History and Thoughts of Antioch Church until the end of the Fathers era

From the commercial point of view, Antioch was important crossroad of Euphrates, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor and Palestine and gathering place for Greek, Egyptian, Syrian and Asian merchants. Also, due to the presence of Jews in Palestine, it was the confluence point of Greek culture and Jewish religion. From the beginning of the Christianity, apostles were in the area and thus it became one of the most important centers of the early Christianity. It was in Antioch that the followers and disciples of Jesus were called “Christians” for the first time. Paul in his missionary journey to Greece, Asia Minor and Antioch, Selected the Antioch as the center of his missionary. St. Peter has been introduced as the founder and first bishop of the Church of Antioch by the church fathers and historians. The major importance of Antioch was because of its centrality to the first Gentile church and the Hellenist Gentile Christianity. Early Christianity was influenced by Gnostic and philosophical schools. The Logos is one of the most important doctrines which is used in the Gospel of John and also the works of the great Christian theologians of Antioch. Some of the characteristics of the Antioch school which is mentioned in the early Christian writings are its literal interpretation of the Bible in contrast to the allegorical interpretation of Alexandrian school, and its emphasis on humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ.