Establishment of Churches - Churches established by A.D. 40 – Part 2

Church History: Paphos– A city on the Isle of Cyprus established after the stoning of Stephen; Acts 11:19
It is a maritime city on the western extremity of the isle of Cyprus. It had a tolerable harbor, and was the station of a Roman proconsul. About sixty furlongs from the city was the celebrated temple of Venus, who was hence often called the "Paphian goddess." The infamous rites in honor of this goddess continued to be practiced hundreds of years after Paul and Barnabas introduced the gospel here, though their labors were blessed with some fruits, Acts 13:6-13.10

Salamis – A city on the Isle of Cyprus established after the stoning of Stephen; Acts 11:19
This is the chief city of the isle of Cyprus, visited by Paul and Barnabas, A. D. 48. This was the native isle of Barnabas, and many Jews resided there to whom the gospel had already been carried, Acts 4:36; 11:19-20; 21:16. Paul's visit was signalized by the miracle wrought on Elymas, and by the conversion of the governor, Sergius Paulus, Acts 13:5-12. Sakanus was a large city, situated on the east side of the island, and was afterwards called Constantia.

Sidon – Established after the stoning of Stephen; Acts 11:19
In the Old Testament ZIDON, now called Saida, was celebrated city of Phoenicia, on the Mediterranean Sea, twenty miles north of Tyre and as many south of Beirut. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world, Genesis 49:13, and is believed to have been founded by Zidon, the eldest son of Canaan, Genesis 10:15; 49:13. In the time of Homer, the Zidonians were eminent for their trade and commerce, their wealth and prosperity, their skill in navigation, astronomy, architecture, and for their manufactures of glass, etc. They had then a commodious harbor, now choked with sand and inaccessible to any but the smallest vessels. Upon the division of Canaan among the tribes by Joshua, Great Zidon fell to the lot of Asher, Joshua 11:8; 19:28; but that tribe never succeeded in obtaining possession, Judges 1:31; 3:3; 10:12. The Zidonians continued long under their own government and kings, though sometimes tributary to the kings of Tyre. They were subdued successively by the Babylonians, Egyptians, Seleucidae, and Romans the latter of whom deprived them of their freedom. Many of the inhabitants of Sidon became followers of our Savior, Mark 3:8, and he himself visited their freedom. Many of them also resorted to him in Galilee, Luke 6:17. The gospel was proclaimed to the Jews at Sidon after the martyrdom of Stephen, Acts 11:19, and there was a Christian church there, when Paul visited it on his voyage to Rome, Acts 27:3. It is at present, like most of the other Turkish towns in Syria, dirty and full of ruins, thought it still retains a little coasting trade, and has five thousand inhabitants. It incurred the judgments of God for its sins, Ezekiel 28:21-24, though less ruinously than Tyre. Our Savior refers to both cities, in reproaching the Jews as more highly favored and less excusable than they, Matthew 11:22. Saida occupies an elevated promontory, projecting into the sea, and defended by walls. Its environs watered by a stream from their beautiful gardens, and fruit trees of every kind.