Imagine a world where you are considered the scum of

the earth. Imagine a world where you are constantly treated

as if you are nothing. Imagine a world where if you weren’t

a man you were considered shameful. Imagine a world where if

you were a boy you could be given over to a soldier so that

he could have his way with you sexually. Even Imagine having

to be that boys father, because if he were penetrated he

lost even more honor. Imagine a world where right and wrong

was determined by your peers. Imagine a world where if you

were not a Roman citizen you could be inhumanely punished.

Imagine a world where if you were not born a male you

considered to be shamful. Then imagine that since you

weren’t born into the right family you could never go into

the career you truly wanted to do. Imagine that no matter

what you did you could never climb the ladder from lower

strata to the upper strata. Then imagine that in this world

a man came and died for you. Imagine that that he told you

that though you did not need anything to accept this gift of

immortality, a gift that was only offered to your gods. Then

imagine that if you accept this man as your Lord, you now

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become equal with anyone that is in the church. Then imagine

that instead of being controlled by what your peers think of

you, you are only concerned with what this one man thinks of

you. If you were this man or women would you accept the gift

that was offered to you?

This paper will reflect on the missionary enterprise of

the Apostle Paul. It will seek to uncover the secrets behind

the success of Paul’s gospel ministry. Paul’s gospel

ministry was successful based on three fundamental

components. Firstly, Paul’s Missionary enterprise was

successful because it was counter-cultural. Secondly, the

Gospel that Paul shared was based in major cities, that were

mainly found on major highways. Thirdly, Paul’s missionary

enterprise was so successful because Paul was under intense

persecution, which forced him to move form city to city.

The early Christian church in grew and spread like

wildfire throughout the Roman Empire. One major reason why

the gospel spread was because of persecution. While it seems

inconceivable that an unnecessary evil could effect the

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church in a positive way. The gospel spread because

persecution caused dispersion of Christians

It is a well recorded fact the Jews of the Roman

Empire had numerous problems with the Empire. After

disputes amongst the Jews and the local Alexandrian anti-

jewish coalition the local King Flaccus in which he deemed

local jews as aliens of Alexandria with no rights. This

decision caused the synagogues to be destroyed, there

property was destroyed, the temples were desecrated. The

final act of this city wide violent outbreak against Jews

was the“ scourging of thirty-eight Jewish elders on August

31”1.

In Rome there was such a thing known as imperial

worship. Imperial worship caused people to erect “statues

[that] were sacred and, like the statues of the gods, gave

the right of asylum.”2 If a family would worship and

emperor was worshiped by a family they would burn incense

before the image of the emperor and in offerings of food and

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drink in connection with the worship of the household gods.3

The emperor Gauis was known for taking his divinity

personally. The Jews who had already been offering

sacrifices for Gauis was not considered good enough for him.

Gauis during a hearing between both the Jews and anti

Jewish coalition is noted for saying of the Jews and there

sacrifices, “ You offered sacrifices for me, it I true, but

you offer none to me.”4.

This was one problem that Judaism ran into under the roman

rule.

One might ask what does the persecution of the Jews

have to do with the first century Christians. One must

realize that the early first century church of Rome was not

very distinguishable from Judaism. There are many reason

behind this for one The Gospel was first shared amongst Jews

by Jesus. The Day of Pentecost that was recorded in Acts 2.

As of a result of this many Jews were in fact Christians.

Thus when the Jews were persecuted it is not far fetched to

assume that many of the early Christians were Jews.

3 Ibid4 Philo, Leg. Ad Gaiium, 200-3.

4

The Apostles Peter James and John focused there

energies on converting Jews ,while Paul’s focus wa son

sharing the gospel with Gentiles. This fact is made evident

in Galatians 2:9 where Paul gives a first hand account of a

conversation between him and the other three apostles. It

says “that we [Paul and Barnabas] should go to the gentiles

and they to the circumcised ( Gal 2:9). This passage is

dealing with who should minister to who. However this is not

saying that Paul can not minister to Jews, but it reveals

who there target group will be.

