by Charles Lyons
Everything in the New Testament record of first-century Christian activity takes place in the theater of the Roman Empire, colored and dominated by history’s first mega-city. From the opening events in Matthew’s Gospel, to the last lines of Luke’s record, Rome plays a key role in shaping the story of Christ’s ministry and the life of the early church.
Believers scattered across Asia Minor, the Middle East, and Northern Africa likely thought of Rome first as a system not a city. Yet it is the power and function of the city that created the system.
The city ran the empire. The empire ruled the world.
Rome’s story was shaped by the influence of Roman and Greek cultures, the reign of emperors, historical and political developments, as well as its geographical location.
Historically, settlements become cities because of location. Though Rome was 15 miles inland, it had access to the sea by means of the Tiber River. Rome became a major seaport.
An extensive road system connected all the major cities with the capital city.
Archeological evidence indicates the site being occupied in the second millennium BC. Its first wall was likely built around 500 BC. The first appearance and development of temples, altars, and other religious focal points would be a study in itself.
The three elements Joel Kotkin (The City: A Global History) suggested help create an urban center were present: security, economy, and sacred space. These usually expressed themselves in the ancient world as walls, trade routes, ziggurats, and temples.
Paved streets, fresh running water, libraries, and baths all contributed to the sophistication of this great city. There were probably eight aqueducts in Paul’s day and as many as 170 Roman baths.
The Roman Forum was the center of Roman culture, and civic and commercial interest. The best of its temples, palaces, circuses, baths, monuments, amphitheaters, and buildings of state were adjacent to the Forum. All Roman life centered here. All roads radiated from the Golden Milestone located in the Forum.
Paul, Luke, Peter, and other great Christians must have often been in the Forum. Here, Paul may have been tried for his life.
In 1941, during the excavation of Ostia (Rome’s seaport at the mouth of the Tiber), an inscription was found indicating Rome had a population of 4,100,000 when Tiberius began to reign in AD 14.
The rich lived in sumptuous villas. The households consisted of scores of slaves. Women enjoyed a great deal of freedom and moved freely in society, commonly in the company of a slave.
The poor lived in tenements made of wood and brick that may have been four or more stories high. They had no sanitary facilities or water above the first floor. Life expectancy under these conditions was likely not much over 35.
Rome boasted large numbers of slaves but manumission was easy and large numbers of slaves became free and attained Roman citizenship.
It is estimated over 200,000 were on the grain dole in the capital in Augustus’s day. It became regular practice for emperors to provide free food and entertainment for unemployed masses in the capital.
When Jews came to Rome is not known. A few probably arrived in the second century BC. It is thought about 20,000 lived in the capital during the first half of the first century. Thirteen synagogues were known to have existed in Rome.
The first mega-city ran the world, was Godless, and was unfriendly to monotheism and Christianity specifically.
Paul never feared the city. The Holy Spirit led him to the city. From the city the Gospel was spread as the Holy Spirit intended.
Rather than being deterred by more sinners and sin per square inch than any other place on earth, Paul was drawn. He was motivated. He wrote to the believers in Rome, “I am willing and eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome” (Romans 1:15 AMP).
How does a New Testament church function in an unfriendly culture? Consider the size and power of Rome, the entrenched polytheism and moral code foreign to Christianity. The Roman context was not friendly to the Christian faith, but the system facilitated the function of evangelism.
Rome’s peace, trade, communication, and justice system are the very things that provided the means by which the Gospel spread so rapidly. Today, while urbanization brings many challenges, it provides the means by which the Gospel can be and is being disseminated as never before.
The intensity, immensity, density, and complexity of the matrix of paganism, power, and population did not cause Paul any reticence. He declared, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” Power here describes an energy able to overcome all resistance.
Think about it. Chicago produced a President who is reshaping American reality and influencing the rest of the world. Christianity, as we have known it, is being impacted within and by this reality. Are there challenges? Yes. Can each New Testament church carry out the mission? Yes.
How does a local church function in an unfriendly culture? Boldly. Graciously.