Pisidian Antioch

From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak."... As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord." (Acts 13:14-15, 42-44)

Pisidian Antioch was founded by the Selucid king, Seleucus I Nicator around 300 B.C. The site is on a plateau close to the west bank of the river Athios, on the edge of the Pisidian Mountains, to the north of Pamphylia and the Taurus Mountains, east of Phrygia and to west of Lycaonia and Cilicia. The river Athios flows from the Sultan Dagh to the double lake called Egerdir Gol and the area around Pisidian Antioch is very fertile. The city was named after Nicator's father, Antiochus, as were many others such as Phrygian Antioch as well as the Selucid capital of Antioch in Syria (Acts 13:1-3).

The Selucids chose strategic sites such as Pisidian Antioch to control the local tribes and to exploit the great trade route between the Cilician Gates and Ephesus. Xenophon describes how the indigenous people of Pisidia were independent of the kings of Persia from the 5th Century B.C. and that even Alexander the Great had difficulty subjugating these warlike people.

In 189 B.C. the Romans declared Pisidian Antioch a 'free city', its citizens no longer required to pay tribute to the Selucid kings. In 39 B.C. Antony gave the city to Amyntas of Galatia and so Pisidian Antioch was transferred to the province of Galatia. The city was made a Roman Colony in 6 B.C. and renamed Caesareia Antiocheia. It became the administrative capital of the province of Galatia and the most important Roman garrison colony in Asia. Augustus took steps to pacify Pisidia even further by building a network of roads from Pisidian Antioch to five other military colonies at Cremna, Comama, Oblasa, Parlais and Lystra, the latter being called the Royal Road. An inscription has been discovered showing that Quirinius who was governor of Syria at the time of the birth of Christ (Luke 2:2), was also an honorary magistrate of the colony at Pisidian Antioch.

From here the Romans attempted, like the Selucids, to subjugate the rebellious tribes of Pisidia, Isauria and Pamphylia. They imposed Latin as the official language although the discovery of Phrygian inscriptions indicates the cosmopolitan nature of the local population.

It is easy to see why Paul used Psidian Antioch as his base for reaching the region of southern Galatia (Acts 13:49), at least until he aroused local Jewish hostility, threatened by Gentiles coming to faith (Acts 13:48-51). In the region of Pisidia and Phrygia women held positions of wealth and civic office such as magistrates and Paul's enemies exploited some of them to ensure he was expelled, but not for long (Acts 13:50). It is likely that this area held a special place in Paul's heart as his friend and disciple Timothy was from nearby Lystra (Acts 16:1).

Paul visited Psidian Antioch on each of his missionary journeys (Acts 14:21; 16:6; 18:23) and it is quite possible that it was in this wild and rugged area of Pisidia that Paul encountered what he describes as, "danger from bandits..." and, "danger in the country..." (Acts 14:21-25; 2 Corinthians 11:26).

Pisidian Antioch reminds us that while the human spirit cannot be tamed by external military force but only by Jesus Christ, "...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12).