In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul makes a point about how Christians are to live in the light of their Christianity.
There is a new view of the world from henceforth – “this is what the world is like”…
The Christian has to look at time in a new way. The crisis in 1 Corinthians 7:25 is a massive food shortage.
People are asking Paul whether or not they should marry etc in the grip of this crisis.
Marriage was everything – if you weren’t married the disgrace would be recorded on your gravestone. Joy was everything. Making money was everything. There’s an enormous economic boom in the city of Corinth – people have never had it so good – and suddenly there’s a grain shortage. A crisis. There are 100,000 people suddenly starving.
The grain supply man has statues and inscriptions to him all over the city because he bailed them out a number of times.
This is why Paul was angry about the way the Lord’s Supper was running in Corinth – people were hungry, and others were gorging themselves.
Rome was celebrating the great peace – the pax Romana – brought about by Augustus. This is the “golden age” of Rome. This was an age of peace – a new beginning.
Towards the end of the republic another idea of joy and prosperity another idea came from Hellenistic culture – which was awaiting a “Messianic” figure who would be chosen from birth by the gods who would bring peace, justice and prosperity. This idea was attached to the emperor – so emperor worship tied the Roman Empire together for many years.
The promise of peace is powerful – the thousand year “reich” of Hitler is much the same principle.
For Rome - the reason for rejoicing in this is because the gods have worked through Augustus in order to accomplish divine things – peace, justice, etc…
After Augustus came Tiberius (14 to 37AD). Described as the prime mover and keeper of our safety – he is “our saviour”, he cares for us in “accordance with his divine plan”, the “course of public and private life is kept pure”… These are the great values that are seen to have come from the Roman world. Everything is peaceful in the empire. Enormous ships bring vast amount of trade. The ships are big enough for 250 passengers plus cargo. There’s banking and insurance. People have never had it so good.
For Rome – this is the Messianic Age.
Gaius is next – there is some interesting discussion of Jesus – a Jew called Philo of Alexandria (a contemporary of Paul and a Hellenised Jew) – talks in Messianic language about the Emperor Gaius.
“From the rising to the setting of the sun, within the ocean and beyond, this person has brought joy to the whole world.”
“In these days the rich had no precinct over the poor, nor the distinguished above the poor… nor masters above slaves…” – Section 13 of the Embassy to Gaius.
This is a Jew talking about the Roman Emperor in a Messianic framework.
Gaius went a bit “nutty” and wanted to set up a statue of himself in the Jewish temple.
When we come to Claudius – Seneca the Younger “I wish to give future generations accounts of what happened in the heavens in this new period of Grace – both Augustus and Tiberius joined the company of the Gods.”
Nero was not yet 17 when he came to power in Rome. Was eventually described as the Lord of the World – Nero Zeus – this age, the first century age, is one in which you have religious language and the language of Isaiah being replicated in the way that emperors were spoken about. This was the great “Messianic” age. Citizens thought of ways to honour those Messianic figures. Even though all the Emperors declined temples to be built…
Nero: “I declined building a temple because this honour is for the Gods alone”… and yet the envoys went straight home and built a temple.
Christians are to see things differently – not “everything is now and therefore this is what we need…”
Not only are the terms used of Jesus used of the Roman Gods in the first century – but the terms used of heaven are used to describe the Roman Empire.
The temples were perfectly built, the cities laid out perfectly, the town plan was symmetrically and perfectly ordered. The centre of the city has this “wow factor” to it… Kosmos means the “ordered world” – their task was to bring that “order” into the city.
How does sin fit into the Messianic code of Roman Rule – the Roman law has never been replicated.
If you put man into an ideal setting he’ll behave in an ideal way. The concept was that man’s problem was external – so a lovely city will make everything good and idyllic.
A crucified God solving an internal problem was a totally stupid message to Roman culture – which is the point of 1 Corinthians 1.
Even the coins in Roman culture were propaganda – and this Messianic age begins with a Jew on a cross who is to be worshipped. Not great “PR” in Roman culture.
More Roman names than Greek names in Paul’s letters… Paul knows how to preach, he knows how to address the Aereopagus, he becomes “all things to all men”… a man of the great council (the Aereopagus) is converted by his reasoning (along with his followers).
Paul must convince his readers that this is not the Messianic age. He must convince the people who listen to him that putting people in an ideal situation does not change them.
How do we preach to people who belong to this golden age and believe they have everything… how do we preach to young people whose view of marriage as everything echoes Roman culture – this search for the golden age is not unique to Roman culture.
Have we advanced in the 21st century? The pursuit of happiness is fruitless – the Bible condemns happiness but celebrates joy.
We’re still in a countercultural context.
