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Home , Pharsalus (Rome)

Simply Jesus: The Bible Study Study Sheet 1

By Rev. Fr. Dustin Lyon

Introduction

Wright, NT. Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters. New York: HarperOne, 2011.

The Roman Storm

• 1,000 years of history o Roman Kingdom (8th century BC – 509 BC) o Roman Republic (509 BC – 27 BC) o Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD [Western], 1453 AD [Eastern]) • Gaius (49 BC – 44 BC) o First Triumvirate ("three men") (Caesar, Crassus, ) o Caesar’s Civil War and the (9 August 48 BC) o Caesar becomes a title (Kaiser/Tsar) o Divine Status • Octavian (August Caesar) (27 BC – 14 AD) o 2nd Triumvirate (Octavian, Lepidus, ) o Battle Actium (2 September 31 BC) and Egypt o Augustus (worthy of honor) and “Son of god” and pontifex maximus o The STORY of = great climax at last (Pax Augusta/Romana) o Virgil Eclogues 4. o The Good News: “We have an Emperor! Justice, Peace, Security, and Prosperity are ours forever! The Son of God has become King of the World!” • Tiberius (42 BC – 37 AD) o Coin: “Augustus Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus” & Pontifix Maximus • Middle East o Important for its grain (like today’s USA dependent on oil) o Vital to keep under control (cf., see above, “The Good News”)

1 The Jewish Storm

• On going drama, of which they were actors, BUT it had a GOAL o Prospective eschatology, looking FORWARD to a golden-age = freedom, justice, and peace. It was there’s by right. • Story of the Exodus o Slavery o and Red Sea o Desert o Promised Land • Creation and Covenant o God made world o Called Israel to be his people o Reorder world to rescue his people, Israel • Empires o Out of Egypt to Promised Land § Northern Israel/United Monarchy (930 – 720 BC) § Judah (Judea) (930 – 586 BC) o Assyrian (conquered Northern Israel in 720 BC) o Babylon (conquered Judah in 586 BC and Temple destroyed) o Persia (conquered Babylon in 539 BC) o Greeks (conquered Persia in 330 BC) o Rome (Pompey conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC)

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