155 When God Is Revealed—and Rejected

Romans 1:1-32, TBC Book Two, Chapter 155
Like most early churches, the Roman church community was predominantly Jewish—until Claudius became Emperor. To the Roman authorities, Christianity was simply a sect of Judaism. So when tensions arose between Jews who embraced Christ and Jews who did not, people outside of Judaism viewed it simply as a disagreement among Jews about details of their faith. And the Gentile rulers demonstrated little patience when disputes emerged.

The quarrels in Rome between Jews who believed in Christ and those who did not became so contentious that they often led to public disturbances—capturing the attention of the Roman Emperor. To quell those conflicts, Claudius banned all Jews in Rome from meeting in their synagogues, beginning in 41 C.E. That did not, however, prevent Jews from congregating in homes, where tensions did not cease, nor did the public nature of their conflicts. As Paul learned from Priscilla and Aquila, this eventually led Claudius to expel all Jews from Rome.

So the Christians remaining in Rome were predominantly Gentiles. In time, Jews were permitted to return to Rome, but when they did, the cultural tables had turned. Church bodies once dominated by Jewish culture were now led by Gentiles. Paul knew that their needs would differ from those of the churches he had planted, and that understanding guided his letter to the Romans, which he likely wrote from Corinth.

Paul, a willing slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart by God to present the gospel to those called to belong to Christ, to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his saints. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I think God for all of you, for how your faith is reported to others all over the world. . . . Now I pray that, Lord willing, I may finally visit you. I wanted to come sooner, but each time I was prevented. . . . 

(See THE BIBLE CLICKS, Book Two, Chapter 155, for the rest of the story.)
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Today’s Takeaways
     A proverb to guide you: The God of Creation reveals himself through that Creation . . . to those who seek him.
     A promise to cling to: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20 NIV
     A praise to fill you: This is My Father’s World  Michael Card     [Can skip ad after first 5 seconds]

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