.php lang="en">
The Roman Empire in the Time of Jesus
(Enlarge)
(PDF
for Print) (Freely Distributed)
Map of the Ancient Roman Empire (First Century A.D.)
The Roman Empire in the time of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. The order which prevailed in this extensive empire, the good military roads, and the use of Koine Greek as the general language of culture throughout the area were among the factors which multiplied the rapid spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.The Boundaries of the Roman
Empire were:
North: The British Channel, the Rhine, the Danube, and
the Black Sea
South: The deserts of Africa, the cataracts of the
Nile, & the Arabian deserts
East: The Euphrates
West: The Atlantic
Romans 1:7 - To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Roman Empire in the Smith's Bible Dictionary
Roman Empire
2. Extent of the empire. --Cicero's description of the Greek
states and colonies as a "fringe on the skirts of barbarism" has
been well applied to the Roman dominions before the conquests of
Pompey and Caesar. The Roman empire was still confined to a narrow
strip encircling the Mediterranean Sea. Pompey added Asia Minor and
Syria. Caesar added Gaul. The generals of Augustus overran the
northwest Portion of Spain and the country between the Alps and the
Danube. The boundaries of the empire were now the Atlantic on the
west, the Euphrates on the east, the deserts of Africa, the
cataracts of the Nile and the Arabian deserts on the south, the
British Channel, the Rhine, the Danube and the Black Sea on the
north. The only subsequent conquests of importance were those of
Britain by Claudius and of Dacia by Trajan. The only independent
powers of importance were the Parthians on the east and the Germans
on the north. The population of the empire in the time of Augustus
has been calculated at 85,000,000.
3. The provinces. --The usual fate of a country
conquered by Rome was to be come a subject province, governed
directly from Rome by officers sent out for that purpose. Sometimes,
however, petty sovereigns were left in possession of a nominal
independence on the borders or within the natural limits of the
province. Augustus divided the provinces into two classes -- (1)
Imperial; (2) Senatorial; retaining in his own hands, for obvious
reasons, those provinces where the presence of a large military
force was necessary, and committing the peaceful and unarmed
provinces to the senate. The New Testament writers invariably
designate the governors of senatorial provinces by the correct title
anthupatoi, proconsuls. Ac 13:7; 18:12; 19:38 For the governor of an
imperial province, properly styled "legatus Caesaris," the word
hegemon (governor) is used in the New Testament. The provinces were
heavily taxed for the benefit of Rome and her citizens. They are
said to have been better governed under the empire than under the
commonwealth, and those of the emperor better than those of the
senate.
Full Article
Roman Empire
in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
Roman Empire and Christianity
(2) Augustus.
Octavian (Augustus) proved the potent factor of the second
triumvirate. The field of Actiuim on September 2, 31 BC, decided the
fate of the old Roman republic. The commonwealth sank in exhaustion
after the protracted civil and internecine strife. It was a case of
the survival of the fittest. It was a great crisis in human history,
and a great man was at hand for the occasion. Octavian realized that
supreme power was the only possible solution. On his return to Rome
he began to do over again what Caesar had done--gather into his own
hands the reins of government. He succeeded with more caution and
shrewdness, and became the founder of the Roman empire, which
formally began on January 16, 27 BC, and was signalized by the
bestowal of the title AUGUSTUS (which see). Under republican forms
he ruled as emperor, controlling legislation, administration and the
armies. His policy was on the whole adhered to by the Julio-Claudian
line, the last of which was Nero (died 68 AD).
Full Article
The Bible Mentions "Rome" in many places:
Acts 23:11 - And the
night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer,
Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou
bear witness also at Rome.
2 Timothy
4:22 - The Lord Jesus Christ [be] with thy spirit. Grace
[be] with you. Amen. <[The second [epistle] unto Timotheus, ordained
the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written from
Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second
time.]>
Acts 18:2
- And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come
from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto
them.
Colossians 4:18 - The salutation by the hand of me Paul.
Remember my bonds. Grace [be] with you. Amen. <[Written from
Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.]>
Ephesians
6:24 - Grace [be] with all them that love our Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity. Amen. <[To [the] Ephesians written from
Rome, by Tychicus.]>
Philemon
1:25 - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your
spirit. Amen. <[Written from Rome to Philemon, by
Onesimus a servant.]>
Acts 2:10
- Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about
Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Acts 19:21
- After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when
he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem,
saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
Acts 28:16
- And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered
the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to
dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.
Romans 1:7
- To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called [to
be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Galatians
6:18 - Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be]
with your spirit. Amen. <[To [the] Galatians written from Rome.]>
Philippians 4:23 - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be]
with you all. Amen. <[To [the] Philippians written from Rome,
by Epaphroditus.]>
Acts 28:14
- Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven
days: and so we went toward Rome.
Romans 1:15
- So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you
that are at Rome also.
2 Timothy
1:17 - But, when he was in Rome, he sought me
out very diligently, and found [me].