“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…” 1 Peter 1:1
See where Peter’s letter
is aimed? The northeastern portion of
what is modern day Turkey. Geography is
integral to the ministries of two other apostles in the New Testament. Better known is the apostle Paul, whose
travels are recorded in the book of Acts and whose connections to churches are
recorded in his letters left behind.
He traveled in what is
now western or southern Turkey, as far north as Iconium, Colossae, and Lystra,
still south of Peter’s region.
John is also connected to
seven churches, listed in the book of Revelation. They are on the western coast of Turkey, or
inland but to the west and south as well.
There are a few things we
can observe:
This is not a random list
of places, but a geographic region-proof to the doubters of the reality of the
Bible as a document of place and time.
It is a defined region
that would have been eminently walkable for the apostle.
It seems that the
apostles had distinct, if overlapping regions where they walked the gospel,
Peter being to the east of John’s region and north and east of Paul’s traveled
area.
Peter’s region,
northwestern Turkey, can be considered in light of other historical information
of the church in that region, perhaps connecting to particular themes in Peter’s
letter.
There are not cities named,
as with John and Paul. That could hint
at small, scattered communities of believers for whom this letter is directed.
For me, it dovetails the
study of Scripture with map and atlas work, two things I very much enjoy.
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