World English Bible · Under Rome
Colossians 4
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Masters, give to your servants that which is and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in . Continue steadfastly in , watching in it with , praying together for us also, that may open to us a door for the word, to speak of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, that I may it as I ought to speak. Walk in toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with , seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. All my affairs will be to you by , the beloved brother, servant, and fellow in . I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your , together with , the and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here. , my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark the cousin of (concerning whom you received instructions, "if he comes to you, receive him"), and who is called . These are my only fellow workers for Kingdom who are of the , men who have been a comfort to me. , who is one of you, a Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of . For I testify about him that he has great for you, and for those in , and for those in . Luke the beloved physician and greet you. Greet the brothers who are in , with Nymphas and that is in his house. When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the letter from . Tell , "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in , that you fulfill it." I, , write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. be with you. .
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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.