Reference: Asia
American
One of the great divisions of the eastern continent, lying east of Europe. The Asia spoken of in the Bible is Asia Minor, a peninsula which lies between the Euxine or Black sea and the eastern part of the Mediterranean, and which formerly included the provinces of Phrygia, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Caria, Lycia, Lydia, Mysia, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Lycaonia, and Pisidia. On the western coast were anciently the countries of Eolia, Ionia, and Doris, the names of which were afterwards retained, although the countries were included in the provinces of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria. Many Jews were scattered over these regions, as appears from the history in Acts, and from Josephus, the writers of the New Testament comprehend, under the name of Asia, either (1) the whole of Asia Minor, Ac 19:26-27; 20:4,16,18; or (2) only proconsular Asia, that is, the region of Ionia, of which Ephesus was the capital, and which Strabo also calls Asia, Ac 2:9; 6:9; 16:6; 19:10,22. Cicero speaks of proconsular Asia as containing the provinces of Phrygia, Mysia, Caria, and Lydia.
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Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they dwelling in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia,
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, hindered by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia,
And this was for two years: so that all dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
And having sent into Macedonia two of them serving him, Timothy, and Erastus, he stopped a season in Asia.
And ye see and hear that not only Ephesus, but almost all Asia, this Paul having persuaded, changed a sufficient crowd, saying, that they are not gods made by hands: And not only this part is in danger to us to come to reproach; but also the temple of the great goddess Diana to be reckoned for nothing, and her greatness also about to be destroyed, whom the whole of Asia and the habitable globe worship.
And there agreed with him as far as Asia Sopater a Berean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus: and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
For Paul determined to sail to Ephesus, as it might not be to him to spend the time in Asia: for he hastened, if it were possible to him, to be in Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
And when they came to him, he said to them, Ye know, from the first day in which I embarked for Asia, how I was with you all the time
Easton
is used to denote Proconsular Asia, a Roman province which embraced the western parts of Asia Minor, and of which Ephesus was the capital, in Ac 2:9; 6:9; 16/6/type/juliasmith'>16:6; 19:10,22; 20:4,16,18, etc., and probably Asia Minor in Ac 19:26-27; 21:27; 24:18; 27:2. Proconsular Asia contained the seven churches of the Apocalypse (Re 1:11). The "chiefs of Asia" (Ac 19:31) were certain wealthy citizens who were annually elected to preside over the games and religious festivals of the several cities to which they belonged. Some of these "Asiarchs" were Paul's friends.
Illustration: Proconsular Asia and the Seven Churches
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Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they dwelling in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia,
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, hindered by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia,
And this was for two years: so that all dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
And having sent into Macedonia two of them serving him, Timothy, and Erastus, he stopped a season in Asia.
And ye see and hear that not only Ephesus, but almost all Asia, this Paul having persuaded, changed a sufficient crowd, saying, that they are not gods made by hands: And not only this part is in danger to us to come to reproach; but also the temple of the great goddess Diana to be reckoned for nothing, and her greatness also about to be destroyed, whom the whole of Asia and the habitable globe worship.
And certain also of the chief of Asia, being friends to him, having sent to him, besought not to give himself into the theatre.
And there agreed with him as far as Asia Sopater a Berean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus: and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
For Paul determined to sail to Ephesus, as it might not be to him to spend the time in Asia: for he hastened, if it were possible to him, to be in Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
And when they came to him, he said to them, Ye know, from the first day in which I embarked for Asia, how I was with you all the time
And when the seven days were about completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, embroiled all the crowd, and put hands upon them,
In which they found me purified in the temple, not with the crowd, nor with uproar, and certain Jews from Asia.
And having embarked in a ship of Adramyttium, being about to navigate places in Asia, we were conveyed; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send to the seven churches which in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
Fausets
In the New Testament not the continent, nor Asia Minor, but the W. of Asia Minor, with Ephesus as its capital, including Mysia, Lydia, Caria. Attalus, king of Pergamus, left it to the Romans 138 B.C. It was placed by Augustus among the senatorial provinces, as distinguished from the imperial provinces. Hence it was governed by a "proconsul," as Ac 19:38 (anthupatos), with the minute propriety which marks truth, incidentally intimates. It had its "assize days" (agoraioi, margin "the court days are kept.") Here were the seven churches addressed in the Revelation. In the Old Testament "Asia" does not occur.
