New Testament Essay 2
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Crawford, 1
Noah Crawford
Professor Larson
BIBL 102 New Testament Survey
24 April 2019
Acts of the Early Church
The book of Acts in the New Testament serves as part of the greatest literature of all time.
It describes the acts of the early church and specifically the spread of the Gospel to the world. It
is rich in history so to mine even greater comprehension it is necessary to understand the cultural
conditions missionaries faced in Rome during the early A.D.’s. Themes of persecution, suffering,
and Roman idolatry will appear prominent for the earliest missionaries beginning to fulfill the
Great Commission.
The conditions for missionaries during the time frame of A.D.30-60's were challenging. It
would be good to start with understanding how Jews in Rome were treated before Christian
missionaries made their approach. Ferguson notes in his book, “Judaism enjoyed a privileged
position in the Roman empire… They had been allied with Rome during the Maccabean age, and
had rendered important assistance to Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar. Consequently the
Jews had free exercise of the religion and were exempted from worshiping the deities of the
Roman state” (Ferguson 342, 343). Then, there came a turn of events when Roman Caesars
began defining themselves as god. This trend, otherwise known as Ruler Cult (153), would begin
a major division between religions in Rome. Ferguson summarizes, “The subject of the ruler cult
has special importance for the study of early Christianity because it formed the focal point of the
early church’s conflict with paganism” (153). Thus, came an immediate clash between
Crawford, 2
Christianity’s triune claim and the Roman blur concerning humanity and divinity. Understanding
this sheds light on the conditions missionaries would face within the Roman Empire.
The conditions for missionaries in the Roman Empire varied. Walter Elwell writes in his
textbook,
Encountering the New Testament
, “The Roman world in which Paul and other apostles
preached was a world in which a very large empire could protect but also threaten the individual
person and new movements like early Christianity” (Elwell 183). It seemed as though the
conditions were just right for the spread of Christianity. First, there was a common language:
Greek (182). How important this would be to transport any sort of message, especially one as
radical as the message of Jesus. This also produced what is called, “Pax Romana” which is Latin
for “Roman Peace” (182). The earliest missionaries were able to communicate their message in
one language and could do so in a peaceful environment. Probably most significant for the
missionaries, however, was a network of roads and sea routes established by the expanding
Roman Empire. This allowed for more efficient travel and spreading of the Gospel (182). Even
with these three critical pieces, the Roman Empire was far from ideal for missionaries. Studying
Caesars like Nero and Domitian will shed light on the persecutions experienced by the early
church within of the Roman Empire.
Nero’s rule from A.D. 54-68 was a dramatic one. He became Caesar after his mother
poisoned her husband (and uncle) who was the current ruler at the time (181). As he grew in
power, he would murder his mother, kick one of his wives to death, and set Rome on fire to
divert attention of his demise, blaming Christians for doing so (181). He was known for his
torture of Christians, setting some on fire while still alive. (181) His rule was full of persecution
and suffering for Christians, and the next in line would continue his legacy.
Crawford, 3
Domitian (A.D. 81-96) seemed to run the government slightly better than Nero, but still
maintained much cruelty towards Christians, similar to that of his predecessors (182). He is said
to have used “Lord and God” as his title in both writings and in conversations (182). It is thought
that the persecutions mentioned in the book of Revelation reflect conditions during his rule
(182). These two Caesars bring attention to the obvious: while the Roman Empire was favorable
to the spread of Christianity with a universal language, peace, and modes of transportation,
missionaries faced some of the harshest persecutions and suffering that is rarely experienced
(much less understood) in Western society.
While the persecution and suffering may seem discouraging to readers, it is critical to
note that these missionaries did not view it negatively. Instead, the extraordinary miracles that
took place all across the book of Acts such as the casting out of demons (8:7; 16:18; 19:12),
healing of the sick (3:6-7; 5:16; 9:34) and even raising of the dead (9:40) made the persecution
worthwhile. Powell writes, “Even the persecution of believers becomes an occasion for victory:
when disciples are savagely beaten, they rejoice that they have been counted worthy of suffering
for Jesus (5:14); when they are imprisoned, they sing hymns (16:25). Nothing, it seems, can
dampen their spirits or deter their confidence” (227). The bravery of these first Christians is
inspiring and bring to mind the cry of a man martyred for his faith that may be the cry of many
more: “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this
sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60, NIV). May all Christians hold so
steadily to their trust in God.
Studying what early missionaries faced challenged my personal faith. The question that
kept running through my head through this study was, “Would I be willing to go through that?” I
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Crawford, 4
really am convinced that in our Western society, we truly do not understand what it means to
suffer or face persecution. We may feel slight uncomfortable at times for our faith, but never
once have I faced a death sentenced because of it. Thanks to this essay, my prayer has become
that I would have the faith of Stephen and all other martyrs of the faith.
Crawford, 5
Works Cited
Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough.
Encountering the New Testament: a
Historical and Theological Survey
. Third ed., Grand Rapids
. Baker Academic, 2013.
Print.
Ferguson, Everett.
Backgrounds of Early Christianity
. Grand Rapids. Eerdmans, 2009. Print.
Powell, Mark Allan.
Introducing the New Testament: a Historical, Literary, and Theological
Survey
. Second ed., Grand Rapids. Baker Academic, 2018. Print.
The Holy Bible
. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. Print. New International Version. Print.