Dictionary Home / A

Apollonia

biblical_place_name theological_term standard

A city in Macedonia mentioned in Acts as part of Paul’s travel route from Philippi to Thessalonica.

At a Glance

Apollonia is a New Testament place name in Macedonia, mentioned in Acts 17:1 as one of the cities Paul passed through on the way to Thessalonica.

Key Points

Description

Apollonia was a city in Macedonia mentioned in Acts 17:1 as part of Paul’s route from Philippi through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. In Luke’s account, the city serves a geographical and historical purpose rather than a doctrinal one. The reference helps locate the event in the real world of first-century travel and settlement, but Scripture does not present Apollonia as carrying a unique theological meaning beyond its place in the narrative.

Biblical Context

In Acts 17:1, Paul, Silas, and Timothy travel through Amphipolis and Apollonia before reaching Thessalonica. The mention supports the historical realism of Luke’s account and shows the missionary movement through major travel routes in Macedonia.

Historical Context

Apollonia was one of several cities in the Macedonian region connected by Roman roads. Its inclusion in Acts fits the broader historical setting of travel, commerce, and city-based ministry in the Roman world.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Apollonia itself is not a Jewish term or concept. Its relevance in the biblical record lies in the Gentile, Greco-Roman setting of Paul’s missionary work.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The name appears in Greek form in Acts 17:1 and refers to a real Macedonian city. The term is primarily geographic rather than theological.

Theological Significance

Apollonia has no distinct doctrine attached to it. Its significance is indirect: it helps ground the biblical narrative in identifiable places and historical movement.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place name, Apollonia illustrates how Scripture routinely connects theological events to ordinary geography and history. The Bible’s claims are not abstracted from real locations but set within actual time and space.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not read special symbolic meaning into Apollonia beyond its narrative function. The passage uses the city as part of a travel itinerary, not as a standalone theological image.

Major Views

There is little interpretive disagreement about Apollonia itself. The main question is simply its identification as a historical place in Paul’s route.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Apollonia is not a doctrine, office, or spiritual category. It should be treated as a biblical place name and not given theological weight beyond the text.

Practical Significance

The mention of Apollonia reminds readers that biblical ministry happened in real places along ordinary routes. It also reinforces confidence in the historical setting of Acts.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Apollonia

↑ Top