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The Pax Romana - Facilitating the Spread of the Gospel

Julian Spriggs M.A.

At the beginning of the first century, with the presence of the Roman Empire, the Mediterranean area was uniquely prepared for the effective spread of the Gospel. It was the first time in history that this area had been at peace, a peace that the Romans boasted about, called the ‘Pax Romana’ Previous centuries had seen continuous wars between kingdoms and empires. At its peak, the Roman Empire covered almost all the territory around the Mediterranean Sea. Never before had this area been a political and military unity. This period of peace lasted for around three hundred years, during which time the church became established throughout the Roman Empire. There were wars around the periphery of the empire, particularly in Persia to the east and against the German tribes to the north, while the heart of the empire remained mostly at peace. A time of peace, when the energies of mankind are not taken up in war and destruction, normally encourages great cultural, intellectual, philosophical and religious development and exchange of ideas, which also favoured the spread of the Gospel and the growth of the church.

One consequence of the Pax Romana was greatly increased travel and commerce. The Romans built a network of paved roads, which made travel easier, enabling ordinary people to travel more than ever before. The seas also became much safer, once the pirates were curbed. Greater travel encouraged great communication of religious and philosophical ideas, including the spread of the Gospel.

Greek was spoken throughout the empire, which facilitated communication of religious ideas, particularly the Gospel. Initially, Greek was the main language of the church, which in later centuries was replaced by Latin in the Western church based in Rome. The Hebrew Scriptures had been translated into Greek (the Septuagint), so were available to be read throughout the Greek-speaking world. Greek remained the main language of the Eastern church based in Byzantium. Following the division of the Roman Empire in 364, the two parts of the church became increasingly separated on linguistic grounds, which was the root which eventually led to the Great Schism which happened many centuries later between the western Latin-speaking Catholic church and eastern Greek-speaking Orthodox churches.

Morally, the Roman Empire was rotten and corrupt, from the emperor downwards, so Christianity, with its high moral standards, attracted many people. The majority of the emperors had very low moral standards, with Augustus and Marcus Aurellius being exceptions. The Roman Empire did not have its own distinctive religious movement, but had taken on Hellenistic thought and religion. This was declining in popularity, leaving a spiritual vacuum. Many people were searching for something which would give them faith and hope. This explains the popularity of the new mystery cults, but especially the readiness for people to respond to the Gospel.

Many Gentiles would regularly attend the synagogues which were present in most major cities around the empire. In the Book of Acts, Luke refers to these people as ‘God-fearers’. They were attracted to the moral values and belief in the One True God of Judaism, but had not become proselytes. Many of these people were eager to respond to the Gospel during Paul’s missionary journeys.

However, the presence of the Roman Empire also had negative effects on the church. Before the fire of Rome in AD 64, Christianity was seen by the Roman authorities as a sect of Judaism. Because Judaism was a legal religion, the state protection granted to the Jews automatically extended to the Christians. In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul frequently appealed for Roman protection against persecution by the Jewish authorities. A significant example of this was his appeal to the emperor (Acts 25:10).

Following the fire of Rome, Nero was blamed for starting the fire because it was known that he intended to rebuild the city as basically a monument to himself. To take the blame off himself, Nero accused the Christians of starting the fire. This created a distinction between the Christians and the Jews in the eyes of the Roman authorities, and brought in the first of many periods of persecution of the church by Rome.

An increasing threat to the church, beginning towards the end of the first century, and growing in the following centuries was the worship of the emperor. Several emperors made this compulsory as a way to unite the empire. As Christians could not worship another god than Jesus, they were seen as disloyal citizens and therefore persecuted.

The Bible

Pages which look at issues relevant to the whole Bible, such as the Canon of Scripture, as well as doctrinal and theological issues. There are also pages about the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and 'lost books' of the Old Testament.

Also included are lists of the quotations of the OT in the NT, and passages of the OT quoted in the NT.

Old Testament Overview

This is a series of six pages which give a historical overview through the Old Testament and the inter-testamental period, showing where each OT book fits into the history of Israel.

New Testament Overview

This is a series of five pages which give a historical overview through the New Testament, focusing on the Ministry of Jesus, Paul's missionary journeys, and the later first century. Again, it shows where each book of the NT fits into the history of the first century.

Introductions to Old Testament Books

This is an almost complete collection of introductions to each of the books in the Old Testament. Each contains information about the authorship, date, historical setting and main themes of the book.

Introductions to New Testament Books

This is a collection of introductions to each of the 27 books in the New Testament. Each contains information about the authorship, date, historical setting and main themes of the book.

Old Testament History

Information about the different nations surrounding Israel, and other articles concerning Old Testament history and the inter-testamental period.

New Testament History

Articles which give additional information about the history and culture of the first century, giving helpful background knowledge for the Gospels and Paul's travels.

Old Testament Studies

A series of articles covering more general topics for OT studies. These include a list of the people named in the OT and confirmed by archaeology. There are also pages to convert the different units of measure in the OT, such as the talent, cubit and ephah into modern units.

More theological topics include warfare in the ancient world, the Holy Spirit in the OT, and types of Jesus in the OT.

