World English Bible · Under Rome
Luke 24
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But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they and some others came to the , bringing the spices which they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the . They entered in, and didn't find ' body. While they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling clothing. Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. The men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among ? He isn't here, but is . Remember what he told you when he was still in , saying that must be up into the hands of men and be , and the third day ?" They remembered his words, returned from the , and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were , , and the mother of . The other women with them told these things to . These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn't them. But got up and ran to the . Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened. Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named , which was sixty stadia from . They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened. While they talked and questioned together, himself came near, and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. He said to them, "What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?" One of them, named , answered him, "Are you the only in who doesn't know the things which have happened there in these days?" He said to them, "What things?" They said to him, "The things concerning the Nazarene, who was a mighty in deed and word before and all the people; and how the and our him up to be condemned to , and him. But we were hoping that it was he who would Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the ; 23and when they didn't find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a of , who said that he was alive. Some of us went to the and found it like the women had said, but they didn't see him." He said to them, "Foolish people, and slow of to in all that have spoken! Didn't have to suffer these things and to enter into his ?" Beginning from and from all , he explained to them in all the things concerning himself. They came near to the village where they were going, and he acted like he would go further. They urged him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over." He went in to stay with them. When he had sat down with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized him; then he vanished out of their sight. They said to one another, "Weren't our burning within us while he spoke to us along , and while he opened to us?" They rose up that very hour, returned to , and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them, saying, " is indeed, and has appeared to !" They related the things that happened along , and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. As they said these things, himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace be to you." But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a . He said to them, "Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your ? See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a doesn't have and bones, as you see that I have." 40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they still didn't for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. He took them, and ate in front of them. He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that all things which are written in of , , and the psalms concerning me must be fulfilled." Then he opened their , that they might understand . He said to them, "Thus , and thus it was necessary for to suffer and to rise from the third day, and that and remission of should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at . You are of these things. Behold, I send out the promise of on you. But wait in the city of until you are clothed with from on high." He led them out as far as , and he lifted up his hands and them. While he them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into . They him and returned to with great joy, and were continually in , praising and . .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
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.