Page 133 - Biblical Backgrounds

to depict Paul standing before the Proconsul. 175 Sergius, if it is the
same one from the other inscriptions found, was a very influential
Roman leader. He oversaw the region as well as the water flow and
usage. His conversion marks the first time in history that an area was
under Christian rule. It was in Cyprus that Saul was first called Paul in
Acts. 176 Some scholars have pointed out that Paul did not change his
name. Paul was his Roman or Hellenistic name, whereas Saul was his Jewish name. This may have been
common in the Hellenistic world. “Simon Bar Jesus” the Sorcerer was a Jewish name; he also had a
Greek name, “Elymas”. 177

Asia Minor:

Many of the major cities in Asia Minor were controlled
by Rome directly. There were also “free” cities, but
they were obligated to please Rome. A free city
governed itself, a gift from the emperor, but still was
obligated to obey the emperor. When the mob came
after Paul in Acts 19, the city official warned them, “For
we are really in danger of being charged with sedition
over today’s affair, no single cause existing that will
permit us to render a reason for this disorderly mob
(verse 40). Rome had conquered some cities, others
had been willed to them on the death of the king, and
others had helped in the Roman conquests and were given special privileges of freedom as a result. Asia
Minor had multiple regions that are mentioned in Scripture. As a result, it is good to be familiar with the
regions, their major cities, and how they factor into Scripture. The map above shows the seven regions
of Phrygia, Pisidia, Cappadocia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, Lycia, and Pamphylia. 178

Religion in Cyprus and Asia Minor:

Cyprus:
The island of Cyprus was a mixture of cultures, and
therefore it was also filled with different religions. The
Greeks worshipped their deities. The Romans
worshipped theirs. The Jewish population on the
island worshipped Yahweh and met in synagogues
(Acts 13:5). Paul’s purpose in traveling to Cyprus was
to preach to Jews, but it reached the Gentiles as well.
Multiple temples or worship sites have been found in
Cyprus, including sites dedicated to the worship of

175 Raphael. “Paul Before the Proconsul” https://www.wga.hu/frames-
e.html?/html/r/raphael/6tapestr/7stpaul.html
176 N.T. Wright and Michael F Bird, The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and
Theology of the First Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019), 636.
177 Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the New Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishers, 2016), 271.
178 Vos, Howard Frederic. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners & Customs: How the People of the Bible Really
Lived. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999. 509.

131