Introduction
Even though our country isn’t usually associated with Christianity, it is incredibly important for church history. Whatever part of the country you visit, you inevitably find historical church buildings both over and under ground. After every archeological dig we find evidence of a Christianity which was born, lived and spread on this soil. The goal of these short articles is to show that Christianity developed in what is now Turkey and went from this soil to the rest of the world.
The bible, the book Christians receive as the word of God, consists of the Torah, the Writings, the prophets and the New Testament. Even though a significant portion of the events in the Old Testament occurred in modern-day Turkey (for example Mount Ararat, where Noah’s ark settled after the flood), we will look only at the events of the New Testament that occur in Turkey. The most important of which are:
Kutsal Kitap’ta Türkiye
- The word “Christian” (meaning Christ follower) was first used in Antioch.
- The first people who went to other nations with the goal of spreading Christianity were sent out from Antioch.
- Large portions of the evangelistic journeys of Paul occurred in modern-day Turkey.
- Many books of the bible are letters written to churches in what is not Turkey.
- The last book of the bible (Revelation) refers to seven churches that existed in different cities in Turkey.
Saint Pierre Church, located near central Hatay, is one of the oldest church buildings in the world.
11 Gensis 8:4
22 Acts 11:25-26
33 Acts 13:1-3ff
44 Eg. Acts 13-14, 19-20
55 Eg. Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Galatyalılar, Efesliler, Koloseliler, 1. Petrus
Revelation, Vahiy 2-3The seven churches of Revelation