Page 127 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

“Roman religion itself followed in the lines of the Greek Pantheon. The Roman interpretation of
Greek religion meant that Zeus was Jupiter; Poseidon, Neptune; Hera, Juno; Athene, Minerva;
Aphrodite, Venus; Ares becomes Mars; Artemis, Diana…Heracles changes a couple of letters to
become Hercules…of the major divinities only Apollo retains his name unchanged in both
cultures.”
171

Different cities would have a different primary deity they served, though they
certainly served others as well. In Corinth for instance the remnants of the
temple of Apollo, see the picture on the right, can still be visited. As we saw
172
in the section on Asian Minor, the temple of Artemis (Diana to Romans) was a
wonder of the ancient world (see reconstruction below).
173

Along with the
Pantheon of
Greek or Roman
deities,
households
would have
deities they
personally worshiped to gain favor and
blessings. These deities were usually
passed down from generation to
generation. Many Christians had
difficulties knowing how exactly to engage
with the city rituals and related issues. In
Romans, the issue of food sacrificed to
idols comes up. Paul says anyone can eat
it who can do so with a clean conscience.
Anyone who cannot is sinning if they eat it. To participate in these festivals and rituals was not just the
religion of the local community. It was often seen as what it meant to be part of the community. This is
like African Traditional Religion in different tribes. To refuse to participate can be seen as inviting bad
fortune on the community. It often involves being looked down on and being suspicious to the members
of the community. The situation was similar in the communities in the Hellenistic world. Like Paul, we
must learn to minister carefully in a world that may view our refusal to take part in certain ceremonies
or cultural views as hostile. The question is, will we be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel despite the
danger we may face?

Social:

In the Hellenistic world there was many social customs that help us understand the meaning of different
parts of the epistles in the New Testament. The Greeks for instance valued schools and rhetoric. This
became an issue for the Corinthian church when the “super apostles” accused Paul of being bad at

171 Ibid, p.146.
172 Brisco, Thomas V. Holman Bible Atlas. Holman Reference. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.
254.
173 Reconstructional Picture of Temple of Artemis. http://www.ephesustravelguide.com/temple-of-artemis.html

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