World English Bible · Under Rome
2 Corinthians 1
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, of Christ through the will of , and our brother, to of which is at , with all who are in the whole of : to you and peace from and . be the and of our , of and of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by . For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and . If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Our for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort. For we don't to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in : that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our , so much that we despaired even of life. Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of within ourselves, that we should not in ourselves, but in who raises , who us out of so great a , and does , on whom we have set our that he will also still us, you also helping together on our behalf by your ; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf. For our boasting is this: the of our that in and sincerity of , not in but in the of , we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. For we write no other things to you than what you read or even , and I you will to the end— as also you acknowledged us in part—that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our . In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit, and by you to pass into , and again from to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to . When I therefore planned this, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to , that with me there should be the "Yes, yes" and the "No, no?" But as is , our word toward you was not "Yes and no." For the Son of , , who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and —was not "Yes and no," but in him is "Yes." For however many are the promises of , in him is the "Yes." Therefore also through him is the "", to the of through us. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and us is , who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of in our . But I call for a to , that to spare you, I didn't come to . We don't control your , but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in .
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The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.