Overview

Jesus Christ was born into a vast world power: the Roman Empire. The story of his birth in Bethlehem, his life and ministry in Galilee and environs, his sufferings and death in Jerusalem, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven were recorded by the New Testament writers who, themselves, lived under the far-reaching yoke of Rome. The Babylonian, Persian, and Greek empires had all passed from the scene, including the successors of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). By 270 BC, the Hellenistic states consolidated into three: the Antigonid dynasty (centered on Greece), the Seleucid Empire (Syria), and the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt). Over two centuries later, the Roman Empire would be ruled by Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius, or Caesar Augustus (63 BC–14 AD), the emperor mentioned by Luke in his Gospel (Lk. 2:1).

If we would understand Christianity today and the impact it has had around the world for the last two millennia, we must “recall,” as the late Yale historian Kenneth Scott Latourette urged, “the environment into which it was born. Many of the characteristics of what we call Christianity can be appreciated only as we see the setting out of which it arose and in which it first found itself.” From this vantage point, the historical beginnings of the Christian faith can be examined, including the lives of those who embraced the gospel and were true followers of Jesus Christ. Then, from a distance of over 2,000 years, it is hoped that we might read the Scriptures with new eyes and ask the question posed by the late Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” That is, how shall we live righteously and honor Christ as we live under the authority, rule, and government of our own nation?

The following topics will be considered in this series:

1. The Roman Empire
2. The religions and philosophies present in the Roman Empire
3. The birth of Christianity in Bethlehem
4. The growth and expansion of Christianity from its inception
5. The vision of the early Christian communities
6. The people through whom Christianity spread
7. The means by which Christianity spread
8. The heresies confronted by the early Church
9. What we can learn from first-century Christians