70
AXTIOCH
ANTIOCH
part in the Apostolic Age. Her distinction was tliat, while unquestionably the daughter of the Jewish Christian community at Jerusalem, full of filial gratitude and devotion, she became the first Gentile Church, and the mother of all the others. The diaspora that followed the death of Stephen brought many fugitive Jewish Christian preachers to Antioch, and some Cypriotes and Cyrenians among them inaugurated a new era by going beyond the Hellenist Jews for an audience and preaching to 'the Greeks also' (Ac 11^*). Kai Trpbs Tobs"E\\r]vai is probably the correct reading, in spite of ' many ancient authorities' who have ' EXXTj^io-rds ; other- wise the historian's words would be singularly point- less. The new evangelism resulted in many con- versions (IP^), and the vigilant Church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas down, if not to assist in the work, at least to supervise it. It was the merit of Barnabas that he could not be a mere onlooker. Grasping the situation, and flinging himself impetuously into the novel movement, he went, apparently without consulting anybody, to Tarsus to summon Paul to his lifework. In Antioch the two men exercised a united and fruitful ministry for a year (1122-26). jt ^vas at this time and in this place that 'the disciples were first called Christians' (112®), the designation probably coming from the lively populace, who quickly noted the new phenomenon in their midst, and justified their reputation for the invention of nicknames. Their wit never spared anybody who seemed worthy of their attention.
' The only talent which indisputably belonged to them — their mastery of ridicule — they exercised not merely against the actors of their stage, but no less against the rulers sojourning in the capital of the East, and the ridicule was quite the same against the actor as against the emperor.' While Julian 'met their sarcastic sayings with satirical writings, the Antiochenes at other times had to pay more severely for their evil speaking and their other sins ' (Mommsen, Provinces, ii. 134, 135).
But the 'Christians' gratefully accepted the mocking sobriquet bestowed upon them, changing it into the most honourable of all titles (cf. 1 P 4'®). And the first Gentile Church was now to become the first missionary Church. While Antioch was never wanting in respect for Jerusalem, contribut- ing liberally to its poor in a time of famine, and consulting its leaders in all matters of doctrine and practice, her distinguishing characteristic was her evangelistic originality. Her heart was not in Judaea but in the Roman Empire. The fresh ideas of Christian liberty and Christian duty, which the mother-Church at Jerusalem was slow to entertain, found ready acceptance in the freer atmosphere of the Syrian capital. That the victory over Judaism was not easily won even there is proved by the fact that not only Peter but Barnabas vacillated under the alternate in- fluence of cosmopolitan liberalism and Judsean narrowness, till Paul's arguments and rebukes convinced them of their error (Gal 2*"i*). But contact with the great world and sympathy with its needs probably did more than the force of reason to lighten the Antiochene Church of the dead-weight of Judaism. Christians of Hellenic culture and Roman citizenship taught her a noble universalism, and it was accordingly at the in- stance of the Church of Antioch that the Council of Jerusalem sent to the Gentile converts a circular letter which became the charter of spiritual freedom (Ac 152^2»j. Above all, it was from Antioch that Paul started on each of his missionary journeys (Ac lU-s 158« 1823), and to Antioch that he returned again and again with his report of fresh conquests (1428 1822). It was the master-minds of Christian Antioch who at length changed the pathetic dream of ' a light to lighten the Gentiles' into a reality.
Antioch gave rise to a school of Christian thought which was distinguished by literal inter- pretation of the Scriptures and insistence upon the
human limitations of Jesus. Theodore of Mop- suestia was one of its best representatives. Be- tween the years 252 and 380, ten Councils were held at Antioch. Antakiyeh is now but a meagre town of 600 inhabitants, though its environs ' are even at the present day, in spite of all neglect, a blooming garden and one of the most charming spots on earth ' (Mommsen, ii. 129).
Literature. — C. O. Miiller, Antiquitates Antiochence, Gottingen, 1839 ; Conybeare-Howson, St. Paul, London, 1872, i. 149 ff. ; W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and Roman Citizen, do. 1895, also Church in Rom. Emp., do. 1893, chs. ii.-vii., xvi. ; A. C. McGiffert, Apostolic Age, Edinbur^'h, 1897; C. V. Weizsacker, Apostolic Age, Eng. tr., London, 1897.
2. In Pisidia( Ac 13^* RV, 'A. ttjv IlKndiav, ' Pisidian Antioch,' which is the correct reading, instead of 'A. Tijs Iliffidlas). — This city was probably founded by Seleucus Nicator (301-280 B.C.) about the same time as Syrian Antioch, being another of the many cities which he called after his father Antiochus. It was intended as a garrison town and a centre of Hellenic influence in the heart of Asia Minor, commanding the great trade route between Ephesus and the Cilician Gates. Guided by Strabo's de- scription of the place (XII. viii. 14), as standing ' on a height ' to the south of a ' backbone of mountains, stretching from east to west,' Arundell identified it in 1833 with the extensive ruins of Yalowatch, on the skirts of the long Sultan Dagh, about 3600 ft. above sea-level, overlooking the great plain which is drained by the river Anthios.