Studies in the Pentateuch (Gen - Deut)

A series of articles covering studies in the five books of Moses. Studies in the Book of Genesis look at the historical nature of the early chapters of Genesis, the Tower of Babel and the Table of the Nations.

There are also pages about covenants, the sacrifices and offerings, the Jewish festivals and the tabernacle, as well as the issue of tithing.

Studies in the Old Testament History Books (Josh - Esther)

Articles containing studies and helpful information for the history books. These include a list of the dates of the kings of Israel and Judah, a summary of the kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and studies of Solomon, Jeroboam and Josiah.

There are also pages describing some of the historical events of the period, including the Syro-Ephraimite War, and the Assyrian invasion of Judah in 701 BC.

Studies in the Old Testament Prophets (Is - Mal)

Articles containing studies and helpful information for the OT prophets. These include a page looking at the way the prophets look ahead into their future, a page looking at the question of whether Satan is a fallen angel, and a page studying the seventy weeks of Daniel.

There are also a series of pages giving a commentary through the text of two of the books:
Isaiah (13 pages) and Daniel (10 pages).

New Testament Studies

A series of articles covering more general topics for NT studies. These include a list of the people in the NT confirmed by archaeology.

More theological topics include the Kingdom of God and the Coming of Christ.

Studies in the Four Gospels (Matt - John)

A series of articles covering various studies in the four gospels. These include a list of the unique passages in each of the Synoptic Gospels and helpful information about the parables and how to interpret them.

Some articles look at the life and ministry of Jesus, including his genealogy, birth narratives, transfiguration, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the seating arrangements at the Last Supper.

More theological topics include the teaching about the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete and whether John the Baptist fulfilled the predictions of the coming of Elijah.

Studies in the Book of Acts and the New Testament Letters

A series of articles covering various studies in the Book of Acts and the Letters, including Paul's letters. These include a page studying the messages given by the apostles in the Book of Acts, and the information about the financial collection that Paul made during his third missionary journey.

More theological topics include Paul's teaching on Jesus as the last Adam, and descriptions of the church such as the body of Christ and the temple, as well as a look at redemption and the issue of fallen angels.

There are a series of pages giving a commentary through the text of five of the books:
Romans (7 pages), 1 Corinthians (7 pages), Galatians (3 pages), Philemon (1 page) and Hebrews (7 pages)

Studies in the Book of Revelation

Articles containing studies and helpful information for the study of the Book of Revelation and topics concerning Eschatology (the study of end-times).

These include a description of the structure of the book, a comparison and contrast between the good and evil characters in the book and a list of the many allusions to the OT. For the seven churches, there is a page which gives links to their location on Google maps.

There is a page studying the important theme of Jesus as the Lamb, which forms the central theological truth of the book. There are pages looking at the major views of the Millennium, as well as the rapture and tribulation, as well as a list of dates of the second coming that have been mistakenly predicted through history.

There is also a series of ten pages giving a detailed commentry through the text of the Book of Revelation.

Inductive Bible Study

These are a series of pages giving practical help showing how to study the Bible inductively, by asking a series of simple questions. There are lists of observation and interpretation questions, as well as information about the structure and historical background of biblical books, as well as a list of the different types of figures of speech used in the Bible. There is also a page giving helpful tips on how to apply the Scriptures personally.

Types of Literature in the Bible

These are a series of pages giving practical help showing how to study each of the different types of book in the Bible by appreciating the type of literature being used. These include historical narrative, law, wisdom, prophets, Gospels, Acts, letters and Revelation.

It is most important that when reading the Bible we are taking note of the type of literature we are reading. Each type needs to be considered and interpreted differently as they have different purposes.

Geography and Archaeology

These are a series of pages giving geographical and archaeological information relevant to the study of the Bible. There is a page where you can search for a particular geographical location and locate it on Google maps, as well as viewing photographs on other sites.

There are also pages with photographs from Ephesus and Corinth.

Early Church Fathers

These are a series of pages giving biographical information about some of the more significant early church fathers, such as Irenaeus, Origen and Tertullian, as well as some important groups and events in the first centuries of the church.

Artifacts in the British Museum relevant to Biblical studies

These are a series of pages describing artifacts in each gallery of the British Museum, which have a connection with the Bible.

Biblical Archaeology in Museums around the world

A page with a facility to search for artifacts held in museums around the world which have a connection with the Bible. These give information about each artifact, as well as links to the museum's collection website where available showing high resolution photographs of the artifact.

There is also page of photographs from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem of important artifacts.

Historical documents

These are a series of pages containing historical documents which give helpful information for Biblical studies. These include Hittite suzerainty treaties with a similar structure to the Book of Deuteronomy, different lists of the New Testament books and quotations from Josephus and other ancient writers.

Life Questions

These are a series of pages looking at some of the more difficult questions of Christian theology, including war, suffering, disappointment and what happens to those who have never heard the Gospel.

How to Preach

These are a series of pages giving a practical step-by-step explanation of the process of preparing a message for preaching, and how to lead a small group Bible study.

Information for SBS staff members

Two pages particularly relevant for people serving as staff on the School of Biblical Studies (SBS) in YWAM. One gives helpful instruction about how to prepare to teach on a book in the SBS. The other gives a list of recommended topics which can be taught about for each book of the Bible.