Seven churches of Asia
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The seven churches of Asia (properly Asia Minor) are seven major churches of the early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All sites are in modern-day Turkey. In Revelation, Jesus Christ instructs 'Saint John the Evangelist' to:
- Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. (Revelation 1:11, NRSV)
It should be understood that "churches" in this context refers to the community of Christians living in each city, and not merely to the building or buildings in which they gathered for worship.
The seven churches are located in:
- Ephesus
- Smyrna, modern day İzmir
- Pergamon, modern-day Bergama
- Thyatira, modern-day Akhisar
- Sardis,
- Philadelphia, modern-day Alaşehir
- Laodicea, near modern-day Denizli (see Laodicean Church)
There is a common mnemonic for memorizing the seven cities: "Every smart person thinks, 'Start ... (ph)finish later.'"
