Geographical and Historical Context:
Iconium was an ancient city located in the region of Lycaonia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. It was situated on a fertile plain and served as a significant hub in the Roman province of Galatia. The city was strategically positioned on the main trade route connecting Ephesus to the east, making it a vital center for commerce and communication in the ancient world.

Biblical Significance:
Iconium holds a notable place in the New Testament as a city visited by the Apostle Paul during his missionary journeys. It is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles, highlighting its importance in the early spread of Christianity.

Paul's Missionary Journeys:
Paul, accompanied by Barnabas, first visited Iconium during their first missionary journey. According to Acts 13:51-52 , after facing opposition in Pisidian Antioch, "they shook the dust off their feet as a testimony against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas preached in the Jewish synagogue, as was their custom. Acts 14:1 records, "At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed." Their message was met with both acceptance and opposition, leading to a division among the city's inhabitants.

Opposition and Persecution:
The ministry in Iconium was marked by significant opposition. Acts 14:2 notes, "But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers." Despite the hostility, Paul and Barnabas continued to preach boldly, performing signs and wonders by the power of the Lord (Acts 14:3).

The tension eventually escalated to the point where a plot was devised by both Jews and Gentiles, along with their leaders, to mistreat and stone the apostles. In response to this threat, Paul and Barnabas fled to the cities of Lystra and Derbe in Lycaonia (Acts 14:5-6).

Legacy and Influence:
The events in Iconium exemplify the challenges faced by early Christian missionaries in spreading the Gospel. The city's mixed response to the message of Christ reflects the broader pattern of acceptance and resistance encountered by the apostles throughout their journeys.

Iconium's inclusion in the biblical narrative underscores the perseverance and dedication of Paul and his companions in fulfilling the Great Commission. The establishment of a Christian community in Iconium contributed to the growth of the early Church in Asia Minor, laying the groundwork for future evangelistic efforts in the region.

Cultural and Religious Context:
Iconium was a melting pot of various cultures and religions, typical of many cities in the Roman Empire. The presence of a Jewish synagogue indicates a significant Jewish population, which provided an initial audience for Paul's preaching. The city's diverse population also included Greeks and Romans, reflecting the broader cultural and religious landscape of the time.

Archaeological Insights:
Modern archaeological efforts have uncovered remnants of Iconium's ancient past, providing insights into its urban layout and historical significance. These findings help to contextualize the biblical accounts and offer a glimpse into the environment in which the early Christians lived and ministered.

Conclusion:
Iconium remains a testament to the early Church's mission to spread the Gospel across diverse and challenging landscapes. The city's role in the New Testament narrative highlights the enduring impact of Paul's missionary work and the transformative power of the Christian message in the ancient world.Iconium

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Iconium

(little image), the modern Konieh , was the capital of Lycaonia, in Asia Minor. It was a large and rich city, 120 miles north from the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the Taurus mountains, and on the great line of communication between Ephesus and the western coast of the peninsula on one side, and Tarsus, Antioch and the Euphrates on the other. Iconium was a well-chosen place for missionary operations. (Acts 14:1,3,21,22; 16:1,2; 18:23) Paul's first visit here was on his first circuit, in company with Barnabas; and on this occasion he approached it from Antioch in Pisidia, which lay to the west. The modern Konieh is between two and three miles in circumference and contains over 30,000 inhabitants. It contains manufactories of carpets and leather.

Iconium

A large and opulent city of Asia Minor now called Konieh. The provinces of Asia Minor varied so much at different times, that Iconium is assigned by different writers to Phrygia, to Lycaonia, and to Pisidia. Christianity was introduced here by Paul, A. D. 45. But he was obliged to flee for his life for a persecution excited by unbelieving Jews, Acts 13:51 14:1-6. They pursued him to Lystra, where he was nearly killed, but afterwards, A. D. 51, he revisited Iconium, Acts 14:19-21 2 Timothy 3:11. The church continued in being here for eight centuries, but under the Mohammedan rule was almost extinguished. At present, Konieh is the capital of Caramania. It is situated in a beautiful and fertile country, 260 miles southeast of Constantinople, and 120 from the Mediterranean. It is very large, and its walls are supported by 108 square towers, forty paces distant from each other. The inhabitants, 40,000 in number, are Turks, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews.

