Asia, a Roman province in western Asia Minor, with Ephesus as its capital.
Also known as Asian
Asia, as mentioned in the New Testament, refers to a Roman province that encompassed the western part of Asia Minor, with Ephesus as its capital. It should not be confused with the modern continent of Asia.
In Acts, Asia is mentioned several times in the context of Paul's missionary journeys. Jews from Asia were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Act.2.9), and some belonged to the Synagogue of the Freedmen, who disputed with Stephen (Act.6.9). Paul traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia (Act.16.6). Later, Paul spent two years in Ephesus, and all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Act.19.10). Demetrius, a silversmith who made shrines of Artemis, stirred up a crowd against Paul, fearing that Paul's preaching would undermine the worship of Artemis, whom all Asia revered (Act.19.26-27).
In his farewell address to the Ephesian elders, Paul mentions that he had faced plots by the Jews from Asia (Act.20.18-19). When Paul visited the temple in Jerusalem, Jews from Asia stirred up the crowd against him (Act.21.27). During Paul's voyage to Rome, the ship stopped at Myra in Lycia, where an Alexandrian ship was found sailing for Italy (Act.27.2).
The churches in Asia are mentioned in the opening of 1 Peter (1Pe.1.1) and Revelation (Revelation 1:4, 11). Paul also sends greetings to Prisca and Aquila, and to the church in their house, the first fruits of Asia (1Co.16.19; Romans 16:5). In 2 Timothy, Paul writes that all those in Asia had turned away from him (2Ti.1.15).
These references to Asia in the New Testament provide insight into the early spread of Christianity and the challenges faced by the apostles in this region of the Roman Empire.
Approximate location: 39.230, 32.730 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
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 Acts 2:9; 6:9; 16:6; 19:10, 22; 20:4, 16, 18, etc., and probably Asia Minor in Acts 19:26, 27; 21:27; 24:18; 27:2. Proconsular Asia contained the seven churches of the Apocalypse (Rev. 1:11). The “chiefs of Asia” (Acts 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.
(orient). The passages in the New Testament where this word occurs are the following; (Acts 2:9; 6:9; 16:6; 19:10,22,26,27; 20:4,16,18; 21:27; 27:2; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:15; 1 Peter 1:1; Revelation 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.
A'SIA, used only in the New Testament. It refers, not to the continent of Asia, nor to "Asia Minor" entire, but to a small Roman province on the coast, in the west of Asia Minor, and included the lesser provinces of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria; its capital was Ephesus. Acts 6:9; Acts 19:10; Acts 27:2; 1 Cor 16:19; 1 Pet 1:1; Rev 1:4. All the "seven churches" were in Asia. See Map.
A'SIA, used only in the New Testament. It refers, not to the continent of Asia, nor to "Asia Minor" entire, but to a small Roman province on the coast, in the west of Asia Minor, and included the lesser provinces of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria; its capital was Ephesus. Acts 6:9; Acts 19:10; Acts 27:2; 1 Cor 16:19; 1 Pet 1:1; Rev 1:4. All the "seven churches" were in Asia. See Map.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
20 verses in 7 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G0773
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,
After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”
Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.
When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia
who ought to appear before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me.
We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my beloved Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
You know that everyone in the Province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne,
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.