In Acts 18:3 Luke writes, “ and he reasoned in the synagogue

every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. From

this we can derive two facts from this Bible passage one

that the Jews and Christians worshipped together. It also

proves that they both worshipped on the Sabbath. Thus it

made it it hard to distinguish the difference between

Christianity and Judaism. Thus when legislations were passed

against Jews it almost always affected the Jews within the

Christian Church.

5

One of the most notable disciplinary actions legislated

in the 1st century was the expulsion of Jews from Rome in 49

A.D. Emperor Claudius apparently banished the Jews “because

the Jews in Rome were indulging in constant riots at the

instigation of Chrestus.”5 It is known for a fact that

Christians were expelled form Rome with them because in Acts

18:2 two Judeo-Christians are introduced Acquilla and

Priscilla are introduced. These two Jewish Roman citizens

were reported as being residents of Rome, and banished by

the Emperor Claudius Edict.6

Paul meets these two Jewish Christians in Corinth, and

they were a huge help to the Apostle Paul. Not only were

they friends of Paul, but they even provided him lodging in

Rome While it is not known whether or not they aided Paul in

any more ways than supplying food and shelter, but they were

a huge aid to Paul. It is ore than likely that many other

Jews who were forced to leave Rome had positive influences

on other Churches in the Roman Empire. Thus Persecution of

Jews helped spread Christianity because many Christians

5 Suetonius, Claudius, 25:46

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received the same punishment of the Jews because a lack of

distinction between the two religions in the Greco-Roman

World.

Even while persecution affected the Church, the Apostle

Paul. “There are abundant reasons why Paul, directly or

‘straightway’ after his conversion, should go and preach to

the Eastern Dispersion.”7. Soon after Paul’s conversion to

Christianity he moved to Arabia for nearly three years..

After his move it is believed that he tried to share the

gospel with the Jews of the Diaspora in Arabia. In Paul’s

experience he experienced many sufferings for the sake of

the Gospel message. Paul says of his sufferings that he

experienced prison, five scourging by Jews, and so on and so

forth.

It is believed that Paul experienced these scourging while

in Arabia. The zealots for the law and the rabbinic

traditions, in ‘Arabia,’ were so bitter against his

revolutionary message that he was soon convinced that the

only possible field for his apostolic mission was the field

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of the Western Dispersion.8 Thus persecution of Paul in

Arabia influenced his moved from Arabia, back to his home in

Greco-Roman world. It is very possible that Paul initially

moved away to share the gospel because of shame. Paul had

shame because he use to be the one who persecuted the

believers of Christ. He felt ashamed so he ministered the

farthest away from home. In the face of persecution he

leaves Arabia and comes back to Rome, and begins to minister

in Greco-Roman Culture.

If the truth be told through out all of Paul’s

missionary journeys in Rome he was moving from city to city.

If the truth be told “in every case, with the possible

exception of Corinth, Paul was driven from the city by

violence before he had completed his work..”9. It is evident

that persecution did no harm to the spread of the Gospel but

it actually aided the spread of the gospel. Paul went from

city to city not necessarily by choice but by force.

Further evidence supports this because his third

missionary journey was “a sojourn in the city of Ephesus,

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and about half of the second was spent in the single city of

Corinth.”10 If Paul had not of been persecuted it is

probable that he would not have moved around as much.

Even when Paul shared the Gospel in Rome it was under

immense persecution. He went “before Roman tribunals which

issued in the finding, ‘This man could have been set at

liberty, had he not appealed to Caesar’ (27:32).”.11 Until

Finally he went before Nero, in Rome. He spread the gospel

even while in chains, before proconsuls, governors, kings,

and even the Emperor. Paul shared the gospel, and took as

far as he took it because of persecution.

The Gospel spread through out the empire because Paul

planted the gospel with in “ strategic cities of the

northeast Mediterranean”12. These cities were what kept the

empire in tact. Within the Roman Empire there were

different kinds of Cities. There were two major types of

cities Roman and Grecian cities. A roman city generally had

a temple to Jupiter as well as a curia which is a modern day

10 11 12

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equivalent to a Town Hall. “ Other temples were located

throughout the city”13. This gives evidence to the fact that

the towns were the Centers by which people came to worship.

