The imperial cult

Julius Caesar was the first deified emperor. Seven days after his death he was thought to have ascended to heaven. The apotheosis of the emperor.

(The ascension as a piece of Roman symbolism fleshed out)…

He was officially deified in 42BC. The “genius” of the emperor was being worshipped – and 1 Corinthians 10 should have been translated to read “genius” instead of demon (daemon).

In 38BC the coin featured Caesar as a God. The God Julius and Augustus – son of a God. The divinity of Augustus is established within his lifetime.

Praying with heads covered was a pagan custom common with praying to the emperors.

Augustus refers to himself in a letter to Ephesus as “Imperator Caesar, son of God Julius” – his son followed the family tradition “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, God, son of a God”.

“Are you the son of God” – the question is loaded as competition with the son of the Emperor. When Jesus says yes he is making a claim of Lordship. When the Roman Centurion says “Surely this is the son of a God” he is also recognizing this significance.

Son of God v God can be used interchangeably.

“The son of God” not “a son” – the article is always missing in Greek inscriptions. John includes the definite article throughout the gospel (John 1:14) “the only” is even more specific.

Emperors are recorded as “God manifest”. (1 Tim 3:16).

When Nero exempted Greece from taxes after he won all the events in the Greek games the Greeks called him “The Lord of the whole world”…

There will always be counterfeits and competitors when a claim of truth is made.

“monolatry” having other Gods as equal with God. This is not on – there is only one true and living God.

Christians can not participate in this sort of activity.

Revelation – the two thrones – the throne of the lamb and the throne of the beast and a kingdom (Revelation 16:10).

Not one “imperial cult” but imperial cultic activities.

1 Corinthians 8 = Many “so called” Gods = popularly but wrongly called Gods. Revolution in thinking – God is not here for us, we are here for him. One Lord – Jesus Christ.

Some are reclining in the Idol temple (v 10) – an “idol has no real existence (v 4) there is only one God, why shouldn’t we enjoy our lovely free meal”… the meal is theirs “by right” (verse 9).

Acts 18 v 12 – Gallio makes a judgment about the Christians.

Seneca the younger is Nero’s tutor and then advisor, Gallio is a very important player (and Seneca’s brother) – Gallio says the Christian faith is Jewish and thus Christians are exempted from the worship of the emperor.

This would have exempted both Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians from the imperial cult.

The federal imperial cult – events and celebrations – being rationalized by Christians in 1 Corinthians 8.

Paul says “no” you could stumble a young Christian and he encourages the Corinthians to move away from rights under Roman law to the responsibilities of the Gospel.

“I do all things to please everyone so that others might be saved”…

In the southern part of Greece (Corinth) a new federal imperial cult is born – the Imperial Games.