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Biblical Values Of Turkey

Turkey, because of its geographical location has always been a crossing point for civilizations and believes. As a result of a 3000 years rich background, Anatolia houses many important values for many religions. Among this values, because the closeness to the Holly Land, Christianity has a big portion. With the missionary trips of the Apostles and mainly St.Paul, Christianity has been spread all over Anatolia from the years AD 40 on. The first Christian church in history which was built in a cave, The Ephesus city which was the main cult center of the east around "0", The birth place of St Nicholas (The famous Santa Claus), The cities where the main ecumenical councils that has the main influence on the formation of Christianity has been made, The ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch, The house where Virgin Mary is believed to live in her last years, The masterpiece and biggest church in the world in its times 6th century built Hagia Sophia Church, and many more values are all in Anatolia and Turkey waiting for you to explore and visit...  

 Jesus Christ and The Christian Religion

The Christian religion takes its name from Jesus of Nazareth, born 2000 years ago, called Christ, meaning "the Anointed One", one of the Messianic titles from the Books of the Old Testament. What we know about Christ is what we find in the Gospel, that was never meant to be a biography of Jesus, but an account of the Good News, in Greek "Evangelion"; of his being born among us, his teaching, his death and, in particular, his resurrection. The angel, on the night of his birth, told the shepherds: "I bring you news of great joy,... a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord"; Jesus lived a relatively short life, approximately 33 years. Only during the last 3 years, he came out in public to preach the Good News. Announcing that a new era was dawning: "The time has come, the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News." he started preaching, first in Galilee and then in the whole of Judaea and Jerusalem. His teaching was well received by the people, but not by the establishment, both political and religious. So the high priests, the elders and the scribes got together and decided to have him condemned by the Roman procurator. He was crucified and died on a cross. On the third day he rose again from the dead and his resurrection was witnessed by many. After his ascension into heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles, who at the time of his trial had all abandoned him, with great courage came out in public preaching the GOOD NEWS: "Jesus the Nazarene, whom you have killed, God raised back to life and made him Lord and Christ". This marks the birth of the Christian Church.

Anatolia the Holly Land of the Church

The Christian faith soon started to spread outside the boundaries of Palestine, the land of Jesus. Especially after the open persecution by the Jewish establishment against the new Christian community, considered as a sect and a threat for the Law of Moses, that saw the stoning to death of Stephen, the first martyr, and the beheading of James, brother of John, first among the Apostles to lay down his life for Christ, many Judeo-Christians fled their homeland and took refuge among kinsmen in Diaspora. Among the new Christian communities, the one in Antioch (Antakya) was very lively and well organized. Against this background we come to the first missionary activity of the Church, which to the north-west of Palestine found very fertile soil in Anatolia.

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