Topical Encyclopedia
Phrygia was an ancient region located in the west-central part of what is now modern-day Turkey. It played a significant role in the early Christian church and is mentioned several times in the New Testament. The region was known for its distinct culture and language, and it was a melting pot of various ethnic groups and religious practices.
Geographical and Historical ContextPhrygia was bordered by several other regions, including Galatia to the east, Lydia to the west, and Pisidia to the south. The terrain was largely mountainous, with fertile valleys that supported agriculture. Historically, Phrygia was known for its skilled artisans, particularly in metalwork and textiles. The Phrygians were also known for their religious practices, which included the worship of the mother goddess Cybele.
Biblical ReferencesPhrygia is mentioned in the New Testament in the context of the spread of the early Christian church. In
Acts 2:10, Phrygians are listed among those present in Jerusalem during the Day of Pentecost: "Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome." This indicates that Jews from Phrygia were among those who heard the apostles speaking in tongues, suggesting an early exposure to the Gospel message.
The Apostle Paul traveled through Phrygia during his missionary journeys.
Acts 16:6 states, "Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia." This passage highlights the strategic importance of Phrygia in Paul's mission to spread Christianity throughout Asia Minor.
In
Acts 18:23, Paul again visits the region: "After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples." This indicates that there were established Christian communities in Phrygia that required encouragement and teaching.
Cultural and Religious InfluencePhrygia was a region of diverse religious practices, which included the worship of various deities. The Phrygian religion was characterized by its ecstatic rituals and mystery cults, which were often in stark contrast to the teachings of Christianity. The presence of these religious practices posed challenges to the early Christians, who were called to remain steadfast in their faith amidst a pluralistic society.
The influence of Phrygian culture and religion is also seen in the syncretistic tendencies that the early church had to address. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often warned against the blending of Christian doctrine with pagan practices, a challenge that would have been particularly relevant in regions like Phrygia.
Significance in Early ChristianityPhrygia's significance in early Christianity lies in its role as a crossroads for the spread of the Gospel. The presence of Jewish communities, as well as the diverse population, provided fertile ground for the message of Christ to take root and spread. The region's mention in the context of Paul's missionary journeys underscores its importance in the establishment and growth of the early church.
The challenges faced by the early Christians in Phrygia, including opposition from local religious practices and the need for doctrinal purity, reflect broader themes in the New Testament regarding the perseverance of faith and the transformative power of the Gospel.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Phrygiadry; barren
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Phrygia(dry, barren). Perhaps there is no geographical term in the New Testament which is less capable of an exact definition. In fact there was no Roman province of Phrygia till considerably after the first establishment of Christianity in the peninsula of Asia Minor. The word was rather ethnological than political, and denoted in a vague manner the western part of the central region of that peninsula. Accordingly, in two of the three places where it is used it is mentioned in a manner not intended to he precise. (Acts 16:6;18:23) By Phrygia we must understand an extensive district in Asia Minor which contributed portions to several Roman provinces, and varying portions at different times. (All over this district the Jews were probably numerous. The Phrygians were a very ancient people, and were supposed to be among the aborigines of Asia Minor. Several bishops from Phrygia were present at the Councils of Nice, A.D. 325, and of Constantinople, A.D. 381, showing the prevalence of Christianity at that time --ED.)
