Page 135 - Biblical Backgrounds

communities and achieving power and authority. (They were not really interested in public
welfare.) And in this way, the emperor could gain and maintain the loyalty of his subjects and
guarantee the stability of the government and society.

Second, emperor worship erected one of the chief deterrents to the advance of Christianity. As
noted, the calendar revolved around the worship of the emperor and the promotion of his
affairs. The birthday of Augustus was a holiday. All festivals and games were held in honor of
Roma, the divine emperor and/or one of the pagan gods. The sacrifices in honor of the emperor
or one of the other gods provided the chief source of meat which the Council of Jerusalem
forbade Christians to eat (“abstain from things offered to idols,” Acts 15:29). The feasts held in
the dining rooms located in temple gardens (see discussion of Diana following) had as a main
feature the serving of meat and other foods offered to idols.

The whole of society was wrapped up in the ruler cult. Those who tried to live as consistent
Christians stayed away from festivals, games, dramas, and other social events with religious
connections. They came to be known as antisocial and even against the good of society. As they
withdrew from a wide variety of social interactions, Christians could not conceal their beliefs
and practices from other citizens of the country. They could not hide, and periodically, mob
action targeted them. The mob Demetrius the silversmith incited in Ephesus is a case in point
(Acts 19:23–41).

A large part of the persecution of early Christians had nothing to do with the actions or wishes
of the ruling emperor but arose from local conditions. And when the day came that the emperor
tried to pressure everyone in the empire to engage in worship of the Goddess Roma and the
emperor or suffer the consequences, local antipathy to Christians was already strong. Public
pressure proved to be a real deterrent to acceptance of the gospel. 182

The Imperial Cult is highly important to understanding passages like Philippians 1:18-2:15. The Christians
were being persecuted, likely for not accepting the call to worship Caesar. They affirmed that Jesus was
Lord and Savior, not Caesar. Paul told them to be faithful, as it was, they would be delivered by the true
Lord and Savior – Jesus. They were to work out this deliverance (2:12-13 - the term “saved” simply
means “deliverance” or “rescue” or “healed”, what the deliverance is from is to be determined by the
context) from persecution (1:29), so that they would shine like stars in a corrupt generation (2:14-15).
Philippians 2:12-13 is often used to talk about whether someone is genuinely a believer and going to
Heaven. If you understand the cultural background, this isn’t talking about that at all.

Social Order in Cyprus and Asia Minor:

Howard Vos tells us that marriages were arranged in Cyprus and Asia Minor. Often, a dowry was
presented to the groom, and he would shower the bride with gifts. The practice of the bridegroom
giving gifts to the bride is seen as an image in Revelation 19:6-10 and 22:12 of how Jesus rewards His

182 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived.
Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers. 516.

133