These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” Acts 17:6, 7
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The Pax Romana, that celebrated epoch of worldwide peace inaugurated by Augustus at the point of the sword, was the golden age of Roman power and prosperity. For decades the Empire drained its “republics” of their wealth and dignity, providing military protection and internal peace in exchange for whatever it chose to exact in the way of taxes and conscripts. Frontier wars variously loomed or raged throughout this period, but within the Empire itself, peace was generally the norm.
But it was a shallow peace, one enforced by fear. As we see in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, local governors, kings, and magistrates lived in fear of upsetting Roman authorities. They knew that, at a moment’s notice, Roman troops could be dispatched into the streets and it would be hell to pay. The peace that Rome provided allowed a modicum of external security, but within, in their souls, the native peoples of the Empire lived at peace with Rome because they had no choice.
And then along came the followers of Jesus, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and “practicing”, as the Greek of our text has it, allegiance to King Jesus rather than to Caesar. In Thessalonica, the idea of such a subversive notion gaining traction in their town terrified the locals and led them to persecute all those who believed the Gospel and took up the cause of Christ (1 Thess. 1:6). The prospect of letting Jesus go and of Him continuing to declare Himself King instead of Caesar was the deal-breaker for Pilate, who was cowed by the religious leaders’ declaring that if he freed Jesus he was no friend of Caesar.
For the first and second generations of the followers of Christ, the Roman government tolerated the practice of the faith, just as it did all the other local religious clubs and pagan religions throughout the Empire. But none of these proclaimed a King Who was superior to Caesar, Whose Word had more authority than Rome’s, and Who alone was to be obeyed when His way was found to be in conflict with that of the powers-that-be.
This is why, from early in the second century on, Roman power moved to crush the Christian movement by every available means. People who believe that their ultimate wellbeing and direction in life depend on human government do not take kindly to the message of the Gospel. We see it even today, when legislative and judicial powers have locked the Gospel out of significant places of social and cultural influence, insisting that only secular powers, principles, and protocols must be practiced here.
Will the Gospel continue to trouble such as these, or will its adherents simply agree to their terms and keep their opinions and power to themselves?
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
VP Truth That Troubles
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