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Here I Stood: Cappadocia

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Peter addressed his letter to, among others, Christians living in Cappadocia. This area is

located in what is today eastern Turkey not too far from Syria. Obviously, as the gospel spread from Jerusalem and Israel into the Syrian lands, it continued eastward to Cappadocia. Luke in recording the events of the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 mentions that Christians from Cappadocia were among the thousands gathered in Jerusalem to hear Peter proclaim the gospel openly for the first time.


Of course, there was no nation known as Turkey then as the Turks had not organized and were one among many tribes living on the steppe lands of Asia. The Cappadocians were a part of the Persian Empire, formerly controlled by the Hittites. To get the Biblical perspective, Cappadocia would be located to the east of Galatia, the area to which Paul addressed his letter exposing legalism and clearly setting forth the doctrine of justification by faith alone.



When one visits Cappadocia, it is similar to what we would imagine the surface of the moon to be. It is desolate, hilly, and pocked with numerous caves. Columns rise eerily from the ground. Cappadocia was hardly a place where one would imagine that the gospel would take root, but it became a major location which Peter recognized in writing his letter.


Christians often carved churches into the many hillsides in this rocky terrain, and these

churches remain to this day. Caves survive invasions and destruction brought by military forces, and as well caves survive the wear and deterioration experienced by structures we humans construct. Inside these caves still are to be found numerous reminders of their once Christian occupancy. Although the area today lies well within the area under control of Muslims, the caves survive and have become a focus of tourists traveling to Turkey, travelers such as my wife and I along with our 1993 group.


I shall freely admit that as I stood in these caves that once served as Christian sanctuaries, I experienced an awe and wonder seldom known from more traditional places of worship. Indeed, in a relatively undisturbed location I could sense the presence of early Christians and their worship services. Much like the catacombs in Rome, the caves spoke volumes of the devotion and determination of early Christians to praise God and imbibe His Word regardless of physical circumstances.


Peter addressed his letter to, among others, Christians living in Cappadocia. This area is located in what is today eastern Turkey not too far from Syria. Obviously, as the gospel spread from Jerusalem and Israel into the Syrian lands, it continued eastward to Cappadocia. Luke in recording the events of the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 mentions that Christians from Cappadocia were among the thousands gathered in Jerusalem to hear Peter proclaim the gospel openly for the first time.


Of course, there was no nation known as Turkey then as the Turks had not organized and

were one among many tribes living on the steppe lands of Asia. The Cappadocians were a part of the Persian Empire, formerly controlled by the Hittites. To get the Biblical perspective, Cappadocia would be located to the east of Galatia, the area to which Paul addressed his letter exposing legalism and clearly setting forth the doctrine of justification by faith alone.


When one visits Cappadocia, it is similar to what we would imagine the surface of the moon to be. It is desolate, hilly, and pocked with numerous caves. Columns rise eerily from the ground. Cappadocia was hardly a place where one would imagine that the gospel would take root, but it became a major location which Peter recognized in writing his letter.



Christians often carved churches into the many hillsides in this rocky terrain, and these churches remain to this day. Caves survive invasions and destruction brought by military forces, and as well caves survive the wear and deterioration experienced by structures we humans construct. Inside these caves still are to be found numerous reminders of their once Christian occupancy. Although the area today lies well within the area under control of Muslims, the caves survive and have become a focus of tourists traveling to Turkey, travelers such as my wife and I along with our 1993 group.



I shall freely admit that as I stood in these caves that once served as Christian sanctuaries, I experienced an awe and wonder seldom known from more traditional places of worship. Indeed, in a relatively undisturbed location I could sense the presence of early Christians and their worship services. Much like the catacombs in Rome, the caves spoke volumes of the devotion and determination of early Christians to praise God and imbibe His Word regardless of physical circumstances.



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