Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome
Christianity came to Rome before Paul, but we have very little idea of how it got there or how closely it was aligned with Jerusalem. As Luke tells the story, Christianity did more out from Jerusalem, to Samaria and Judea, then to major Diaspora Jewish communities – Antioch, then Asia Minor, Greece (Corinth) and finally Ephesus. Paul’s mission to the gentile world began at Antioch in the Synagogue and his normal strategy was to find the synagogue in a community in order to reach the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles first, then he moved into the marketplace in order to reach Gentiles.
It is possible that the Roman church was not Pauline in theology, having been founded by Jews after Pentecost. We know that the letter to the Romans was sent five years before this time to a mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles, but we have no idea how that letter was received by the community in Rome.
Ben Witherington suggests Paul was the first to bring the gospel of grace through faith and gentile salvation apart from the Law to Rome (Witherington, Acts, 785). This is entirely possible, since the only reference we have to pre-Pauline Roman Christianity is Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18) and the reference in Tacitus to Jewish rioting over Chrestus. It there appears as though pre-Acts 28 Christianity in Rome was quite Jewish.
The similar questions arise when thinking about the Jewish community. To what extent were the Jews in Rome in contact with Jerusalem? What authority did the Sanhedrin have over synagogues in Rome? (Or anywhere, for that matter. In Acts 9 the High Priest requests that Christians be turned over to Paul, he does not order the synagogue to do anything!) There is therefore a tension in Paul’s arrival – how will he be received? Have Jews from Jerusalem managed to arrive before him? If they had left about the same time as he did from Jerusalem they could hardly have traveled faster given the time of the year. Paul has no idea if he will meet Jewish Christians who are predisposed to attack him, or whether they will be like the Bereans, more open to his teaching.
This uncertainty does not seem to bother Paul. Once he finds lodgings in Rome he begins to meet with individuals in order to explain his presence in Rome and, likely as not, to explain his “side of the story.” He is still the apostle to the Gentiles and his imprisonment will permit him to reach the household of Caesar.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
I find it interesting that Christianity found it’s way to Rome before Paul made it there. To me that is an encouraging sign that The Way, was spread through the known world at the time of Pentecost. Yet while this may be true, there is no biblical evidence to support this except to say that Aquila and Priscilla went home and spread their version, along with the fact that Christianity did make it to Rome before Paul got there. In any case the fact that the Good News of Jesus was spreading throughout the known world is something that is encouraging to hear.
This post was extremely interesting to me. As Nathan mentioned above, Christianity was in Rome before Paul got there. I think that this is another example of how the book of Acts shows how God can move through different places. As I look back in some of the other chapters. I see a common trend. I also see how they could be quite different though. I will go back and use Ephesus as an example. Paul came into Ephesus and it was an extremely sinful city. One could even say that Christianity was not even heard of. There were magicians, sorcerers, and exorcists. This was Paul’s longest journey and after he left, Christianity was spread throughout the land. Many lives were transformed. I believe that it is reasons like this that Christianity reached different places before Paul did. As we know, Paul spread the Gospel by Word-of-Mouth and people were constantly traveling. So, this could have very well been the case. Ephesus and Rome aren’t neighboring towns, but I assume that people traveled from place to place with the ports and doing business.
I think it is extremely important think about how often the Jews were in contact with the Romans. This goes back to what I have mentioned above though. The word is spread through people talking with each other. Personally, I can’t think of another way that it would have been spread to Rome before Paul. If I were in Paul’s shoes it would be extremely encouraging to me.
it would seem that Paul was taking a gamble when he decided to set things in motion that would lead him to Rome. no matter if Christianity had made it to Rome before Paul or not he was still stepping into the unknown. if the Jews there had heard of him he could be under attack from them the moment that he arrived and that would still be true even with Jewish Christians. it would seem that Christians were very Jewish in Rome as we have Pricilla and Aquilla as examples. but it is interesting that this did not bother Paul not knowing he clearly had faith and that faith was clearly rewarded. it was rewarded because when he arrived he was not attacked and in fact the Jews in Rome had not heard things about him already and they actually listened to him at least for a time. Paul could have worried he could have been unsure and allowed that to hinder him or pull him off course but he trusted in God that the plan that God had would be fulfilled one way or another.
