World English Bible · Under Rome
Acts 1
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The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after he had given through to whom he had chosen. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about Kingdom. Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, "Don't depart from , but wait for the promise of , which you heard from me. For indeed in water, but you will be in not many days from now." Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, ", are you now restoring to Israel?" He said to them, "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which has set within his own . But you will receive when has come upon you. You will be to me in , in all and , and to the uttermost parts of the earth." When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, "You men of , why do you stand looking into ? This , who was received up from you into , will come back in the same way as you saw him going into ." Then they returned to from the mountain called Olivet, which is near , a journey away. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, that is , , , , , , , , the son of , , and the son of . All these with one accord continued steadfastly in and , along with the women and the mother of , and with his brothers. In these days, stood up in the middle of (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, "Brothers, it was necessary that this should be fulfilled, which spoke before concerning , who was guide to those who took . For he was counted with us, and received his in this ministry. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out. It became known to everyone who lived in that in their language that field was called ',' that is, 'The field of .' For in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one in it;' and, 'Let another take his office.' "Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that went in and out among us, beginning from the of to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a with us of his ." They put forward two: called , who was also called , and . They and said, "You, , who know the of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which fell away, that he might go to his own place." They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on ; and he was counted with the eleven .
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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.