Lycaonia is a historical region in the central part of Asia Minor, which is present-day Turkey. It is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles, as a significant area during the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. The region is characterized by its rugged terrain and was known for its distinct cultural and linguistic identity.

Geographical Context

Lycaonia was bordered by Galatia to the north, Cappadocia to the east, Cilicia to the south, and Phrygia to the west. The region was largely a high plateau, with sparse vegetation and limited agricultural potential. Its cities were often isolated by the surrounding mountains and plains, contributing to a unique cultural development.

Biblical Significance

The most notable biblical references to Lycaonia occur in the Book of Acts. During Paul's first missionary journey, he and Barnabas traveled to several cities in Lycaonia, including Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. These cities became pivotal in the spread of early Christianity.

1. Iconium: In Acts 14:1, Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue in Iconium and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. However, they faced opposition from some of the Jews who stirred up the Gentiles against them.

2. Lystra: Acts 14:8-10 recounts a miraculous healing performed by Paul in Lystra, where a man crippled from birth was healed. This miracle led the people of Lystra to mistakenly believe that Paul and Barnabas were gods, calling Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes" (Acts 14:11-12). Paul and Barnabas vehemently rejected this adulation, insisting that they were mere men bringing the good news of the living God (Acts 14:15).

3. Derbe: After facing persecution in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas fled to Derbe, where they continued to preach the gospel and made many disciples (Acts 14:20-21).

Cultural and Linguistic Aspects

The people of Lycaonia spoke a distinct language, as noted in Acts 14:11, where the crowd in Lystra shouted in the Lycaonian language. This linguistic distinction highlights the cultural diversity of the region and the challenges faced by early Christian missionaries in communicating the gospel across different cultural and linguistic barriers.

Historical Context

Lycaonia was part of the Roman province of Galatia during the time of Paul's journeys. The region's strategic location along major trade routes facilitated the movement of people and ideas, making it a fertile ground for the spread of Christianity. Despite its challenges, the early church in Lycaonia grew and became an integral part of the Christian community in Asia Minor.

Theological Implications

The events in Lycaonia underscore the theme of perseverance in the face of persecution, a recurring motif in the Acts of the Apostles. Paul's experiences in Lycaonia illustrate the power of the gospel to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers and the importance of steadfast faith in the mission of spreading Christianity. The narrative also emphasizes the rejection of idolatry and the proclamation of the one true God, a central tenet of Christian doctrine.

Legacy

The churches established in Lycaonia played a crucial role in the early Christian church's expansion. The region's mention in the New Testament serves as a testament to the enduring impact of Paul's missionary work and the transformative power of the gospel message.Lycaonia

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Lycaonia

(land of Lycanon, or wolf land), a district of Asia Minor. From what is said in (Acts 14:11) of "the speech of Lycaonia," it is evident that the inhabitants of the district, in St. Paul's day, spoke something very different from ordinary Greek. Whether the language was some Syrian dialect or a corrupt form of Greek has been much debated. The fact that the Lycaonians were similar with the Greek mythology is consistent with either supposition. Lycaonia is for the most part a dreary plain, bare of trees, destitute of fresh water, and with several salt lakes. (It was about 20 miles long from east to west, and 13 miles wide. "Cappadocia is on the east, Galatia on the north, Phrygia on the west and Cilicia on the south "Among its chief cities are Derbe, Lystra and Iconium. --ED.) After the provincial system of Rome had embraced the whole of Asia Minor, the boundaries of the provinces were variable; and Lycaonia was, politically, sometimes in Cappadocia, sometimes in Galatia. Paul visited it three times in his missionary tours.

Lycaonia

A small province of Asia Minor, bounded north by Galatia, east by Cappadocia, south by Isauria and Cilicia, and west by Phrygia. It appears to have been within the limits of Phrygia Major, but was erected into a Roman province by Augustus. The country is level, but not fertile, though peculiarly adapted to pasturage. Of its cities, Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra and mentioned in the New Testament, Acts 14:6. The "speech of Lycaonia now forms part of the Turkish province of Caramania.

