Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria rapidly became the intellectual and commercial jewel of the eastern Mediterranean. Its famed library, lighthouse, and cosmopolitan harbor drew Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Africans, and a large Jewish population. By the first century AD, estimates place the Jewish community at several hundred thousand, organized into their own quarters and governed by a Jewish ethnarch. The city’s climate of learning produced the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that would later serve as the primary Old Testament of the early Church.

Alexandrian Jews in the New Testament Narrative

Acts references Alexandrian Jews twice, using the term Ἀλεξανδρεύς (Strong’s 221):

• Acts 6:9 – “But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia, rose up to debate with Stephen.”
• Acts 18:24 – “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, well-versed in the Scriptures.”

These occurrences provide a snapshot of two distinct streams within the same diaspora community: opposition to the gospel (Acts 6) and fruitful service to it (Acts 18).

The Synagogue of the Freedmen (Acts 6:9)

1. Composition: Hellenistic Jews who had once been slaves or descendants of slaves freed by Rome, grouped by geographic origin—Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia.
2. Dispute with Stephen: Their inability to withstand Stephen’s Spirit-empowered wisdom (Acts 6:10) led to false accusations and the first recorded martyrdom of the Church (Acts 7).
3. Significance: Highlights how Greek-speaking Jews, even those steeped in philosophical culture, could fiercely defend tradition when confronted with the messianic claims of Jesus.

Apollos the Alexandrian (Acts 18:24-28; 1 Corinthians 1–4; 16:12; Titus 3:13)

1. Formation: “Eloquent… mighty in the Scriptures,” Apollos personifies the best of Alexandrian scholarship married to fervent faith.
2. Teaching and Growth: Equipped with only John’s baptism, he spoke boldly of Jesus until Priscilla and Aquila “explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).
3. Ministry Impact: In Achaia he “vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 18:28). Paul later commends him as a valued co-laborer (1 Corinthians 3:6).
4. Lessons: Intellectual preparation, teachability, and cooperation within the body yield powerful gospel advance.

Alexandrian Contributions to Biblical Interpretation

• The Septuagint (LXX) translated in Alexandria familiarized Greek-speaking Jews and Gentiles with Israel’s Scriptures and provided apostolic writers with shared vocabulary for prophecy citation.
• Philosophical bridges: Thinkers like Philo attempted to harmonize Moses with Plato. Though Philo is not quoted in the New Testament, his milieu explains the Hellenistic categories confronted and redeemed in apostolic preaching (Colossians 2:8).
• Typological sensitivity: The allegorical method later refined in the Alexandrian catechetical school (Clement, Origen) finds early precedent in Stephen’s defense (Acts 7) and Apollos’ Scripture proofs.

Theological Themes

1. Providence in Diaspora: Jeremiah 29:7’s call to “seek the welfare of the city” bore fruit as dispersed Jews gained linguistic and cultural tools later used for gospel proclamation.
2. Word and Wisdom: Alexandrian eloquence, when yielded to Scripture and the Holy Spirit, becomes a strategic asset (1 Corinthians 1:17-24).
3. Freedom and Opposition: The Freedmen contrast with Apollos, illustrating how the same environment can produce resistance or receptivity depending on the heart (Acts 28:24-28).

Ministry Applications

• Equip the gifted: Like Priscilla and Aquila with Apollos, churches should disciple articulate believers so their influence remains doctrinally sound.
• Engage the cultured: Paul’s mission strategy embraced urban centers resembling Alexandria (Acts 17:16-34). Modern evangelism likewise benefits from addressing academic and multicultural hubs.
• Guard humility: Parties in Corinth rallied around Apollos or Paul (1 Corinthians 3:4). Acknowledging every servant’s place under Christ avoids factionalism.

Further Study

Acts 6–7; Acts 18–19; 1 Corinthians 1–4; Titus 3:13

Historical background: Josephus, Antiquities 14.117-118; Philo, In Flaccum

Septuagint preface to the Letter of Aristeas

Strong’s 221 encapsulates more than a demonym; it invites reflection on God’s sovereign use of a great Hellenistic city to prepare witnesses, sharpen opponents, translate Scripture, and cultivate a church equipped for the world.