Thus Paul could also find synagogues in these cities as

well. Roman towns typically also had public baths, a

modified version of the Greek theater, and often a large

Amphitheater for gladiatorial games.”14 Scripture even

supports that there are some instances in which Paul shared

the Gospel in ampitheaters.

It is not by accident “that the spread of foreign cults

closely followed the spread of trade.”15 Thus Paul was more

than likely merely replicating what these traders were

doing. Spreading religion through his travels. It spread

primarily because Paul took it through out the majority of

whole empire.

Now concerning the Greek cities in the Empire had a

agora16, shrines, and temples, and colonnades. “The

colonnades gave shelter to merchants and money changers”17. 13 14 Ibid15 16 This served as a market place and a civic center17 Ibid

10

Paul actually shared the gospel in Thessalonica, and other

cities with in the confines of many marketplaces. Mainly

because there was a large influx of people in this area. It

is more than likely that these cities were the most

populated through out the day. The populace of the market

varied in types of people. The market square consisted of

merchants, traders, farmers and local people.It was he poor

who surrounded these shops on the outskirts of the city. The

rich stayed more towards the center of the city because the

smell of the products bothered them. Paul brought his

message primarily to the poor, or at least the poor were the

ones who accepted it more readily.

“The home of the commoners were tiny, poorly lit and

drafty- mainly places to sleep and perhaps to cook a

meal.”18 Thus people did not like to be in doors so often

times people would remain out until it was time to sleep.

These very same people who didn’t spend time at home were

probably lower strata individuals who couldn’t afford a nice

house. Thus they would live in crowded houses or apartments

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surrounded by there neighbors. The truth of the matter is

that the people that one lived with besides ones family were

not of the same opinion as one another. Thus Jews that

converted to Christianity probably found opportunity to

present the gospel that they had learned about.

Most shops and areas were lined up inside and outside

of the city gates. These places were generally surrounded by

many people. It would make fairly easy for Paul to

communicate the gospel to those surrounding him.

One might ask how did the gospel spread so effectively

to the country, if the gospel was primarily located within

the city. “Each [city and country] depended upon the other,

it must be understood that the farmers were not from the

city but from the ruistic portion of the province. They

would come to the city to do business. It is probable that

if they accepted the teachings of Paul, that they would

share it with there loved ones and neighbors. If Paul stayed

then they might have even brought there families out to hear

Paul teaching in the market place.

12

It is also evident that Paul would even go to the

Jewish Synagogues on Sabbaths and teach. In these synagogues

there were more than just Jews there. There were also

proselytes and “God-fearers”19. Proselytes were converts to

Judaism. In order for them to be accepted into fellowship

they had to become Monotheistic, and they had to be

circumcised. This other group was a group that had accepted

the views of the Jews, but was not circumcised.

Christianity must have been extremely appealing to both

proselytes and God-fearers. It appealed to them primarily

because they had already accepted the monotheist view. It

also appealed to them because they did not have to be

circumcised. Thirdly it appealed to them because they would

be able to be united not only in belief but in religion with

the people of God.

Looking at Ephesus we find that with “its splendid

harbors, [it] was a far more important trading city than

Pergamus (which was an inland city, far to the north of the

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direct line of trade between Rome and the East)”20. Ephesus

was a city that had a large influx of people.

Not only was Ephesus a major trade city, but it also

was a major center in the worship of Artemis. The “goddess

of Ephesus became the goddess of the entire province of

Asia; and her worship drew vast crowds of pilgrims from the

whole country, as well as tourists”21. Thus when Paul

presented the gospel in Ephesus, there were likely droves

and droves of people surrounding the city not only from the

surrounding country-side but from the whole province of

Asia. Thus people were coming from Pergamus, Laodicea,

Smyrna, Thyatira, Philadelphia, and Sardis. People came just

to bask in the glory of Artemis’ beautiful temple, and to

buy idols of her.

Then Thessalonica was another major city in the Roman

Empire that Paul had ministered to. Thessalonica was the

Capital city, and this capital city was not a big city at

all but it found its significance in its location. “The

city’s location on the Via Egnatia and the Aegaen, with

20 21 Ibid

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access to tributaries of the Danube”22 made it a major city.

