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Cilicia

biblical_geography theological_term standard

Cilicia was a region and later a Roman province in southeastern Asia Minor, along the northeastern Mediterranean coast. In the New Testament it is mainly associated with Tarsus, the hometown of Saul (Paul).

At a Glance

Cilicia is a New Testament geographic term for a region in what is now southern Turkey, important mainly because it contains Tarsus, Paul’s hometown.

Key Points

Description

Cilicia was a region in southeastern Asia Minor, bordering the northeastern Mediterranean Sea, and in Roman times it functioned as a province. In the New Testament it is most notable as the region containing Tarsus, the hometown of Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul. It also appears in connection with Jewish synagogues and early Christian movement in the wider Roman world. Cilicia is therefore best understood as a biblical-geographical term that helps locate events in Acts and Galatians rather than as a theological concept in itself.

Biblical Context

Scripture uses Cilicia as part of the historical and missionary setting of the New Testament. It is linked to Saul’s background (Acts 21:39; 22:3) and to the spread of the gospel into regions of the Roman world (Acts 6:9; Gal. 1:21).

Historical Context

Cilicia lay in the southeast corner of Asia Minor and became an important Roman administrative area. Its chief city, Tarsus, was a significant urban center and a fitting place for Paul’s upbringing as a Roman citizen and Jewish believer. The region’s location made it a crossroads of travel, trade, and cultural exchange.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Diaspora Jews lived in many cities of Asia Minor, including the broader Cilician area. Acts 6:9 mentions a synagogue of freedmen that included people from Cilicia, showing the presence of Jewish communities there. This background helps explain the setting in which the early Christian message was first debated and proclaimed.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Greek: Κιλικία (Kilikia). The term names a real geographic region and Roman province.

Theological Significance

Cilicia itself is not a theological doctrine, but it matters because it anchors Paul’s biography and the historical spread of the gospel. It reminds readers that redemptive history unfolded in real places among real peoples.

Philosophical Explanation

Geographic terms in Scripture often serve the logic of incarnation and history: God’s saving work enters ordinary time and place. Cilicia shows how location, citizenship, and cultural setting can shape a servant’s preparation and ministry without becoming the substance of the message.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Cilicia as a doctrinal category or a symbolic label unless the context clearly warrants it. Distinguish Cilicia from Tarsus, which was the principal city associated with Paul. Avoid assuming every mention of Cilicia carries the same historical nuance.

Major Views

No major theological views are attached to this entry. Differences are mainly historical and geographical, not doctrinal.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Cilicia should be treated as a biblical place name, not as evidence for a theological system or special doctrine. It contributes background, not dogma.

Practical Significance

Cilicia helps readers situate Paul’s life and the early church’s mission in the real world of the Roman Empire. It also shows how God uses ordinary geographic and cultural circumstances in salvation history.

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