western Asia Minor, comprising Mysia, Lydia, and Caria; Pergamum was its first capital, but under Augustus the seat of government moved to Ephesus. On his second tour Paul was forbidden by the holy spirit to speak the word in Asia (Ac 16:6) and went on to Macedonia. During his third journey he spent over two years in Ephesus, with Apollos and others also ministering there, so that “all those inhabiting the district of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Ac 19:10); the growing number of believers touched off the great Ephesian riot led by the silversmith Demetrius (Ac 19:23–41). Sailing home, Paul met the Ephesian elders at Miletus rather than linger in Asia (Ac 20:16–18). Jews from Asia later stirred up the mob in Jerusalem that led to his arrest (Ac 21:27); he recalled the tribulations endured in Asia (2Co 1:8), and during his Roman imprisonment many there turned away from him (2Ti 1:15). Yet the congregation in the house of Prisca and Aquila and the greetings of the congregations of Asia attest the thriving work (Ro 16:3–5; 1Co 16:19). Peter wrote to the temporary residents scattered in Pontus, Cappadocia, and Asia (1Pe 1:1), and John on Patmos addressed seven congregations, all of them in cities of the province of Asia (Re 1:4, 9–11).