When Paul reaches Rome it is clear that Christianity was already found in the city. This is really cool to me because from the book of Acts we get to read specifically on Paul’s journey and testimony to all the good works that he did for the different cities through out his journey. This makes me think of how many people God has used to spread the Word to those who don’t know it. I think this article was very interesting and encouraging to see how God works through all of us and uses us to spread the Word. I am excited to graduate and see what God has in for me in the future and how I can be used to be the light for others just like Paul was in the book of Acts.
Paul was not the first person to share the gospel message in Rome. Yet, Paul travels throughout his journeys to encourage and build up the community of believers. Paul continues to share with Gentiles and Jews about Christ and the model of peace, love, and grace found in God. The article focuses on the idea that it is by grace we are saved not by works for we could never earn salvation on our own. Works are just a way to show our appreciation that we didn’t deserve yet is given freely. We too should not expect to be given anything for our works rather we do it for God out of joy and desire to.
Before taking this class, I had no idea there was Christianity in Rome before Paul got there, I just assumed that he was the one to bring Christ to the area like he did to so many other areas during the time of Acts. The mystery that shrouded this initial arrival of Christianity intrigues me even more. I also find it interesting that the Bible doesn’t expand on this more, although to be completely honest, if it was worth including, then it would’ve been included if it was truly that important. My interest persists nonetheless. It’s interesting to note that churches did in fact exist during Roman rule, even before Paul, as noted in the blog post. As I stated Cyprus for my geography research paper, I noticed that there was a good handful of churches that existed on the island, that was of course under Roman rule for a long period of time. Perhaps we get so caught up in the militaristic and dominant rule of the Romans that we forget that yes, even the roman empire had normal average people like you and I that also partook in religion, and yes, churches existed, as they were very much a part of the culture.
We see across the New Testament letters and texts that the Jews experienced something called the “diaspora” (James 1:1 and 1 Peter 1:1). This occurred after the persecution of the Christians, but already after Pentecost, a number of Jews went away to other cities and countries. With them, they would’ve carried the news of the Gospel and what they had witness in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirt came upon the disciples (Acts 2:1-13). Therefore, it makes sense that Christianity and Judaism had already been in Rome before Paul was brought there by the Roman centurions, as Long noted in the blog post. Because Christianity was not how it is today, it makes sense that it was more Jewish in nature and did not know the fully theology of grace and Jesus’ works on the cross yet. Therefore, Paul’s time in Rome was crucial, as was his other visits in other countries, since he was God’s instrument to strengthen and gain more believers.
I find it important to the fact that Paul wanted to bring the Gentiles to the kingdom of God because God specifically came to him with the journey that he was to go on. Paul took the directions from God and preached to many Gentiles to make them believers in Christ. It is also a very interesting idea to believe that Paul brought Christianity into Rome because of the preaching he did on his way to arriving in Rome. Paul preaches to many individuals about the Lord Jesus Christ and why they should believe, this was Paul’s way of sharing the gospel with others. It is scary to think like Paul did before his arrival in Rome, due to the fact that many Jewish individuals wanted him dead. Having an understanding that before arriving at a destination, there may be individuals who want to harm you personally is a very frightening thing to grasp and understand. Paul had to think about this because it was a very realistic idea and he had to know how to handle the situation before he was put into it. Throughout Acts as a whole, Paul is courageous and particularly strong since he preached the gospel in areas where he could be put to death for. Paul did not care about the negatives that could have come along with the preaching of Christianity because he understood that God would protect him along the journey especially when he had to face officials of Rome. Paul did nothing but condemn himself to the Lord and to the people who had not come to the eyes of Christ, this is why he is a being who devoted his life to the kingdom of God.
