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St. Peter

St. Peter
Founder of the Syriac Orthodox Church

The foundation of the Syriac Orthodox Church can be traced directly back to the early Christian community at Antioch in the ancient Roman province of Syria, where the converts were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). Thus, the Church in Antioch was the first established Church for all the new converts to come together, pray, and partake of the Sacraments.

After the resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles received the Holy Spirit and were instructed to spread the Gospel of Christ around the entire world. Church history has shown that a major portion of St. Peter’s missionary work occurred in Antioch. This was a strategic choice as Antioch was the 3rd largest city in the Roman Empire at that time and had a large Jewish population, making it a perfect place to preach the Gospel. St. Peter found great success in preaching in Antioch, as the people there were already very educated on the Old Testament scriptures and prophecies. St. Peter was the first official bishop of Antioch and continued to spread the faith to other surrounding regions.

After St. Peter’s martyrdom, St. Evodius was ordained as the next bishop of Antioch, thus ensuring the continuity of Christian leadership in the city. Later, Ignatius of Antioch, a significant early Christian theologian and martyr, succeeded Evodius.  The Christian community in Antioch flourished, attracting converts from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. This diversity enriched the church’s liturgical and cultural practices. The Syriac language, a dialect of Aramaic that was spoken by Jesus, became the liturgical language of the church, continuing the apostolic traditions to this day.

Because of St. Igantius’s great influence in converting Gentiles, the Church decided to include “Ignatius” (the Illuminator) in the name of all the Patriarchs since 1293. Currently, the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church is Mar Ignatius Aphram II.

Sources:

  • Coptic Synxarium
  • Bible, English Standard Version
  • Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition
  • https://syriacpatriarchate.org/history/