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.
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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.
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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
6
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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11
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.
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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.
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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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