Cypr – wyspa ewangelicznej siejby poprzez wieki (część I)

Abstract

The evangelization of Cyprus, as shown by St Luke in The Acts of the Apostles, can be perceived as a miniature-pattern for the process of expansion and triumph of Christianity in the ancient world, which was initiated on the very island. While focusing on the beginnings of Christianization of Cyprus, the article aims at presenting, first of all, the rich historical and multicultural background, encountered and “inherited” here by the new religion, as the soil for sowing the evangelistic seed in. The following two parts of the article, showing the Greek-speaking Jewish diaspora on the island as praeparatio evangelica, depict the process of rooting of the Gospel on Cyprus. The first stage of that process is connected with the activity of the precursors of Barnabas and Saul, involved in evangelizing mission on the island. Scattered, as a result of persecution which took place in Jerusalem when deacon Stephen was killed, the precursors (mentioned by St Luke in Acts 11), come over as exceptionally courageous torch-bearers of the new faith, engaged in the pursuit of missionary path preparation for Saul-Paul and Barnabas on Cyprus. Their mission on the island, as the second stage of evangelization of Cyprus, spread from its eastern boundary to the western one, and was accomplished in the capital city of Paphos by conspicuous conversion of the Roman governor of Cyprus, which was the “opening a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27) and a paragon for future evangelization of the whole Roman Empire.