📖 Biblical Definition
Port city of Pamphylia in southern Asia Minor (modern Antalya, Turkey), named after Attalus II of Pergamon who founded it. Attalia is the embarkation-point for the return voyage of Paul and Barnabas at the end of the first missionary journey: And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled (Acts 14:25-26). The Acts narrative is precise: from Antioch, the missionaries had gone to Seleucia (the port), sailed to Salamis (Cyprus), preached across Cyprus to Paphos, sailed from Paphos to Perga, traveled inland through Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, then retraced the route through Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Perga, and finally to Attalia for the return voyage. From Attalia they sailed directly to Antioch. Arriving home, they gathered the church together and rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). The patriarchal-Reformed reader notes the precision of the Acts missionary geography and the substantial pattern of the first journey: the apostles labored extensively, returned home for substantive accountability and report, and gave the LORD the credit for the opened door of faith to the Gentiles. The pattern of report-back is significant: missions are not autonomous enterprises but accountable engagements of the sending church.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Port city of Pamphylia (modern Antalya, Turkey); embarkation-point for Paul and Barnabas's return voyage at the end of the first missionary journey (Acts 14:25-26).
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ATTALIA, proper n. (NT place; Greek Attaleia, named after Attalus II of Pergamon) Port city of Pamphylia in southern Asia Minor (modern Antalya, Turkey). Embarkation-point for Paul and Barnabas's return voyage at the end of the first missionary journey: And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled (Acts 14:25-26). At Antioch the missionaries gathered the church and rehearsed all that God had done, how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). Pattern of accountable mission-and-report.
📖 Key Scripture
Acts 14:25-26 — "And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled."
Acts 14:27 — "And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles."
Acts 13:1-3 — "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers... As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."
Romans 15:24 — "Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
No major postmodern redefinition. The principal recovery is Attalia as the embarkation-point of the return voyage and the pattern of mission-and-report.
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Attalia as a place name does not undergo lexical corruption. The principal contemporary recovery is the pattern of mission-and-report the Attalia-to-Antioch return voyage establishes. The missionaries did not view themselves as autonomous spiritual freelancers; they returned to their sending church, gathered the congregation, rehearsed all that God had done, and credited the LORD with opening the door of faith to the Gentiles. The pattern is important: missions are accountable engagements of the sending church, not autonomous enterprises; the missionary's return-and-report is integral to the integrity of the mission. The patriarchal-Reformed missions-theology retains this pattern in contemporary practice through mission-board accountability, regular furlough-and-report, and the sending church's substantive involvement in the missionary's life and labor.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Acts 14:25-26; Pamphylian port; embarkation for return to Antioch; pattern of mission-and-report.
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['Greek', 'G825', 'Attaleia', 'Attalia']
['Greek', '—', 'Attalos', 'Attalus II of Pergamon']
['Greek', 'G3828', 'Pamphulia', 'Pamphylia']
Usage
"Attalia: port city of Pamphylia (modern Antalya, Turkey)."
"Embarkation for Paul and Barnabas's return voyage from first journey (Acts 14:25-26)."
"Pattern of accountable mission-and-report to sending church."