An inland province of Asia Minor, on the west of Cappadocia and the south of Galatia. It was a Roman province, and its chief towns were Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The "speech of Lycaonia" (Acts 14:11) was probably the ancient Assyrian language, or perhaps, as others think, a corrupt Greek intermingled with Syriac words. Paul preached in this region, and revisited it (Acts 16:1-6; 18:23; 19:1). LYCAONIA

lik-a-o'-ni-a, li-ka-o'-ni-a (Lukaonia (Acts 14:6), Lukaonisti, (Acts 14:11, "in the speech of Lycaonia"); Lycaonia is meant, according to the South Galatian view, by the expression ten Galatiken choran, in Acts 18:23, and the incidents in Acts 16:1-4 belong to Lycaonia): Was a country in the central and southern part of Asia Minor whose boundaries and extent varied at different periods. In the time of Paul, it was bounded on the North by Galatia proper (but lay in the Roman province Galatia), on the East by Cappadocia, on the South by Cilicia Tracheia, and on the West by Pisidia and Phrygia. The boundary of Phrygia and Lycaonia passed between Iconium and Lystra (see ICONIUM). Lycaonia consists of a level plain, waterless and treeless, rising at its southern fringe for some distance into the foothills of Taurus, and broken on its eastern side by the volcanic mass of Kara-Dagh and by many smaller hills. Strabo informs us that King Amyntas of Galatia fed many flocks of sheep on the Lycaonian plain. Much of the northern portion of Lycaonia has been proved by recent discovery to have belonged to the Roman emperors, who inherited the crown lands of Amyntas.

In Acts 14:6 Lycaonia is summed up as consisting of the cities of Lystra and Derbe and the district (including many villages) lying around them. This description refers to a particular division of Lycaonia, which alone is mentioned in the Bible. In the time of Paul, Lycaonia consisted of two parts, a western and an eastern. The western part was a "region" or subdivision of the Roman province Galatia; the eastern was called Lycaonia Antiochiana, after Antiochus of Commagene under whom it had been placed in 37 A.D. This non-Roman portion was traversed by Paul; but nothing is recorded of his journey through it (see DERBE). It included the important city of Laranda; and when Lycaonia is described as consisting of the cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding district, the writer is clearly thinking only of the western portion of Lycaonia, which lay in, and formed a "region" of, the province Galatia. This is the tract of country which is meant in Acts 18:23, where it is called the "region" of Galatia, and placed side by side with Phrygia, another region of Galatia. The province Galatia was divided into districts technically known as "regions," and Roman Lycaonia is called the "region of Galatia" in implied contrast with Antiochian Lycaonia, which lay outside the Roman province. Of the language of Lycaonia. (see LYSTRA) nothing survives except some personal and place names, which are discussed in Kretschmar's Einleitung in die Gesch. der griech. Sprache.

LITERATURE.

Ramsay, Historical Commentary on Galatians (Introduction); Sterrett, Wolfe Expedition (inscriptions).

W. M. Calder

3071. Lukaonia -- Lycaonia, a region in Asia Minor
... Lycaonia, a region in Asia Minor. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Lukaonia Phonetic Spelling: (loo-kah-on-ee'-ah) Short Definition: Lycaonia ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3071.htm - 6k

1191. Derbe -- Derbe, a city of Lycaonia
... Derbe, a city of Lycaonia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Derbe
Phonetic Spelling: (der-bay') Short Definition: Derbe Definition: Derbe, a town ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1191.htm - 6k

3082. Lustra -- Lystra, a city of Lycaonia
... Lystra, a city of Lycaonia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: Lustra Phonetic Spelling: (loos'-trah) Short Definition: Lystra ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3082.htm - 6k

3072. Lukaonisti -- in Lycaonian (speech)
... in the speech of Lycaonia. Adverb from a derivative of Lukaonia; Lycaonistically,
ie In the language of the Lycaonians -- in the speech of Lycaonia. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3072.htm - 6k

