The Roman Empire in the West fell over fifteen hundred years ago to barbarian invaders. Yet, the effects of that ancient civilization’s legacy continue to this day in our language, government system, and culture.
“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?”
It was a question that nearly broke social media recently. With the hashtag #romanempire, it produced a storm of commentary. Many reasons were given for the interest in Roman civilization, including architecture, engineering, the power and might of the Roman army, and even the entertainment of the gladiatorial games.
Speaking for myself, I have been interested in Roman history, a branch of what is known as Classics, since fifth grade (quite a long time ago), when I began to read Isaac Asimov’s history books, The Roman Republic and The Roman Empire. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is my favorite of the Bard’s plays.
You may say that, as Christian believers, we have better things to think about than a long-dead civilization known for its martial conquests, political intrigue, and sensuality. Why pay attention to them now?
I believe that we should be interested in the “long-dead” Romans for three reasons.
· First, the Roman Empire is the historical context for the life and times of Jesus Christ. The Judea in which Jesus lived, traveled, and ministered was part of an empire that encompassed the known world. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was confronted with the popular expectation of a Messiah who would throw off the yoke of the conquerors and reestablish the nation of Israel. The hated conqueror was Rome and its army. Jesus was sentenced to death by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The tool of our Savior’s execution, crucifixion, was a Roman method of killing.
· Second, the Roman Empire provided the infrastructure for the spread of the gospel. The early church moved out of Judea into the Roman Empire during the two-hundred-year period known as the Pax Romana, a period of peace enforced by the Roman legions. Paul and the other apostles probably traveled on Roman roads, built to connect the far-flung provinces. He also traversed over what we call the Mediterranean Sea, but at the time was known as Mare Nostrum, or “our sea.” It was literally a Roman lake. Paul used his Roman citizenship and the law to call for an appeal to Caesar himself which lead to his own martyrdom. Even during times of persecution, the early church used Roman physical and civil structures to take the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to the world.
· Third, the history of Rome and its empire gives us an indelible lesson. Yes, the Roman Empire was rife will all the vices in the calendar. To think about those things would be foolish. Historian and writer Lawrence Reed asserts that the lesson of the Roman saga is that “character matters.” Character was stressed in Roman culture and it was connected to ordered liberty. The loss of character through leaders who were unworthy or even unbalanced, as many of them were, helped bring about that civilization’s fall. The Romans became unable and even unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to defend themselves against the advances of the “barbarian” hordes. Yes, character and personal integrity matter. Our outward and inner lives need to match the expression of the Christian worldview.
Next time the movie Gladiator comes on television or Masterpiece Theater makes an encore presentation of “I, Claudius” you might be tempted to think about the Roman Empire and its world-spanning civilization. I suggest you do. God is at work in the world. He has even used pagan and evil leaders and peoples (Ex. 9:16, Is. 45:13, Rom. 9:17). God used the Romans to fulfill His purpose of bringing the Gospel to the world.
Think about the Roman Empire for all its triumphs and its faults and praise God for His work in history.
Mark Riser - Apologist 