Course: Church History (1)
Course
Title: Church
History and the Standard of the New Testament
Section
One: Departure from the simplicity of the New
Testament Church.
Lesson
Two: The
Historical Background to the New Testament
Introduction: The Roman Empire during the time of
the New Testament
Factors that
attributed to the spread of the Gospel.
Roman
Emperors during the time of the New Testament
Julio-Claudian
Emperors (Birth of Jesus – Death of Paul in
Flavian Emperors (Siege of
Main
Points
1. Augustus Caesar (63 BC – AD 14)
Augustus
was the first Emperor of the
Pontifex Maximus
Augustus
took the title Pontifex Maximus
in 12 BC
Pontifex
Maximus was the head of the priesthood of Ancient
Rome
The
office was held for life.
People were
commanded to offer sacrifice to the Emperor.
Jews were
exempt (religio licita)
The title
Pontifex Maximus was
retained by the Bishop of Rome after the fall of the
The
birth of Jesus took place when Augustus was Emperor (c. 6-5 BC)
Luke 2:1 ¶ And it came to pass
in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the
world should be taxed.
Luke 2:2 ¶ (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of
Publius Sulpicius Quirinius
(c.51BC – AD21)
Greek Quirinius - Κυρήνιος
- Kyrenios or Cyrenius
Governor of Syria (AD 6)
There is a
problem here with the date.
The census when
Quirinius was governor of Syria took place c.AD 6 after Archelaus was banished
and Judea and Samaria came under the control of a Roman procurator.
Herod had been
dead for 9 years before Quirinius became governor and the census of Luke 2:2
took place at least 2 years before the death of Herod..
Luke 2:2 appears
to be translated incorrectly and should read ‘before Cyrenius was governor of
Syria.
The Greek work
‘prote’ prwth means
‘first in order’ and can therefore mean before.
The census in
Luke 2:2 must have been an earlier census that took place before the census
carried out after Quirinius became governor of Syria.
After the death of Herod (4 BC).
Herod’s
Kingdom divided between his 3 sons (4 BC)
Archelaus
ethnarch of
Antipas
and Philip ruled as tetrarchs (a fourth part of the kingdom)
Herod
Antipas tetrarch of
Herod Philip tetrarch of the north- eastern province.
He reigned 37 years – died 20th year of Tiberius (AD 34)
After
complaints from Jews and Samaritans, Archelaus was
banished by
Then
A census
was made in AD 6 providing details of population and resources for the purpose
of taxing the Jews.
Formation
of Zealots
Taxation
by
2. Emperor Tiberius (14-37)
There was
a time of good government in
In AD 26
Tiberius went to
Sejanus
was left in control of
Sejanus
was head of the praetorium guard and trusted by
Tiberius.
Sejanus
betrayed this trust and conspired against the imperial family.
Sejanus
was killed in AD 31.
The ministry of Jesus took place during the
time of unrest in
3. Caligula (12-41)
Caligula
regarded himself as a god. He had an
incestuous affair with his sister who he murdered.
Caligula
ordered his image to be placed in the Jewish temple in
The order
was never carried out and Caligula was murdered in AD 41.
4. Claudius (10BC - 54AD)
Claudius
was the friend of Herod Agrippa (10BC-44AD) - Acts 12
Suetonius
(69-c.130)
Roman
biographer
SUETONIUS The Twelve Caesars, Claudius, par. 25.
‘He
banished from
See Acts
18:2
5. Nero (37-68)
Nero became emperor through the scheming of his mother, Agrippina.
Agrippina married Claudius who then adopted Nero as his
son.
Nero later murdered his mother, Agrippina.
Death of
James (c.AD 62)
Flavius
Josephus (c.37-100) - Wrote the account of how James was stoned to
death in
Ananus assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]
Book 20 Chapter 9:1.
The Fire
of
Tacitus
(55-117)
The
Annals of
‘Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace.
Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.
Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind.
Mockery
of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they
were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to
the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had
expired.’
Nero’s
Nero
offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus,
while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on
a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment,
there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the
public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed.
6. Vespasian and Titus
The War
of the Jews (AD 66 – 70)
Vespasian
left
His son
Titus was left to put down the rebellion.
Josephus
gives a detailed account of the war of the Jews which ended with the
destruction of
Titus
held a procession in
Arch of
Titus in
spoils
from
Titus
became Emperor after his father.
7. Domitian (51-96)
Domitian was the son of Vespasian and the brother of Titus.
The Persecution of Apostle John under Domitian
Eusebius
Chapter XVIII
‘It is
said that in this persecution the apostle and evangelist John, who was still
alive, was condemned to dwell on the
Irenaeus,
in the fifth book of his work Against Heresies, where he discusses the number
of the name of Antichrist which is given in the so-called Apocalypse of John,
speaks as follows concerning him: “If it were necessary for his name to be
proclaimed openly at the present time, it would have been declared by him who
saw the revelation. For it was seen not long ago, but almost in our own
generation, at the end of the reign of Domitian.”
To such a degree, indeed, did the teaching of our faith flourish at that time that even those writers who were far from our religion did not hesitate to mention in their histories the persecution and the martyrdoms which took place during it.
And they, indeed, accurately indicated the time. For they recorded that in the fifteenth year of Domitian Flavia Domitilla, daughter of a sister of Flavius Clement, who at that time was one of the consuls of Rome, was exiled with many others to the island of Pontia in consequence of testimony borne to Christ.’