The capital of ancient Lycaonia. It was first visited by Paul and Barnabas from Antioch-in-Pisidia during the apostle's first missionary journey (Acts 13:50, 51). Here they were persecuted by the Jews, and being driven from the city, they fled to Lystra. They afterwards returned to Iconium, and encouraged the church which had been founded there (14:21, 22). It was probably again visited by Paul during his third missionary journey along with Silas (18:23). It is the modern Konieh, at the foot of Mount Taurus, about 120 miles inland from the Mediterranean. ICONIUM

i-ko'-ni-um (Ikonion, also Eikonion, on inscriptions): Iconium was visited by Paul on his first and on his second missionary journey (Acts 13:51; Acts 16:2), and

if the "South Galatian theory" be correct, probably also on his third journey. His sufferings there are referred to in 2 Timothy 3:11.

1. Topographical Position:

The topographical position of Iconium is clearly indicated in Acts, and the evidence of Acts has been confirmed by recent research. Was Iconium in Phrygia or in Lycaonia, and in what sense can it be said to have belonged to one ethnical division or the other? The majority of our ancient authorities (e.g. Cicero, Strabo, Pliny), writing from the point of view of Roman provincial administration, give Iconium to Lycaonia, of which geography makes it the natural capital. But Xenophon, who marched with Cyrus' expedition through Phrygia into Lycaonia, calls Iconium the last city of Phrygia. The writer of Acts 14:6 makes the same statement when he represents Paul and Barnabas as fleeing from Iconium to the cities of Lycaonia-implying that the border of Phrygia and Lycaonia passed between Iconium and Lystra, 18 miles to the South. Other ancient authorities who knew the local conditions well speak of Iconium as Phrygian until far into the Roman imperial period. At the neighboring city of Lystra (Acts 14:11), the natives used the "speech of Lycaonia." Two inscriptions in the Phrygian language found at Iconium in 1910 prove that the Phrygian language was in use there for 2 centuries after Paul's visits, and afford confirmation of the interesting topographical detail in Acts (see Jour. Hell. Stud., 1911, 189).

2. In Apostolic Period:

In the apostolic period, Iconium was one of the chief cities in the southern part of the Roman province Galatia, and it probably belonged to the "Phrygian region" mentioned in Acts 16:6. The emperor Claudius conferred on it the title Claudiconium, which appears on coins of the city and on inscriptions, and was formerly taken as a proof that Claudius raised the city to the rank of a Roman colonia. It was Hadrian who raised the city to colonial rank; this is proved by its new title, Colonia Aelia Hadriana Iconiensium, and by a recently discovered inscription, which belongs to the reign of Hadrian, and which mentions the first duumvir who was appointed in the new colonia. Iconium was still a Hellenic city, but with a strong pro-Roman bias (as proved by its title "Claudian") when Paul visited it.

3. Later History:

About 295 A.D., an enlarged province, Pisidia, was formed, with Antioch as capital, and Iconium as a "sort of secondary metropolis." The Byzantine arrangement, familiar to us in the Notitiae Episcopatuum, under which Iconium was the capital of a province Lycaonia, dates from about 372 A.D. Iconium, the modern Konia, has always been the main trading center of the Lycaonian Plain. Trade attracted Jews to the ancient Phrygio-Hellenic city (Acts 14:1), as it attracts Greeks and Armenians to the modern Turkish town.

4. Thekla:

Paul's experiences at Iconium form part of theme of the semi-historical legend of Thekla, on which see Professor Ramsay's Church in the Roman Empire, 380.

LITERATURE.

Ramsay Historical Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, 214; Cities of Paul, 317. To the literature referred to in the notes to the latter book (pp. 448) add Ath. Mitth., 1905, 324; Revue de Philologie, 1912, 48; Journal Hellenic Studies, 1911, 188.

