  The New Testament World We have seen that the life of Jesus Christ while on earth was limited to the land of Palestine. But in a few years the church founded by his apostles overstepped the boundaries of that land; and its scope became world-wide. Therefore as we begin the history of the Early Church it becomes necessary for us to study the New Testament World. Comparing the maps before us with that of the Old Testament World we find that in the four centuries between the events of the Old and New Testaments the dominion of the world passed from Asia to Europe, and Jerusalem, which had been in the center, became one of the cities upon the extreme east. Hence our map moves with the course of the empire westward a thousand miles. I. We draw the outlines of the most important Seas. These are: 1. The Mediterranean Sea, from its eastern limits as far west as Italy. Voyages on it are referred to in Acts 9. 30; 13. 4; 21. 1, 2; 27. 3. 2. The Sea of Galilee, associated with the life of Christ. Find its three different names in Matt. 15. 29; John 6. 1; Luke 5. 1. 3. The Dead Sea, not named in the New Testament. 4. The Black Sea, north of Asia Minor. 5. The Ægean Sea, between Asia Minor and Greece. Voyages upon it (Acts 16. 11; 18. 18; 20. 13-15). 6. The Adriatic Sea, between Greece and Italy (Acts 27. 27). II. In these seas are many Islands, of which we name five of the most noteworthy in New Testament history: 1. Cyprus, in the northeast corner of the Mediterranean (Acts 4. 36; 13. 4). 2. Crete, south of the Ægean Sea, between Asia Minor and Greece (Acts 27. 7; Titus 1. 5). 3. Patmos, in the Ægean Sea, not far from Ephesus (Rev. 1. 9). 4. Sicily, southwest of Italy (Acts 28. 12). 5. Melita, now Malta, south of Sicily (Acts 28. 1). III. We locate the different Provinces, arranging them in four groups. 1. Those on the continent of Europe are: 1.) Thrace. 2.) Macedonia (Acts 14. 9, 10; 20. 1-3). 3.) Greece, also called Achaia (Acts 18. 12; 20. 3). 4.) Illyricum (Rom. 15. 19). 5.) Italy (Acts 27. 1). 2. Those on the continent of Africa are: 1.) Africa Proper. 2.) Libya (Acts 2. 10) 3.) Egypt (Matt. 2. 13). 3. Those on the continent of Asia, exclusive of Asia Minor, are: 1.) Arabia, perhaps referring to the desert region southeast of Palestine (Gal. 1. 17). 2.) Judea, the Jewish name for all Palestine, in the New Testament period (Luke 1. 5). 3.) Phoenicia (Mark 7. 24; Acts 15. 3; 21. 2). 4.) Syria, north of Palestine (Acts 15. 41; 20. 3). 4. The provinces in Asia Minor are so frequently mentioned in the Acts and Epistles that it is necessary for the student to learn their names and locations. We divide the fourteen provinces into four groups. (a) Three on the Black Sea, beginning on the east. 1.) Pontus (Acts 18. 2). 2.) Paphlagonia. 3.) Bithynia (Peter 1. 1). (b) Three on the Ægean Sea, beginning on the north. 4.) Mysia (Acts 16. 7). 5.) Lydia. 6.) Caria. These three provinces together formed the district known as "Asia" (Acts 2. 9; 19. 10). (c) Three on the Mediterranean Sea, beginning on the west. 7.) Lycia (Acts 27. 5). 8.) Pamphylia (Acts 13. 13). 9.) Cilicia (Acts 21. 39). (d) Five in the interior. 10.) On the north, Galatia (Gal. 1. 2). 11.) On the east, Cappadocia (Acts 2. 9). 12.) On the southeast, Lycaonia (Acts 14. 6). 13.) On the southwest, Pisidia (Acts 13. 14). 14.) On the west Phrygia (Acts 16. 6). IV. We notice the twelve most important Places. 1. Alexandria, the commercial metropolis of Egypt (Acts 18. 24). 2. Jerusalem, the religious capital of the Jewish world (Matt. 4. 5; Luke 24. 47). 3. CÆsarea, the Roman capital of Judea (Acts 10. 1; 23. 23, 24). 4. Damascus, in the southern part of Syria (Acts 19. 3). 5. Antioch, the capital of Syria, in the north (Acts 11. 26; 13. 1). 6. Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul, in Cilicia (Acts 22. 3). 7. Ephesus, the metropolis of Asia Minor, in the province of Lydia (Acts 19. 1). 8. Philippi, in Macedonia, where the gospel was first preached in Europe (Acts 16. 12). 9. Thessalonica, the principal city in Macedonia (Acts 17. 1; Thess 1. 1). 10. Athens, the literary center of Greece (Acts 17. 16). 11. Corinth, the political capital of Greece (Acts 18. 1-12). 12. Rome, the imperial city (Acts 28. 16; Rom. 1. 7). Other lands and places are referred to as Elam, Parthia, and Media, all east of the Euphrates river (Acts 2. 9). Ethiopia, south of Egypt in Africa (Acts 8. 27), and Babylon on the Euphrates (1 Peter 5. 13); but these places are outside the general history of the church. Hints to the Teacher and Her Class. Eleventh Study In teaching this lesson let the conductor sketch the outline of the map upon the board and drill upon the seas; then draw and name the islands; then drill upon the provinces, etc. Review until the lesson is learned by all the class. The student should search all the references and be able to state the events connected with each locality. It would be well for the student to find additional Scripture references to all the localities. Let each student practice the drawing of the map at home, until he can draw it without copy. Then, in presence of the class, let one student draw on the blackboard in presence of the class the boundary lines of the continents; or one the boundary line in Asia; another in Europe; and a third in Africa. Then let another draw and name the islands; and others locate and name the provinces in Asia, Europe, and Africa; and finally let the twelve cities be located and named. Blackboard Outline
Questions for Review What difference is to be noted between the map of the Old Testament world and that of the New? Name six seas in the New Testament world. |
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