1053. Galatia -- Galatia, a district in Asia Minor or a larger ...
... of Paphlagonia, Pontus Galaticus, Galatia (in the narrower sense, which some still
think is intended in the NT), Phrygia Galatica, Lycaonia Galatica, Pisidia ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1053.htm - 6k

Acts XIV
... was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone time,
(6) they, being aware of it, fled down to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xiv.htm

The Epistle to the Galatians
... on the North by Bithynia and Paplagonia, on the East by the last named province
and Pontus, on the West by Phrygia, and on the South by Lycaonia and Capadocia. ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the epistle to the galatians.htm

Deified and Stoned
... XIII TO END DEIFIED AND STONED. 'And when the people saw what Paul had done, they
lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/deified and stoned.htm

Dream and Reality
... And in Lycaonia the Apostles were close upon places that were celebrated in Greek
mythology as having witnessed the very two gods, here spoken of, wandering ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/dream and reality.htm

Preaching among the Heathen
... glory of His name. Driven by persecution from Iconium, the apostles went
to Lystra and Derbe, in Lycaonia. These towns were inhabited ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 18 preaching among the.htm

Acts xiii. 42
... of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, they
were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxx acts xiii 42.htm

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra.
... the Jews, with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, they were
aware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xv paul and barnabas.htm

The Ordination of Paul and Barnabas; their Missionary Tour in Asia ...
... their journey into the interior of the country, they now preached in Antioch of
Pisidia, in Iconium, in "Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia," and in "the ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter v the ordination of.htm

Psalm XCVII.
... Thus did the holy Apostles Paul and Barnabas. They preached the word of
God in Lycaonia. When they had performed wonderful works ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xcvii.htm

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians
... a political sense, signifying a particular province of the Roman empire, then it
means a large area much further south, including Pisidia, Lycaonia, and part ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xii the epistle of.htm

Lycaonia (2 Occurrences)
... The "speech of Lycaonia" (Acts 14:11) was probably the ancient Assyrian language,
or perhaps, as others think, a corrupt Greek intermingled with Syriac words. ...
/l/lycaonia.htm - 10k

Iconium (6 Occurrences)
... The capital of ancient Lycaonia. ... But Xenophon, who marched with Cyrus' expedition
through Phrygia into Lycaonia, calls Iconium the last city of Phrygia. ...
/i/iconium.htm - 12k

Lystra (6 Occurrences)
... A town of Lycaonia, in Asia Minor, in a wild district and among a rude population. ...
The boundary between Phrygia and Lycaonia passed between Iconium and Lystra. ...
/l/lystra.htm - 14k

Galatia (6 Occurrences)
... a large province of the Roman empire, including not merely the country Galatia,
but also Paphlagonia and parts of Pontus, Phrygia, Pisidia, Lycaonia and Isauria ...
/g/galatia.htm - 23k

Derbe (4 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A small town on the eastern part of the upland
plain of Lycaonia, about 20 miles from Lystra. Paul passed ...
/d/derbe.htm - 15k

Lycao'nia (1 Occurrence)
Lycao'nia. Lycaonia, Lycao'nia. Lycaonian . Multi-Version Concordance
Lycao'nia (1 Occurrence). ... Lycaonia, Lycao'nia. Lycaonian . Reference Bible.
/l/lycao'nia.htm - 6k

Pisidia (2 Occurrences)
... the Pauline period it was a city of Galatia, in the district of Galatia called Phrygia
(to distinguish it from other ethnical divisions of Galatia, eg Lycaonia...
/p/pisidia.htm - 21k

Tarsus (5 Occurrences)
... which extend to the foothills of Taurus, the great mountain chain lying some 30
miles North of the city, which divides Cilicia from Lycaonia and Cappadocia. ...
/t/tarsus.htm - 30k

Luz (7 Occurrences)

/l/luz.htm - 11k

Antioch (21 Occurrences)
... the Pauline period it was a city of Galatia, in the district of Galatia called Phrygia
(to distinguish it from other ethnical divisions of Galatia, eg Lycaonia...
/a/antioch.htm - 27k

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