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If truly therefore Demetrius, and the artificers with him, have a word against any, the court days are kept, and there are proconsuls; let them prosecute one another.
If truly therefore Demetrius, and the artificers with him, have a word against any, the court days are kept, and there are proconsuls; let them prosecute one another.
Hastings
In the NT this word invariably means the Roman province Asia, which embraced roughly the western third of the peninsula which we call Asia Minor. It was bounded on the N.E. by the province of Bithynia, on the E. by the province of Galatia, on the S. by the province of Lycia, and had been ceded to the Romans by the will of the Pergamenian king Attalus III. in b.c. 133. The following ethnic districts were in this province
Morish
A'sia
This term in the N.T. does not refer to the portion of the earth now called Asia, nor does it include the whole of Asia Minor; but applies simply to the western part of Asia Minor, which was bequeathed to Rome by Attalus III. Philometor, king of Pergamus or king of Asia, B.C. 133. The province, with Ephesus as its capital, included Caria, Lydia, and Mysia, which were anciently called Doris, Ionia, and AEolis. It was governed by a proconsul. In Ac 2:9-10 'Asia' does not include Cappadocia, Pontus, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, which are all included in Asia Minor. Again, in Ac 16:6, Phrygia and Galatia are distinct from Asia: see also 1Pe 1:1. It will be seen in a map that all the seven churches of Asia, mentioned in the Revelation, are in the above named district. As Paul laboured in other parts of Asia Minor, and there being frequent intercourse between the various places and Ephesus, it may be that a wider area is in some passages referred to as 'Asia,' as in Ac 19:10,26-27.
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Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they dwelling in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, And Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and parts of Lybia that near Cyrene, and Romans arriving as strangers, and Jews, and strangers,
And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, hindered by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia,
And this was for two years: so that all dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
And ye see and hear that not only Ephesus, but almost all Asia, this Paul having persuaded, changed a sufficient crowd, saying, that they are not gods made by hands: And not only this part is in danger to us to come to reproach; but also the temple of the great goddess Diana to be reckoned for nothing, and her greatness also about to be destroyed, whom the whole of Asia and the habitable globe worship.
Peter, sent of Jesus Christ, to the chosen strangers of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Smith
A'sia
(orient). The passages in the New Testament where this word occurs are the following;
Ac 2:9; 6:9; 16/6/type/juliasmith'>16:6; 19:10,22,26-27; 20:4,16,18; 21:27; 27:2; Ro 16:5; 1Co 16:19; 2Co 1:8; 2Ti 1:15; 1Pe 1:1; Re 1:4,11
In all these it may be confidently stated that the word is used for a Roman province which embraced the western part of the peninsula of Asia Minor and of which Ephesus was the capital.
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Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they dwelling in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia,
And certain of them arose from the synagogue, called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrian, and of them from Cilicia and Asia, seeking out with Stephen.
And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, hindered by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia,
And this was for two years: so that all dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
And having sent into Macedonia two of them serving him, Timothy, and Erastus, he stopped a season in Asia.
And ye see and hear that not only Ephesus, but almost all Asia, this Paul having persuaded, changed a sufficient crowd, saying, that they are not gods made by hands: And not only this part is in danger to us to come to reproach; but also the temple of the great goddess Diana to be reckoned for nothing, and her greatness also about to be destroyed, whom the whole of Asia and the habitable globe worship.
And there agreed with him as far as Asia Sopater a Berean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus: and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
For Paul determined to sail to Ephesus, as it might not be to him to spend the time in Asia: for he hastened, if it were possible to him, to be in Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
And when they came to him, he said to them, Ye know, from the first day in which I embarked for Asia, how I was with you all the time
And when the seven days were about completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, embroiled all the crowd, and put hands upon them,
And having embarked in a ship of Adramyttium, being about to navigate places in Asia, we were conveyed; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
And the church in their house. Embrace my beloved Epenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.
He also having manifested to us your love in the Spirit.
All things truly pure to the pure: and to the defiled and unbelieving nothing pure; but also their mind and consciousness are defiled.
John to the seven churches which in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from him who being, and who was, and who coming; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send to the seven churches which in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
Watsons
ASIA, one of the four grand divisions of the earth. It is also used in a more restricted sense for Asia Minor, or Anatolia. In the New Testament it always signifies the Roman Proconsular Asia, in which the seven Apocalyptic churches were situated.