Sunday Morning Introduction and Background Class

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Sunday Morning Introduction and Background
Class 4 Roman Rule and the New Testament
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• I. Background to the Romans
• Forming at the time of the Persians
• A knack for borrowing and making their own
  version of another peoples technology, culture,
  religion
• Halfway through the intertestamental period they
  are becoming a force in the Mediterranean area
• They slowly supplant the rule of the Greeks in
  the eastern Med. but are absorbed into Greek
  culture

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II. Extent of Roman Rule
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• III. Organization and Government
• Republic governed by the senate

• Transition
• Internal strife
• Julius Caesar becomes consul
• Assassination
• More disarray

Julius Caesar
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• Empire
• Octavian (Augustus) positions himself to be
  permanent dictator emperorship develops
• Hailed as a new era Augustus viewed as
  a savior
• pax romana 200 years
• Roman rule 400 years

Octavian (Augustus)
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• Sophisticated, central authority
• Urban civilization
• Slavery

Model of Ancient Rome
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• IV. Military
• Probably the best overall fighting force in
  history
• Volunteer, professional soldiers
• Arena for greatest leadership

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• Organization
• Legions - _at_6,000
• Senate members commanders
• Backbone of the military the centurion
• Infantry, calvary, specialists
• Praetorium guard elite unit for
  the emperor

• Policing the empire was the main role
• Pauls illustrations

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• V. Citizenship
• Privileges
• Voting
• Limitations on punishment
• Right of appeal
• Means
• Birth to citizens
• Manumission from slave to citizen
• Favor
• Military service
• Rome assimilated new peoples into an impressive
  unity

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• V. Engineering
• Stood on the shoulders of earlier civilizations
  but did it on a grander scale
• Civil works were a necessary part of maintaining
  urban centers, centralized authority, and the
  order and peace they valued in the empire
• Roads, bridges, aqueducts, sewers, dams, canals,
  and reservoirs

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Fosse Way (Lincoln to Bristol) 40-50 AD
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• VI. Observations
• Greek culture facilitated the spread of the
  gospel language and a tradition of the exchange
  of ideas
• Roman empire facilitated the spread the of the
  gospel
• Advanced, rapid communication (letters)
• Efficient transportation (migration of believers,
  mobility of preachers)
• Stable society without chaos

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• Tutoring of concepts
• Slavery and redepmtion
• Citizenship in another land
• Warfare and soldiering
• Lord
• Adoption

Galatians 44-5 But when the fullness of the time
had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a
woman, born under the law, to redeem those who
were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption as sons.
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Within this mightiest of empires, built upon
human strength, accomplishment, and glory, the
Messiah emerges and the kingdom of heaven is born