ATS Bible Dictionary
PhrygiaAn inland province of Asia Minor bounded north by Bithynia and Galatia, east by Cappadocia, south by Lycia, Pisidai, and Isauria, and west by Mysia, Lydia, and Caria. It was called Phrygia Pacatiana, and also Phrygia Major, in distinction from Phrygia Minor, which was a small district of Mysia near the Hellespont, occupied by some Phrygians after the Trojan War. The eastern part of Phrygia Major was also called Lycaonia. This region was a high table land, fruitful in corn and wine, and celebrated for its fine breed of cattle and of sheep. Of the cities belonging to Phrygia, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colosse, and Antioch of Pisdia, are mentioned in the New Testament. St. Paul twice traveled over it, preaching the gospel,Acts 2:10; 16:6; 18:23.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Dry, an irregular and ill-defined district in Asia Minor. It was divided into two parts, the Greater Phrygia on the south, and the Lesser Phrygia on the west. It is the Greater Phrygia that is spoken of in the New Testament. The towns of Antioch in Pisidia (
Acts 13:14), Colosse, Hierapolis, Iconium, and Laodicea were situated in it.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PHRYGIAfrij'-i-a (Phrugia): A large ancient country of Central Asia Minor, very mountainous and with table-lands reaching 4,000 ft. in height. Its name is derived from Phryges, a tribe from Thrace, which in early times invaded the country and drove out or absorbed the earlier Asiatic inhabitants, among whom were the Hittites. Thus, the Phrygians borrowed much of oriental civilization, especially of art and mythology which they transferred to Europe. To define the boundaries of Phrygia would be exceedingly difficult, for as in the case of other Asia Minor countries, they were always vague and they shifted with nearly every age. The entire country abounds with ruins of former cities and with almost countless rock-hewn tombs, some of which are of very great antiquity. Among the most interesting of the rock sculptures are the beautiful tombs of the kings bearing the names Midas and Gordius, with which classical tradition has made us familiar. It seems that at one period the country may have extended to the Hellespont, even including Troy, but later the Phrygians were driven toward the interior. In Roman times, however, when Paul journeyed there, the country was divided into two parts, one of which was known as Galatian Phrygia, and the other as Asian Phrygia, because it was a part of the Roman province of Asia, but the line between them was never sharply drawn. The Asian Phrygia was the larger of the two divisions, including the greater part of the older country; Galatian Phrygia was small, extending along the Pisidian Mountains, but among its important cities were Antioch, Iconium and Apollonia. About 295 A.D., when the province of Asia was no longer kept together, its different parts were known as Phrygia Prima and Phrygia Secunda. That part of Asia Minor is now ruled by a Turkish wall or governor whose residence is in Konia, the ancient Iconium. The population consists not only of Turks, but of Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Kurds and many small tribes of uncertain ancestry, and of peculiar customs and religious practices. The people live mostly in small villages which are scattered throughout the picturesque country. Sheep and goat raising are the leading industries; brigandage is common. According toActs 2:10, Jews from Phrygia went to Jerusalem, and inActs 18:23 we learn that many of them were influential and perhaps fanatical. According toActs 16:6, Paul traversed the country while on his way from Lystra to Iconium and Antioch in Galatian Phrygia. Twice he entered Phrygia in Asia, but on his 2nd journey he was forbidden to preach there. Christianity was introduced into Phrygia by Paul and Barnabas, as we learn fromActs 13:4;Acts 16:1-6; 18:23, yet it did not spread there rapidly. Churches were later founded, perhaps by Timothy or by John, at Colosse, Laodicea and Hierapolis.
E. J. Banks
Greek
5435. Phrugia --Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor...Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Phrugia Phonetic Spelling: (froog-ee'-ah) Short Definition:
Phrygia Definition
...2857. Kolossai -- Colossae, a city inPhrygia
... Colossae, a city inPhrygia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Kolossai
Phonetic Spelling: (kol-os-sah'-ee) Short Definition: Colossae Definition...
2993. Laodikeia -- Laodicea, a city inPhrygia
... Laodicea, a city inPhrygia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Laodikeia
Phonetic Spelling: (lah-od-ik'-i-ah) Short Definition: Laodicea Definition...
3818 -- Pacatiana.
... Definition: Pacatiana. Pacatiana. Feminine of an adjective of uncertain
derivation; Pacatianian, a section ofPhrygia -- Pacatiana....
1053. Galatia -- Galatia, a district in Asia Minor or a larger...
... the districts of Paphlagonia, Pontus Galaticus, Galatia (in the narrower sense,
which some still think is intended in the NT),Phrygia Galatica, Lycaonia...
2404. Hierapolis -- Hierapolis, a city in Asia
... Hierapolis Phonetic Spelling: (hee-er-ap'-ol-is) Short Definition: Hierapolis
Definition: Hierapolis, a city of the Lycus valley inPhrygia, near Laodicea and...
Library
Those inPhrygia.
