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{{Short description|Ancient Christian church}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Primary sources|date=January 2024}}
The '''Church of Antioch''' ({{langx|ar|كنيسة أنطاكية|translit=kánīsa ʾanṭākiya}}, {{IPA|ar|ka.niː.sa ʔan.tˤaː.ki.ja|pron}}; {{langx|tr|Antakya Kilisesi}}) was the first of the five major churches of what later became the [[pentarchy]] in [[Christianity]], with its primary seat in the ancient Greek city of [[Antioch]] (present-day [[Antakya|Antakya, Turkey]]).

[[File:ChurchSaintPeterAntakya.jpg|thumb|
[[Church of Saint Peter]], [[Antioch]]]]

The earliest record of the church of Antioch is given in [[Acts 11]], stating that some "men of Cyprus and [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]], which, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus [...] and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord."<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|11:26|NIV}}</ref> Later, at the start of their missionary journeys, [[Paul the Apostle]] (also called Saul) and [[Barnabas]] preached in Antioch for a year, and followers of the church were called "Christians" for the first time.<ref name=":0">Smith's Bible Dictionary</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}}

==History==
Followers of Jesus trace the origin of the term Christian to the church community that developed in Antioch. The organized life of the early Christian church began after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, especially at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles.<ref>Acts 2:1–41.</ref> Following the martyrdom of Stephen and the resulting persecution in Jerusalem, many believers were scattered into surrounding regions and preached the gospel as they went.<ref>Acts 7:54–60; Acts 8:1–4.</ref> Some of these dispersed believers reached Antioch, where they proclaimed the message to both Jews and Gentiles, and a significant community of disciples formed.<ref>Acts 11:19–21.</ref> When the church in Jerusalem learned of this development, it sent Barnabas to Antioch; Barnabas later retrieved Saul (Paul) from Tarsus, and the two taught the believers for a year.<ref>Acts 11:22–26.</ref> It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called “Christians.”<ref>Acts 11:26.</ref>

According to verses 19–26 of Acts 11, [[Barnabas]] went to Tarsus in search of [[Paul the Apostle|Saul]] and brought him to Antioch. They met with the church and taught for a year. The disciples, who had been scattered because of persecution in Jerusalem, were first called ''Christians'' in Antioch.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|11:19–26}}</ref> One of the leading members of this group was Barnabas, who was sent to organize the new church. The group later became the [[Patriarch of Antioch|Patriarchate of Antioch]], part of the [[pentarchy]] as one of the five great [[patriarchate]]s.

Saul, also known as Paul the Apostle, began his missionary journeys in Antioch.<ref name=":0" />{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}} According to Acts, [[Judaizers]] from Jerusalem caused a disturbance in the church.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|15:1|NIV}}</ref> Paul started his first missionary journey from Antioch and returned there.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|13:1-3|NIV}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|14:26|NIV}}</ref> After the [[Apostolic Decree|Jerusalem decree]] to the gentile converts in Antioch, Paul began his second missionary journey from Antioch.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|15:36,18:22-23|NIV}}</ref> His third journey also began there. [[Ignatius of Antioch|Ignatius]] then served as bishop there for forty years until his martyrdom in 107 AD.<ref>Faussett's Bible Dictionary</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Antioch served as a central point for sending missionaries to the gentiles, probably after the [[Great Commission]]. [[Nicolas the Deacon|Nicolas]], one of the [[Seven Deacons]], was a missionary from Antioch.

Antioch was also the birthplace of [[John Chrysostom]], a prominent Christian father who died in 407{{Nbsp}}AD.<ref>Easton's Bible Dictionary</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}}

The seat of the Patriarchate was originally in Antioch (in present-day [[Turkey]]). In response to the Ottoman invasion in the 15th century, it was moved to Damascus.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Some ancient synagogue priestly [[Christian liturgy|rite]]s and [[hymn]]s of Greek origin have partially survived to the modern day, particularly in the unique worship of the [[Melkite]] and [[Greek Orthodox]] communities in the Turkish [[Hatay Province|Hatay province]], Syria, Lebanon and northern Israel. Members of these communities still refer to themselves as [[Rum (endonym)|''Rūm'']], which literally means "Eastern Romans" or "Byzantines" in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Arabic]]. The term ''Rūm'' is preferred to ''Yūnāniyyūn'', which means "Greek" or "Ionian".{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

==Successive branches==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2024}}

===Oriental Orthodox===
*The [[Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East|Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East]] which claims to be the descendants of those Antiochians who rejected [[Council of Chalcedon|Chalcedon]], forming their own visible hierarchy and polity after the non-Chalcedonian Antiochians re-entered communion with the [[Holy See]].

===Eastern Orthodox===
*The [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch|Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East]] which claims to be the descendants of those Antiochians who accepted [[Council of Chalcedon|Chalcedon]], forming their own visible hierarchy and polity after the Chalcedonian Antiochians re-entered communion with the [[Holy See]].

===Catholic===
The [[Maronite Church|Maronite]], [[Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch|Melkite]], and [[Syriac Catholic Church|Syriac]] Catholic patriarchates are in [[full communion]] with the [[Catholic Church]] and thus recognise each other's claims. The Catholic Church also appointed a [[Latin Patriarch of Antioch]] in 1100 by way of [[Bohemond I of Antioch|Bohemond]] (founder of the [[Principality of Antioch]], one of the [[crusader states]]). After the [[Crusades]], this office became titular in 1268, and lasted as titular for many centuries until it was abolished in 1964.

The Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East was founded by [[Maron]] in the 5th century; it survived the later [[Muslim conquest of the Levant|Muslim invasions]], reaffirming communion with Rome in the 12th century.

The Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and of All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem was the contiguous Chalcedonian faction of the Church of Antioch, otherwise known as [[Melkites]] by then patriarch [[Cyril VI Tanas]], who brought the patriarchate back into communion with  [[Holy See|Rome]]. Those who rejected communion with Rome formed the modern day [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch]].

The Syriac Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch was the contiguous non-Melkite, [[non-Chalcedonian]] faction of the Church of Antioch first formed after the [[Council of Chalcedon]]. With the election of the Catholic-aligned [[Ignatius Andrew Akijan|Andrew Akijan]] as Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, the patriarchate subsequently re-entered into full communion with [[Holy See|Rome]], and later re-established communion again in 1782 with the election of Patriarch [[Ignatius Michael III Jarweh|Michael III Jarweh]] as the same, with those who rejected communion with Rome forming the modern [[Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch]].

== See also ==

* [[Early Christianity]]
* [[Incident at Antioch]]
* [[God-fearer]]

== References ==
<references/>

{{Patriarchates in Christianity}}
{{Patriarchs of Antioch}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Of Antioch}}
[[Category:Ancient Antioch]]
[[Category:History of Eastern Catholicism]]
[[Category:History of Eastern Orthodoxy]]
[[Category:Apostolic sees]]