New Testament Geography

	Remember that the book we call the Bible is actually a library of 66 books.  These books are divided into two major categories, the Old and New Testaments.  The Old Testament can be further categorized into books of law, history, poetry and prophecy.  The New Testament is made up of the Gospels, one book of history, the epistles and one book of prophecy.
	Old Testament geography centers on Palestine, along with Egypt to the southwest and the golden cresent to the north and east.  During New Testament times, however, the focus is on Palestine plus areas to the west.
	Events recorded in the Gospel accounts take place entirely in Palestine, with the exception of the flight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt.  The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, but it ends with Paul in Rome.  The epistles are letters written to congregations or individuals scattered from Palestine to Rome. Revelation, the book of prophecy, is addressed to seven congregations in western Asia Minor.
	The Gospels are accounts of the life of Jesus.  Since his travels span a rather limited territory, these books do not deal with a very expanded geographic area.
	Palestine of New Testament times is divided into three sections.  To the north is Galilee.  Judea is in the south.  In the middle is Samaria.  You will recall that, when the Israelites are carried away into captivity, the less promising people are left behind to care for the land.  These people, who are already considered second-class citizens, intermarry with people from heathen nations.  So, by the time of Jesus, the Samaritans are not held in high regard by the Jews.  In fact, they are placed in the same category with dogs and pigs.
	A trip from Galilee to Judea might take longer than necessary, since the accepted route is around Samaria in order to avoid contact with the people there.  The Samaritans treat the Jews with equal contempt, which makes it unpleasant for anyone who does choose to travel through their area.
	"And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension," Luke 9:51-55 records of Jesus, "that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him.  And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him.  And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw {this,} they said, 'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?' But He turned and rebuked them."
	As we all know, Jesus is born in Bethlehem.  This is a small town about 5 miles south of Jerusalem.  Upon returning from Egypt, the family settles in Nazareth, which is in Galilee.  This is where Jesus spends his childhood.
	Much of the Lord's early ministry takes place in Galilee.
	"And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit;" Luke 4:14-16 notes of the time following his baptism and temptation, "and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.  And He {began} teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.  And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read."
	"And all were speaking well of Him," Luke 4:22-24 says of the reaction, "and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, 'Is this not Joseph's son?'  And He said to them, 'No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, "Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your home town as well."' And He said, 'Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town.'"   
	"And coming to His home town He {began} teaching them in their synagogue," Matthew 13:54-58 explains of the reception in Nazareth, "so that they became astonished, and said, 'Where {did} this man {get} this wisdom, and {these} miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then {did} this man {get} all these things?'  And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his {own} household.'  And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief." 
	It is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee that He selects the Apostles Andrew, Peter, James and John.  Philip is from the same town of Bethsaida.  Matthew, or Levi, is from Capernaum, which is also along the sea.  Cana, located to the west of the Sea of Galilee, is the home of Simon.  Acts 2:7 indicates that all of the Apostles present on the Day of Pentecost are from Galilee.
	After His rejection in Nazareth, Jesus moves His center of operation to Capernaum.
	"And leaving Nazareth," Matthew 4:13-16 records, "He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.  {This was} to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.  The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned.'"
	Other Galilean towns which might be familiar to the Bible student are Cana, the site of the first miracle by Jesus, and Nain, where Jesus raises a young man from the dead.
	The Lord's ministry in Judea includes the cities of Jericho, Bethany and Jerusalem.

	After the resurrection, the church is established in Jerusalem.  As persecution increases, the disciples are scattered throughout Palestine.
	"And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem;" we learn from Acts 8:1, "and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles."
	The church soon spreads to Caesarea...and to the Gentiles...with the conversion of Cornelius.  And the kingdom continues to expand.
	"So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch," Acts 11:19-21 states, "speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.  But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and {began} speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.  And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord."
	It is in this Antioch, located near the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean, that the name "Christian" is first applied to the disciples.  And this same city becomes the launching point for expansion into the rest of the world.  It is the church in Antioch which sends Barnabas and Saul on the first missionary journey.  They travel to Cyprus and then through the eastern part of Asia Minor, which we know today as Turkey.  This area includes the region of Galatia.
	A second missionary journey takes Paul through the same region and on to Troas in western Asia Minor.  It is from Troas that he receives a call to travel to Macedonia.  This is especially significant for us, since this is the first time that the Bible world is expanded beyond Asia and northeastern Africa, and into the Western World.
	Just as Palistine is divided into various areas, Greece is also made up of different sections.  To the north is Macedonia, home of Philip and his son, Alexander the Great.  To the south is Achaia.
	Paul's stops in Macedonia include Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea.  Athens and Corinth are in Achaia.  Corinth is located on an isthmus which connects mainland Greece with the Peloponnesian peninsula.  To avoid the long and dangerous voyage around the southern tip of Greece, ships which arrive at Corinth are actually picked up out of the water and pulled over land to the port on the other side.
	It is during this same trip that Paul preaches in the western part of Asia Minor.  Ephesus is one of the familiar cities in this area.  The last book in the Bible, Revelation, is addressed to seven cities of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
	After a third trip, Paul is arrested in Jerusalem because of a disturbance intitiated by the Jews.  After a few years, he appeals to the Emperor and goes to Rome.  This trip takes him to Crete, past Sicily and to Italy at Poteoli.  He travels overland past the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns and on to Rome.
	It is exciting to see the Gospel reaching out into all the world.  The Israelites no longer have an exclusive hold on being children of God.
	"Therefore remember," Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 2:11-16, "that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'Uncircumcision' by the so-called 'Circumcision,' {which is} performed in the flesh by human hands-- {remember} that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace, who made both {groups into} one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, {which is} the Law of commandments {contained} in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, {thus} establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 
	The kingdom has been expanded to include the whole world.  All we have to do is obey the truth in order to be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."