The Gospel had reached Rome before Paul did. The theory is that they took the principles and miracles at Pentecost to the new church. When Paul arived they had some things wrong and there was made an example of Aquila and Priscilla, because they had to much focus on seeming like they did the right thing over what is true or right in Gods eyes. They had a poor understanding of God, shown through them trying to trick God into thinking that they were doing what was right. I feel like it was probably even harder for Paul to minister to this group of people because they were present at Pentecost so to have someone come in and say they have it wrong is im sure harder to accept then if he was presenting the Gospel for the first time, just like today we can be closed off to different ideas of what is true about Gods word when what we have observed and thought is true some of us have been raised up to believe. I think that can be where a lot of that tension comes from. However I don’t think it is wrong to be sceptical of what new ideas are brought into your faith, the Bareans for example were sceptical and checked Gods word for proof that what Paul said was true, and this resulted in a deeper faith because you not only believe it is true you know why it IS true. “Paul has no idea if he will meet Jewish Christians who are predisposed to attack him, or whether they will be like the Bereans, more open to his teaching.” (P Long, 2019) this is the step of faith we have to take when spreading the word like Paul.
One thing I did not know was that Christianity reached Rome before Paul. Luke’s account shows Christianity spreading outward from Jerusalem through various regions like Samaria, Asia Minor, and Greece. Paul’s unique strategy was to preach first in synagogues, targeting Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and from there, he would extend his mission to the broader Gentile community. These verses show how filled with uncertainty Paul was when he arrived in Rome. He would encounter Jewish Christians who might oppose him or be more receptive like the Bereans. Paul continued his mission and used his imprisonment as an opportunity to spread the gospel, even to the household of Caesar.We can see Paul’s resilience and adaptability in these verses. Paul’s commitment to his mission is evident despite challenges from those outside of the church. He was open to talking with different groups, regardless of their stance, showing his determination to ensure the gospel reached all, even in the face of potential opposition. It also emphasizes how the spread of Christianity was influenced by lots of different things, including Paul’s teachings and the broader cultural context.
I had never truly considered how the Gentiles and Jewish people of Rome may have had a slightly different understanding about what it meant to be Christian, considering Paul had not been there in person to teach. It can be imagined that the Jewish people in Rome who professed faith in Jesus could have easily and quite possibly have made the Gentiles adhere to the Law if they too professed belief in Jesus; which, would have been no different than what the Jews in Jerusalem would have initially believed before the council dictated that was not necessarily the case (Acts 15:1-35). The ambiguity in knowing how connected these Christians would have been to Jerusalem or how authoritative they saw the Sanhedrin to be makes this reality all the more probable. Therefore, it also wouldn’t be out of the picture to believe that Paul’s trip to Rome cemented the idea of Salvation apart from the Law. Even if many of the Christians in Rome had heard of such a message, it is possible that Paul’s presence clarified what this message of a lawless gospel truly meant. It would give Paul’s determination to reach Rome and preach the gospel that much more value, whether he knew of the uncertainty or not; His gospel message would be clear and unchanging.
How much Paul knows (or does not know) about the Roman church is an interesting thought. I think it is easy to say that there were definitely Christians there before Paul as Rome is represented during the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2. Additionally, in Acts 18 Paul meets Aquila and Priscila who have just come from Rome. Polhill (2008) writes that this expulsion was probably due to the Christian message that appeared in the city after Pentecost (p. 2123). Although it is not known for certain whether this couple were Christians it is probable that they had at least been in contact with Christians and were familiar with the message Paul was preaching. Personally, I think it makes sense that Aquila and Priscila were already Christians because the text does not say anything about their conversion before Paul camps out with them. Perhaps it was through them that he learned more about the Roman church. It is interesting that when Paul brings all the Jews together in Rome, they make a statement implying they do not know much about Jesus or what Paul is preaching. This is to such a great extent that Paul calls them together again to preach more. Even here in Rome the Jews reject Jesus and Paul goes to the Gentiles. It makes sense that Paul was not concerned with what the Romans church thought of him as his strategy would have likely remained the same -preach to Jews then to Gentiles. Acts ending with a Jewish rejection of the Gospel (especially with the inclusion of Isaiah 6) is an appropriate ending to the narrative that has been focused on Paul being an apostle to the Gentiles.