Similar to Ephesus it becomes evident that the cities that

are being ministered to are primarily major cities, with a

large amount of influx both in and out. Paul was not just

going around and preaching wherever his main concern was for

getting the news out. Thus he put the gospel in places where

it would not only grow, but flourish.

Paul also helped plant the gospel in Corinth. “

Corinth’s importance to trade increased as it oversaw a

method of transporting smaller ships on land.”23 “It was the

largest and most prosperous city in southern Greece, with

over a 100,000 people.” 24 “Corinth and Argos” were “cities

in Southern Greece with Jews”25. An even more astonishing

fact is the Corinth’s populations was very mobile. It

consisted of sailors, businessmen and government officials.

These three cities that were just discussed were major

cities within the confines of the Roman Empire. They were

also major cities in the provinces they were situated in.

22 23 24 Ibid25 Philo Embassy to Gaius 281-82

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Corinth was located in Achaia, Ephesus was situated in Asia,

and Thessalonica was in Macedonia. Thus when Paul was

ministering in a major city of a province people were would

see him again if he passed through the travelers own cities.

He had a chance to reinforce the Gospel to his audiences.

In this we find that Paul’s missionary journey’s were

so successful for many reasons. Paul was spreading the

gospel in strategic cities. Then once they heard this gospel

if they chose to accept it they would present it. If they

were farmer they would then present it in the countryside.

If they were Jews they would then present it with there

neighbors. If they were Gentiles traveling they would then

go an take it back to there cities, Then Paul was also able

to present it maybe even twice if he happened to visit a

travelers home city. Far what we are finding is that Paul

can not be credited for his success alone he got help from

the converts.

It is amazing when one realizes that one simple fact.

That Paul was not the soul source of the success of the

gospel. The message of Paul turned people into disciples,

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who would spread it no matter the cost. This gospel is what

kept Paul going in spite of the persecution, and in spite o

the suffering. It called people out of darkness into the

marvelous light. It sent sinners in to deep woe for the

sins they had committed. Has this gospel changed, or has it

lost its power? The answer is no. It is this message that

transforms lives. Which brings one to the even deeper

question has the church watered down the gospel so much so

that the gospel presented is not the gospel at all.

The message that Paul portrayed to the people was so

successful, because after he was finished evangelizing them

he did not leave them alone. Even though Paul did not stay

with them he still wrote letters deepening the understanding

of the gospel. Many people accepted the gospel, but many

people still struggled with living the life the gospel

called them to. Paul sent letters to the churches all over

the Roman province. He sent letters of warning, letters of

encouragement, letters of love, and letters of instruction.

These letters were big in keeping the seeds that he had

planted from dying.

17

The Gospel that Paul preached was a message that was

unlike anything one had ever heard. It went against the

cultural norms and called people to something higher and

something greater. The message also met people where they

were.

“The longest speech of Paul in Acts was given in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia where Paul reviewedthe history of Israel to show how God had led his people and chosen leaders for them and had finally raised up a Saviour, Jesus, in the time of John the Baptist. Yet the rulers of Israel had asked Pilate to slay him. His resurrection from the dead was the fulfillment of Old Testament passages. Even though thisrisen one brought remission of sins and justification, yet the Jews rejected him. The speech parallels Peter'sspeech in Acts 2 in its Old Testament reference, uses the same passage in the psalm about God's not letting his Holy One to see corruption.”26

Paul seemingly met the Jews on a level playing field. He

preached the gospel of Christ to them in a way that they

would understand. It was hard for them to recognize there

current state. In his speech to the Jews he does this in

order that he may communicate to them salvation by faith.

The Gentiles were not exempt from this either numerous

times Paul used things from their culture in order to

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connect with them. “The next speech in Acts at Lystra is

taken up with natural theology, the God of creation and

providence. It is similar to the address of Paul in the

Areopagus in this emphasis on natural revelation, but in

Athens Paul goes on to what is like a Stoic pantheism.”27 He

does this in order that he might communicate this message to

that they are not gods, and as a matter of fact that are no

gods it is just one God.

