Lystra
Encyclopedia
Lystra was a city in what is now modern Turkey
. It is mentioned five times in the New Testament
. It was visited a few times by the Apostle Paul
, along with Barnabas
or Silas
.
. It is north of the village of Hatunsaray and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of a small town called Akoren. A small museum within the village of Hatunsaray displays artifacts from ancient Lystra.
Lystra is the ancient name of the village where Apostle Paul visited. The present name is "Klistra" which is near Gökyurt, a village of the Meram
district of Konya
. There are ancient ruins such as a church with a big cross marked on the wall, a winery, house-like buildings and ruins of a city located over the top of a hill which is locally called "Alusumas" where another church ruin exists. According to locals, the hidden city was constructed over the hill to hide from enemies of ancient Anatolia. This site is still awaiting excavation.
Lystra is located on the ancient Persian Royal Road.
made Lystra a colony in 6 BC, possibly to gain better control of the tribes in the mountains to the west. Later, it was incorporated into the Roman province of Galatia
and soon after, the Romans built a road connecting Lystra to Iconium in the north.
St. Paul visited here in 48 AD and again in 51 AD on his first and second missionary journeys.
In Christian times Lystra had a bishop, and it is still a Roman Catholic titular see
.
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Paul preached the gospel
in Lystra after persecution drove him from Iconium. Here Paul healed a man lame from birth. The man leaped up and began to walk and thus so impressed the crowd that they took him for Hermes
, because he was the "chief speaker," and his companion Barnabas
for Zeus
. The crowd spoke in the local Lycaonian language
and wanted to offer sacrifices to them, but Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and shouted that they were merely men. They used this opportunity to tell the Lystrans of the Creator God. Soon, however, through the influence of the Jewish leaders from Antioch, Pisidia
and Iconium, they stoned Paul and left him for dead. As the disciples gathered around him, Paul stood on his feet and went back into the town. The next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe
; but on the return part of their journey, they stopped once more at Lystra, encouraging the disciples there to steadfastness.
Paul visited this city again on his second missionary tour. Timothy, a young disciple there, was likely among those who on the previous occasion at Lystra witnessed Paul's persecution and courage. Timothy left Lystra to become the companion of Paul and Silas on the rest of the Second Missionary Journey. It is also possible that Paul revisited Lystra near the beginning of his Third Missionary Journey.
Unlike other cities Paul visited, Lystra apparently had no synagogue, though Timothy and his mother and grandmother were Jewish. Perhaps for the first time in his missionary work, Paul was reaching Gentiles with the gospel of Christ without approaching them through the common ground of Judaism.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It is mentioned five times in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. It was visited a few times by the Apostle Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, along with Barnabas
Barnabas
Barnabas , born Joseph, was an Early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. In terms of culture and background, he was a Hellenised Jew, specifically a Levite. Named an apostle in , he and Saint Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts...
or Silas
Silas
Saint Silas or Saint Silvanus was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who later accompanied Paul in some of his missionary journeys....
.
Location
Lystra is located 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) south of the city of KonyaKonya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
. It is north of the village of Hatunsaray and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of a small town called Akoren. A small museum within the village of Hatunsaray displays artifacts from ancient Lystra.
Lystra is the ancient name of the village where Apostle Paul visited. The present name is "Klistra" which is near Gökyurt, a village of the Meram
Meram
Meram is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Meram is one of the central districts of Konya along with the districts of Karatay and Selçuklu. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 267,878 of which 231,386 live in the urban center of...
district of Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
. There are ancient ruins such as a church with a big cross marked on the wall, a winery, house-like buildings and ruins of a city located over the top of a hill which is locally called "Alusumas" where another church ruin exists. According to locals, the hidden city was constructed over the hill to hide from enemies of ancient Anatolia. This site is still awaiting excavation.
Lystra is located on the ancient Persian Royal Road.
History
The Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
made Lystra a colony in 6 BC, possibly to gain better control of the tribes in the mountains to the west. Later, it was incorporated into the Roman province of Galatia
Galatia (Roman province)
Galatia was the name of a province of the Roman Empire in Anatolia . It was established by the first emperor, Augustus , in 25 BC, covering most of formerly independent Celtic Galatia, with its capital at Ancyra....
and soon after, the Romans built a road connecting Lystra to Iconium in the north.
St. Paul visited here in 48 AD and again in 51 AD on his first and second missionary journeys.
In Christian times Lystra had a bishop, and it is still a Roman Catholic titular see
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
.
Paul's visit
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
in Lystra after persecution drove him from Iconium. Here Paul healed a man lame from birth. The man leaped up and began to walk and thus so impressed the crowd that they took him for Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, because he was the "chief speaker," and his companion Barnabas
Barnabas
Barnabas , born Joseph, was an Early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. In terms of culture and background, he was a Hellenised Jew, specifically a Levite. Named an apostle in , he and Saint Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts...
for Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
. The crowd spoke in the local Lycaonian language
Lycaonia
In ancient geography, Lycaonia was a large region in the interior of Asia Minor, north of Mount Taurus. It was bounded on the east by Cappadocia, on the north by Galatia, on the west by Phrygia and Pisidia, while to the south it extended to the chain of Mount Taurus, where it bordered on the...
and wanted to offer sacrifices to them, but Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and shouted that they were merely men. They used this opportunity to tell the Lystrans of the Creator God. Soon, however, through the influence of the Jewish leaders from Antioch, Pisidia
Antioch, Pisidia
Antioch in Pisidia – alternatively Antiochia in Pisidia or Pisidian Antioch and in Roman Empire, Latin: Antiochia Caesareia or Antiochia Caesaria – is a city in the Turkish Lakes Region, which is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Central Anatolian regions, and formerly...
and Iconium, they stoned Paul and left him for dead. As the disciples gathered around him, Paul stood on his feet and went back into the town. The next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe
Derbe
Derbe is an ancient city in today's Turkey. This city is mentioned in the biblical book of Acts - , and was situated near ancient Lystra.- Location :...
; but on the return part of their journey, they stopped once more at Lystra, encouraging the disciples there to steadfastness.
Paul visited this city again on his second missionary tour. Timothy, a young disciple there, was likely among those who on the previous occasion at Lystra witnessed Paul's persecution and courage. Timothy left Lystra to become the companion of Paul and Silas on the rest of the Second Missionary Journey. It is also possible that Paul revisited Lystra near the beginning of his Third Missionary Journey.
Unlike other cities Paul visited, Lystra apparently had no synagogue, though Timothy and his mother and grandmother were Jewish. Perhaps for the first time in his missionary work, Paul was reaching Gentiles with the gospel of Christ without approaching them through the common ground of Judaism.
