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 that dwell in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Capadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
But there rose up some of the synagogue, which is called that of the libertines, and some of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and Asia, to dispute with Stephen:
And when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, being forbidden by the holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, they came to Mysia, and endeavoured to go to Bithynia:
And this he did for two years; so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
So he sent into Macedonia two of those that ministred to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed some time in Asia.
And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and perverted many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made by hands. So that we are not only in danger of this, that the business we follow will come to nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised; and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the whole world worshippeth.
And there accompanied him to Asia, Sopater the Berean, and of the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy: and the Asiatics,
For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, that he might not spend time in Asia: for he endeavoured, if it were possible, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know in what manner I behaved among you all the time, from the first day that I came into Asia.
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/worsley'>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 that dwell in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Capadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
But there rose up some of the synagogue, which is called that of the libertines, and some of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and Asia, to dispute with Stephen:
And when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, being forbidden by the holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, they came to Mysia, and endeavoured to go to Bithynia:
And this he did for two years; so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
So he sent into Macedonia two of those that ministred to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed some time in Asia.
And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and perverted many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made by hands. So that we are not only in danger of this, that the business we follow will come to nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised; and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the whole world worshippeth.
And some also of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, sent to him and desired him not to venture himself into the theatre.
And there accompanied him to Asia, Sopater the Berean, and of the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy: and the Asiatics,
For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, that he might not spend time in Asia: for he endeavoured, if it were possible, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know in what manner I behaved among you all the time, from the first day that I came into Asia.
But when the seven days were near ended, the Jews that came from Asia seeing him in the temple, raised a tumult among the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help:
Upon which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult:
And going on board a ship of Adramyttium, we went off, intending to sail by the coasts of Asia; Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.
saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; and, What thou seest write in a book, and send it to the seven churches 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 Demetrius therefore, and the artificers that are with him, have a charge against any one, the law-courts are open, and there are Roman proconsuls likewise: let them implead one another.
If Demetrius therefore, and the artificers that are with him, have a charge against any one, the law-courts are open, and there are Roman proconsuls likewise: let them implead 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 those that dwell in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Capadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers from Rome, Jews and proselytes,
And when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, being forbidden by the holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, they came to Mysia, and endeavoured to go to Bithynia:
And this he did for two years; so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and perverted many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made by hands. So that we are not only in danger of this, that the business we follow will come to nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised; and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the whole world worshippeth.
Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers who are dispersed through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
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/worsley'>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 that dwell in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Capadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
But there rose up some of the synagogue, which is called that of the libertines, and some of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and Asia, to dispute with Stephen:
And when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, being forbidden by the holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, they came to Mysia, and endeavoured to go to Bithynia:
And this he did for two years; so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
So he sent into Macedonia two of those that ministred to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed some time in Asia.
And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and perverted many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made by hands. So that we are not only in danger of this, that the business we follow will come to nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised; and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the whole world worshippeth.
And there accompanied him to Asia, Sopater the Berean, and of the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy: and the Asiatics,
For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, that he might not spend time in Asia: for he endeavoured, if it were possible, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know in what manner I behaved among you all the time, from the first day that I came into Asia.
But when the seven days were near ended, the Jews that came from Asia seeing him in the temple, raised a tumult among the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help:
And going on board a ship of Adramyttium, we went off, intending to sail by the coasts of Asia; Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.
and the church in their house. Salute my beloved Epenetus, who is the first-fruits of Achaia unto Christ.
who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
To the pure indeed all things are pure; but to the polluted and unbelieving nothing is pure; even their mind and conscience is polluted.
John to the seven churches in Asia---Grace and peace be to you, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; and, What thou seest write in a book, and send it to the seven churches 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.