... Book VIII. Chapter XI."Those inPhrygia. 1. A small town [2547] [2548]
ofPhrygia, inhabited solely by Christians, was completely...
Martyrs at Merum inPhrygia, under Julian.
... Book III. Chapter XV."Martyrs at Merum inPhrygia, under Julian. Amachius
governor ofPhrygia ordered that the temple at Merum...
Concerning St. Ambrose and his Elevation to the High Priesthood...
... Ambrose and his Elevation to the High Priesthood; how he persuaded the People
to practice Piety. The Novatians ofPhrygia and the Passover....
Of Novatus and his Followers. The Novatians ofPhrygia Alter the...
... Book IV. Chapter XXVIII."Of Novatus and his Followers. The Novatians ofPhrygia
alter the Time of keeping Easter, following Jewish Usage....
Engagement Between Valens and Procopius Near Nacolia inPhrygia...
... Chapter V."Engagement between Valens and Procopius near Nacolia inPhrygia; after
which the Usurper is betrayed by his Chief Officers, and with them put to...
Certain Presbyters Burnt in a Ship by Order of Valens. Famine in...
... Book IV. Chapter XVI."Certain Presbyters burnt in a Ship by Order of Valens.
Famine inPhrygia. Certain pious men of the clerical...
Proceedings of John in Asia andPhrygia. Heraclides, Bishop of...
... Book VIII. Chapter VI."Proceedings of John in Asia andPhrygia. Heraclides,
Bishop of Ephesus, and Gerontius, Bishop of Nicomedia....
It was Our Purpose to Leave Unnoticed those Mysteries Also into...
... Book V. 20 It was our purpose to leave unnoticed those mysteries also into
whichPhrygia is initiated? It was our purpose to leave...
The Canons of the Synod Held in the City of Laodicea, inPhrygia...
... The Canons of the Synod Held in the City of Laodicea, inPhrygia Pacatiana, in which
Many Blessed Fathers from Divers Provinces of Asia Were Gathered Together....
The Epistle to the Colossians.
... The Churches inPhrygia.... Paul passed twice throughPhrygia, on his second and third
missionary tours, [1150] but probably not through the valley of the Lycus....
Thesaurus
Phrygia (4 Occurrences)... It was divided into two parts, the Greater
Phrygia on the south, and the Lesser
Phrygia on the west.
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
PHRYGIA.
...Laodicea (6 Occurrences)
... The city of this name mentioned in Scripture lay on the confines ofPhrygia and
Lydia, about 40 miles east of Ephesus (Revelation 3:14), on the banks of the...
Iconium (6 Occurrences)
... Was Iconium inPhrygia or in Lycaonia, and in what sense can it be said
to have belonged to one ethnical division or the other?...
Galatia (6 Occurrences)
... them the gospel. On his third journey he went over "all the country of
Galatia andPhrygia in order" (Acts 18:23). Crescens was...
Lycaonia (2 Occurrences)
... by Galatia proper (but lay in the Roman province Galatia), on the East by Cappadocia,
on the South by Cilicia Tracheia, and on the West by Pisidia andPhrygia....
Lydia (5 Occurrences)
... Shem (Genesis 10:22). It was bounded on the east by the greaterPhrygia,
and on the west by Ionia and the AEgean Sea. (2.) A woman...
Phrygian (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Of or pertaining toPhrygia, or to its inhabitants.
2. (n.) A native or inhabitant ofPhrygia. 3. (n.) A Montanist....
Pisidia (2 Occurrences)
... 2. Pisidian Antioch: Much controversy has raged round the question whether
Antioch was inPhrygia or in Pisidia at the time of Paul....
Philip (37 Occurrences)
... Of his later life nothing is certainly known. He is said to have preached
inPhrygia, and to have met his death at Hierapolis. (2...
Pacatiana
... pa-ka-ti-a'-na, pak-a-ti'-a-na (Pakatiane): About 295 AD, when the province of Asia
was broken up, two new provinces were formed,Phrygia Prima (Pacatiana), of...
Resources
What happened on Paul's third missionary journey? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was Jesus' message to the church in Laodicea in Revelation? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Philip in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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