Whether they believed it or not, first-century inhabitants of the Roman empire unrelentingly were told that they were fortunate to live in a unique moment in history, a time of restoration and of future promise. Thanks to one man, a man sent by God, a new age had dawned. No longer were they being punished for their impiety and their disregard for the ways of their forefathers. For, through this one man, the enemy had been defeated; peace with God had been restored; and prosperity awaited all who proved themselves loyal to the new lord and savior of the universe. The following ‘text’ from western
It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: “Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance excelled even our anticipations, surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings (gk: euangelion= gospel) for the world that came by reason of him which Asia resolved in Smyrna.
(Priene calendar inscription, OGIS 458; translation C.Evans)
How does this effect our reading of the Gospels and the gospel?
2 comments:
aren't there a number of instances throughout the NT where the authors use cultural references to point out that Jesus is the true god, king, etc. and should be honored/worshiped in the same way as the referenced individual?
Mark,
Good question. However, I don't think that the NT is adopting culturally relevant language. The terms gospel and savior come out of the Greek Bible (used by early Christians), and especially the Greek of Isaiah 40-55. I guess what I find more interesting is how this message, rooted in the OT, speaks so directly, or we could say confonts so directly, the common religious and political beliefs of the day.
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