Evodius

Evodius (d. circa 69) is a saint in the Christian church and one of the first identifiable Christians.

Very little is known of the life of Evodius. However, he was a pagan who converted to Christianity due to the apostolic work of Saint Peter. In the Book of Acts, one of the first communities to receive evangelism was the Jews and pagans of Antioch. The city was opulent and cosmopolitan, and there were both Hellenized Jews and pagans influenced by monotheism. The term "Christian" was coined for these Gentile (mainly Greek) converts, and Peter became the bishop of Antioch and led the church there. When Peter left Antioch for Rome, he was succeeded as bishop of Antioch by a man named Evodius.

Evodius was bishop of Antioch until 69 AD, when Ignatius of Antioch succeeded him. It is more likely that Evodius died of natural causes, in office, than that he was martyred. As one of the first pagans to come to the new church, he is venerated in both the eastern and western churches as a saint. His feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is May 6.

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