Christianity had been in Rome before Paul arrived, but we are not sure who first brought it there or how it started there. Some people think it was the Jewish people who were in Jerusalem during Pentecost who hurt the gospel and then brought it back through. The early Roman Church was likely made up of Jewish people who followed Jesus but still participated in Jewish traditions. Paul hadn’t visited Rome yet when he wrote the letter to the Romans, We also don’t know how the Roman Church responded to this letter when it talks about how we are saved by grace through faith and not by following the law. Witherington believes that Paul may have been the first person to bring the gospel message clearly about salvation for the Gentiles without needing to become a Jew first. Pauls go to way to preach the Gentiles is to first go into synagogues, showing that he respected the Jewish tradition, but Paul was called to reach everyone. There were also questions about how connected Jewish believers were to Rome and the leaders in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin had little power when it came to faraway places like Rome, but Paul didn’t seem to care much about how they would receive it, even though he was in prison, because he continued to explain his situation to others and continued to preach, not stopping his mission. His time in Rome allowed him to be able to share the gospel with many people. Including people of Caesar’s household. I believe God used Paul’s boldness and willingness to preach, even in chains, to show that the gospel can’t be stopped by any circumstance.
This post brings up some really interesting points about the mystery of how Christianity first spread to Rome. I found it especially interesting how you noted that Paul might not have been the first to bring the gospel to Rome, but possibly the first to bring a “grace through faith” message clearly aimed at Gentiles, as Witherington suggests. That makes me think about how Paul’s unique message may have challenged the religious structure already forming there. If Christianity in Rome was heavily Jewish before his arrival, Paul’s gospel would’ve shaken things up. Polhill, in the ESV Study Bible notes on Acts 28, points out that Paul’s first action in Rome was to speak with the Jewish leaders to explain why he was there and clear up misunderstandings (ESVSB, Acts 28:17–20). That really shows Paul’s constant goal of unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. Even though he knew his message might cause tension, especially with Jewish Christians who were more tied to the Law, he still made an effort to reach out. I also liked the question about whether Jerusalem had much authority over synagogues in far-off places like Rome. It seems like they didn’t, which would explain why there was such variety in how early Christian communities developed. Do you think the lack of strong central control helped or hurt the early church?
Reference:
Polhill, J. B. (2008). Notes on Acts 28. In ESV Study Bible. Crossway.
Paul’s arrival in Rome was an important moment for the spread of the gospel. Paul usually started his mission in a new city by going to the synagogue as he reached out to both Jews and Gentiles who believed in God, before he went to the marketplace to reach Gentiles. But in Rome, it was different. The Christian community that was already there might have had different beliefs from Paul’s about salvation through grace and faith. Paul may have been the first to clearly preach the gospel of grace and Gentile salvation to those in Rome. This could have created tension with the Roman Christians who held on to more of the Jewish customs. Despite this uncertainty, Paul continued doing the work of God. Once he was in Rome, he started meeting with people to explain why he was there and to continue sharing the gospel. Even though he was in prison, he remained focused on his mission and continued trusting that God was still in control and would use his situation for His purposes.
The whole idea of Christianity/Judaism making it to Rome but not really having a good idea how is so interesting. I think that it really shows the power of the Word spreading. Even though the missionaries like Paul weren’t going to these places yet, other people must’ve been talking about it! This is interesting to me because we often talk about missionaries in a context of people going to other countries that aren’t their own to spread the Gospel. But I think this shows that when you are talking about Jesus in your own community then it can go way behind what you can see. I imagine people traveling to another place and hearing the gospel then going home to tell others about it. I am not sure if this is true or how it happened, but it really just makes me think about the possibilities.
Your questions that you pose make me think about Paul’s ministry as whole. There were so many unknown things when Paul was doing ministry. So, is Paul just used to not knowing what was going to happen? I wonder about our day now and technology has made the unknowns of life pretty bad. However, I think this would have been a time were unknown could be bad but there is also so much good that can come from them.
I understand that there is a way that Christianity came to Rome before Paul, but it is definitely something that is interesting to think about. We also have to understand how those things are able to be understood within the ancient world. How do we truly know whether Paul is the one who brought Christianity to Rome? Do we know that it even came in his lifetime? We can see the spread of it before Paul’s arrival but there could have been an undercurrent that he then helped flourish when he arrived. I wonder what would have gone through Paul’s mind when he first went through Rome and tried to bring the gospel.