4 5 The Churches of Asia Minor Article for Unit 1

N THE SUMMER OF 1978 my wife and I, along with like Timothy and Titus. In brief, it appears that consider- Iour two sons who were teenagers at the time, spent able church planting was carried out in the province of three weeks tent-camping throughout Turkey. My family Asia, under Paul’s direction from Ephesus, during his enjoyed the adventure, and—as part of a larger research third missionary journey. project—I had opportunity to visit personally many an- cient sites of considerable importance in the New Testa- Peter: A Letter to Christians in Asia Minor ment. First Peter is addressed to “God’s elect, strangers in The western half of modern-day Turkey corresponds the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappa- to a wide geographical area called Asia Minor in the docia, Asia and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). We do not know first century. The Romans organized this vast area into whether Peter ever personally travelled these areas in four official “provinces”: Galatia, Cappadocia, and Asia; Asia Minor. If not, it is obvious he had direct sources of Bithynia and Pontus were combined into a fourth large information concerning his addressees from others who province (all named in 1 Peter 1:1). had. Mark is named in 1 Peter 5:13. He had been a com- panion of Paul and Barnabas on the beginning leg of the Paul: Church Planting in Asia Minor first missionary journey (Acts 12:25). Later, he became The good news reached parts of this region prior to a close associate of the apostle Peter; Peter called him Paul’s three missionary journeys. Included among those “my son.” Silas is named in 1 Peter 5:12. Silas had served present on the day of Pentecost were “residents of…Cap- as Paul’s primary companion on the second missionary padocia, Pontus and Asia” (Acts 2:9). Probably returning journey (Acts 15:22-18:5). Later, Silas too became a close home after Pentecost, like the believers who “scattered” associate of Peter, “a faithful brother”: he served as the following Stephen’s martyrdom, “they preached the word secretary for 1 Peter (5:12). Either of these men, both ex- wherever they went” (Acts 8:4). perienced missionary evangelists, probably had traveled A decade later, the apostle Paul began his missionary the areas named in 1 Peter 1:1 and provided the link to the work in Asia Minor. On his first missionary journey (Acts apostle Peter. Whether or not Peter ever personally trav- 13—14), he preached the gospel and formally organized elled Asia Minor (he may have, we simply do not know), 1 several churches in the southern portion of Galatia. Peter documents and preserves his personal ministry to Shortly after this mission, he wrote his Epistle to the Gala- the Christians of these areas. tians. Subsequently, Paul revisited these churches during both his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16:6; John: Resident Church Leader in Asia 18:23). The apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” On his second missionary journey, as he was travel- (John 21:20), was the youngest of the twelve disciples, ing through the interior of Asia Minor, Paul considered about the same age as Jesus or perhaps a few years young- going north into Bithynia, but “the Spirit of Jesus would er. He also was the disciple who lived the longest (into his not allow him” (Acts 16:7). He also was disallowed from nineties), and simply identified himself in 2 John 1:1 and proceeding south into the province of Asia (Acts 16:6). 2 John 1:1 as “the Elder.” According to a strong tradition On his third missionary journey, however, he was able dating back into the 2nd century, John authored not only to spend more than two years in Ephesus, the capital city the gospel and the three letters that carry his name, but of this large and important province. Moreover, dur- also the book of Revelation. ing this time “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the It is Revelation that links John most directly to the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). churches of Asia Minor. Seven of the churches in Asia This spreading of the gospel likely included the planting (the name of the Roman province located in the south- of “the seven churches of Asia” named in the book of Rev- west of the larger region of Asia Minor) are specifically elation (Revelation 2—3). We know that churches were addressed in Revelation (see 1:11). The “letters” in also planted in Colossae and Hierapolis, since both are chapters 2—3 show that John was quite familiar with the named in Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians (4:13), alongside topography of Asia, and well acquainted with each of the the neighboring church of Laodicea (one of the “seven churches. churches” of Revelation). We also learn from this letter John was the disciple to whom Jesus committed His that the church at Colossae was planted not by Paul but by mother Mary while He was dying on the cross (John Epaphras (1:7; 4:12), one of Paul’s (younger) colleagues 19:26). According to tradition, sometime following Jesus’ 5 death and resurrection, John moved to Ephesus, bringing of 2 John, we are not sure whether the Greek underlying Mary with him. John spent the final decades of his life “the chosen lady and her children” (1:1; see also 1:4-5) (perhaps AD 70-100), serving as the resident leader of the referred to a woman (otherwise unknown) or (metaphori- Christian churches in Asia. Some writers have labeled cally) to a local congregation. On either interpretation, him the “Bishop of Asia”; however, we do not know wheth- it was addressed to a specific situation, with which the er he held that title. But it stands to reason that as the last “elder” was quite familiar. In the case of 3 John, the ad- surviving “disciple” and an aged man, he would have been dressee was an individual person known to the author; accorded respect as a prime leader of the church. he described him as “my dear friend Gaius” (1:1, 2). Two This narrative of John’s life and ministry in Ephesus other men are also mentioned by name in this brief letter. and the province of Asia are based on a solid historical The author (presumably John) knew all three individuals tradition; moreover, it is consistent with the biblical data personally. Near the end of both 2 and 3 John, the author represented in Revelation 1—3. At the time of receiv- indicated that he had more to say, but chose not to put it ing “the revelation” (1:1, 9-11), John was on the island of into writing, preferring instead to talk “face to face.” In Patmos. This small island lay about 50 miles southwest 3 John 1:13 he added, “I hope to see you soon”; in 2 John of Ephesus in the Aegean Sea. It served the Romans as a 1:12, “I hope to visit you.” place for exiled prisoners, who worked the mines. John The evidence is clear: the author of these letters had a used the terms “hardships” and “perseverance in Jesus” close relationship with the people and churches to which when he named his location as Patmos (1:10). they were addressed. If the tradition concerning John can Although scholars debate the actual order and dating be trusted (and I believe it can be), it was “the disciple of the five books associated with John, many agree that whom Jesus loved” who wrote them. As an “elder,” both in Revelation was his last, written during the reign of Domi- years and in the church, the apostle lived the final decades tian about AD 96, when the apostle was approximately of his life as a church leader and minister in the province that same age. According to tradition, he was buried in of Asia. And it was there that he received “the revelation” Ephesus. addressed especially to seven of the churches in Asia. The letters of John, unlike Revelation, make no men- First the apostle Paul, then the apostle Peter, and tion of Asia. However, because of the strong link of the finally the apostle John—all three had relationships with apostle John to Ephesus (and nothing to the contrary), it the believers and churches of Asia Minor. John’s leader- is assumed that the letters of 1, 2, 3 John also were writ- ship among the churches in the province of Asia was espe- ten to churches in the region where he lived out his final cially significant, because he served as resident minister years. among the people over a long period of time. First John was not addressed to any specific group or individual. Scholars describe it as “a circular letter.” by WAYNE McCOWN Presumably, it was meant for any and all the churches of provost emeritus of Roberts Wesleyan College and dean emeritus of Asia, and was circulated from one to the next. In the case Northeastern Seminary, Rochester, New York.