W. M. Calder

2430. Ikonion -- Iconium, a city of Galatia
... Iconium, a city of Galatia. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: Ikonion
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-kon'-ee-on) Short Definition: Iconium Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2430.htm - 6k

Of Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... Book V. Chapter XVI."Of Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. On the emperor's
return the admirable Amphilochius, whom I have often ...
/.../chapter xvi of amphilochius bishop of.htm

Ep. Clxxi. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... Ep. CLXXI. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium. Scarcely yet delivered from the
pains of my illness, I hasten to you, the guardian of my cure. ...
/.../select letters of saint gregory nazianzen/ep clxxi to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter ccxviii. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... Letter CCXVIII. To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. ... God grant that all may
go well with that Church at Iconium, which is so dear to me. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccxviii to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter cxc. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CXC. To Amphilochius,
bishop of Iconium. 1. The interest which you have ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cxc to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter cc. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CC. To Amphilochius,
bishop of Iconium. I am attacked by sickness after ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cc to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter ccxxxii. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... Letter CCXXXII. To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. Every day that brings me a
letter from you is a feast day, the very greatest of feast days. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccxxxii to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter clxxvi. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CLXXVI. To Amphilochius,
Bishop of Iconium. God grant that when this letter ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter clxxvi to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter ccxlviii. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... Letter CCXLVIII. To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. So far as my own wishes are
concerned I am grieved at living at such a distance from your reverence. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccxlviii to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter ccii. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CCII. To Amphilochius,
bishop of Iconium. Under other circumstances I should ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccii to amphilochius bishop.htm

Letter cxci. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CXCI. To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. On reading
the letter of your reverence I heartily thanked God. I ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cxci to amphilochius bishop.htm

Iconium (6 Occurrences)
... They afterwards returned to Iconium, and encouraged the church which had been founded
there (14:21, 22). ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ICONIUM. ...
/i/iconium.htm - 12k

Ico'nium (6 Occurrences)
Ico'nium. Iconium, Ico'nium. Icy . ... Acts 13:51 and they having shaken off the
dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium, (See RSV). ...
/i/ico'nium.htm - 7k

Lystra (6 Occurrences)
... Here Paul preached the gospel after he had been driven by persecution from Iconium
(Acts 14:2-7). Here also he healed a lame man (8), and thus so impressed the ...
/l/lystra.htm - 14k

Derbe (4 Occurrences)
... Paul passed through Derbe on his route from Cilicia to Iconium, on his second
missionary journey (Acts 16:1), and probably also on his third journey (18:23; 19 ...
/d/derbe.htm - 15k

Phrygia (4 Occurrences)
... The towns of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14), Colosse, Hierapolis, Iconium, and
Laodicea were situated in it. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. PHRYGIA. ...
/p/phrygia.htm - 11k

Lycaonia (2 Occurrences)
... and the south of Galatia. It was a Roman province, and its chief towns were
Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The "speech of Lycaonia" (Acts ...
/l/lycaonia.htm - 10k

Galatia (6 Occurrences)
... administrative purposes; and the regiones coincided roughly with the old national
divisions Pisidia, Phrygia (including Antioch, Iconium, Apollonia), Lycaonia ...
/g/galatia.htm - 23k

Separate (115 Occurrences)
... (a) An outline of the narrative is as follows: At Iconium, Thecla, a betrothed maiden ...
This she did first at Iconium and then in Seleucia where she died. ...
/s/separate.htm - 71k

Won (24 Occurrences)
... Acts 14:19 But now a party of Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and, having won
over the crowd, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, believing ...
/w/won.htm - 13k

Pisidia (2 Occurrences)
... to the story preserved in the legend of "Paul and Thekla," it was along this road
that Paul and Barnabas passed on their way from Antioch to Iconium (Acts 13:51 ...
/p/pisidia.htm - 21k

What happened on Paul's first missionary journey? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Lystra in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Antioch in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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