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 those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
But some of those who belonged to the socalled synagogue of the Freedmen, and of the Cyrenaeans and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen;
And having gone through Phrygia and the Galatian country, on being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia,
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
and ye see and hear, that this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, saying, that those are not gods, which are made with hands. And there is not only danger that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.
And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, a Beroean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not be detained in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
And when they had come to him, he said to them: Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you the whole 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/noyes'>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 those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
But some of those who belonged to the socalled synagogue of the Freedmen, and of the Cyrenaeans and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen;
And having gone through Phrygia and the Galatian country, on being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia,
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
and ye see and hear, that this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, saying, that those are not gods, which are made with hands. And there is not only danger that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.
And some also of the Asiarchs, who were his friends, sent to him, and entreated him not to venture into the theatre.
And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, a Beroean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not be detained in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
And when they had come to him, he said to them: Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you the whole time,
And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole multitude, and laid hands on him,
in doing which they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd nor with tumult; but certain Jews from Asia [caused it],
And going on board a ship of Adramyttium, about to sail along the coasts of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
saying: What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardes, 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 then Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against any one, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring their charges against each other.
If then Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against any one, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring their charges against each other.
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 those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and Romans who sojourn here, both Jews and Proselytes,
And having gone through Phrygia and the Galatian country, on being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia,
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
and ye see and hear, that this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, saying, that those are not gods, which are made with hands. And there is not only danger that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered through 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/noyes'>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 those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
But some of those who belonged to the socalled synagogue of the Freedmen, and of the Cyrenaeans and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen;
And having gone through Phrygia and the Galatian country, on being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia,
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
and ye see and hear, that this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, saying, that those are not gods, which are made with hands. And there is not only danger that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.
And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, a Beroean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not be detained in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
And when they had come to him, he said to them: Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you the whole time,
And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole multitude, and laid hands on him,
And going on board a ship of Adramyttium, about to sail along the coasts of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
salute also the church that is in their house. Salute Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruit gathered from Asia for Christ.
who also brought to our knowledge your love in the Spirit.
To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be to you, and peace, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne;
saying: What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardes, 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.