Page 131 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

Study Section 17: Roman Backgrounds in Acts and the Epistles.

17.1 Connect.

Rome the empire of empires in the time of Jesus and the early church. Like so many things it
was both lovely and deadly. The same empire that boasted the magnificent Parthenon hosted
barbaric games and took delight in watching people die gruesome deaths. The same people
that showed great favor to its friends, also showed fierce suppression to its enemies. The Jews
came under the Roman rule in the century before Jesus was born. They continued under
Roman rule for years. What is the Roman background to Judea and the early church? Much of Roman
culture as it focuses on the missionary journeys has been explained already. In this section we will focus
on the Roman culture, as it relates to Israel and the church during Acts and the Epistles.

17.2 Objectives.

1. Students should be able to describe the extent of Rome’s empire during the 1 century AD.
st

2. Students should be able to identify the seven Roman emperors that reigned during this
period.

3. Students should be able to summarize the Roman and Jewish Wars.

4. Students should be able to explain the impact of this background on dating the books of the New
Testament.

17.3 Roman Backgrounds in Acts and
the Epistles

The extent of the Roman empire
altered over time. Judea came
under its rule in 63 BC. The empire
continued to grow throughout the
first century. This map from the
Encyclopedia Britannica shows the extent
of the Roman empire when the Emperor
174
Trajan died. That was the latest time
that some think Revelation was written.
Most conservative scholars believe
Revelation was written around 90AD. The
Roman empire occupied what is now
Britain, Spain, France, Parts of Germany,

174 Map. The extent of the Roman Empire. https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Empire

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