Paul found it necessary to meet people where they were

at based on there understanding and then through that he

would relate the message of the truth to them. He didn’t

just give a message, and let them what they wanted to do

with it. He earnestly wanted to see them saved.

Paul wrote all of his letters for a reason. He did not

write abstract theology he wrote to a particular problem, or

for a particular purpose. For instance when he wrote to

Thessalonica, it was not without reason. In first

Thessalonians it is apparent that in I Thessalonians 13-15

the church of Thessalonica is experiencing persecution from

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various places. Not only are they experiencing suffering,

but it is even probable that there are some dying in the

Church form this persecution. Thus when Paul talks about

the second coming of Christ it is not without a reason.

Paul is very purposeful with how he deals with each

situation, generally he is trying to settle various issues

within the churches that he has started. When he approaches

people he meets them where they are at. Furthermore, he uses

all of these things to bring them back into focus.

“Honor might be described as socially proper attitudes

and behavior in the area where the three lines of power,

gender status, and religion intersect”28. In the Roman

Empire or the Greco-Roman society this was the most

important thing to a man honor. A man’s honor was decided

not only by he himself, but also by those surrounding him in

his social network. A man would lose honor if his child did

not obey him. A religious teacher would lose honor if his

disciples did not believe him. And a man would lose honor if

his wife had an affair. In the social network things were

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set up by how things should be and if things were not

working the way the should be honor was lost.

Even worse than this view it was worse for a female. A

female was born without honor and honor was not bestowed to

her. She was the epitome of shame. To be a man was

considered to be honorable

Even in the role of sex honor was important. “ Notions

of activity and penetration were not demarcated only by

gender. Class and status factored into the equation to such

an extent that maleness and femaleness were not the sole

criteria for normative behavior.”29 This is because sex was

truly about power who dominated the other, or who served the

other in pertaining to a women being on top or giving oral

sex. It was truly about honor and shame. So a man with

power and wealth and much status was free to penetrate, a

women, a boy, or even a man from the lower class. This was

demonstrated throughout all of Rome, even with the emperors.

These philosophies were so ingrained into society that

often times those that were saved brought these views, or

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beliefs into the church with them. Thus in order to have

the church function the way that it out. Paul had to write

letters to subvert the power of the culture and bring things

to the way the should be. Thus Paul called homosexuality by

the right name, he called evil “evil”. He had the Authority

to do this because he taught of a different kingdom. We

must understand that Paul is trying to teach men and women

of this kingdom that they are now apart of. In Paul’s

thought world he is not a citizen of Rome, he is really a

citizen of the kingdom that will soon take over the world.

The very same kingdom that Jesus taught.

Paul believes that He and every other Christian is an

ambassador for Christ and his Kingdom according to 2

Corinthians 5:20, Eph 6:20. He believed that he held

citizenship in heaven according to Phillipians 3:20. The

truth of the matter is this that Paul was trying to prepare

the citizens for the kingdom to come. He wanted to get them

to do away with there strife and there contentions, because

they were citizens of heaven too.

22

It should be now clear why the gospel was so

impressive. Truthfully Paul was so successful with the

spread of the message because it changed the way people

thought. It revealed to the slaves or the freedman, to any

lower strata the faults of the current empire. Paul was

revealing to the many members of the body of Christ the new

Empire. The Empire where there was no distinction between

rich and poor, there was no power to be gained or lost. In

this world there was no difference between male and female.

According to Galataians 4:5 for those who accept the gospel

they were adopted into a new family. Everyone in the kingdom

of God was of noble birth. That was what Paul wanted people

to see. Paul’s message was thus counter-cultural, because it

was presented form a different culture.

In conclusion Paul was so successful in ministering the

gospel to the Roman empire because persecution. Persecution

pushed him from all over the Empire which made sure his

message reached all kinds of people. Next persecution was so

successful because persecution helped other Christians

spread the gospel, and give aid to Paul where they were

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located. Paul was also successful because his message was

placed in major cities that had people coming in and out of

them daily. Paul’s spread of the gospel was successful

because Paul stayed in contact with those that accepted the

gospel. The message was also successful because it taught

of a kingdom to come. These factors were major contributors

to Paul’s success as a missionary, pastor, and evangelist

through out the Roman Empire.

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