THE TWELVE ROMANS

First, The Ancient Romans influenced world’s culture and made a huge impact on the development of technology and science. Secondly, Roman Empire had a great political significance, since Romans were the first who created a Senate. Moreover, one of the most essential historical eras, Renaissance, was inspired by the Romans.

The soldiers represent the Polybian reforms, after 275 BC. The Roman army recruits also had to swear an oath of obedience, which was known as sacramentum dicere. This symbolically bound them with the Roman state, their commander, and more importantly to their fellow comrade-in-arms. These soldiers are dedicated to the service of Roman, they are to humble themselves under the leadership of the Empire, and faithfully use the weapons in their perspective station and various duties with forbearance and force. This is an interesting parallel as to the example we are to have when serving Christ, See blow.

Roman 12… Believers are to dedicate themselves to God. (1,2) To be humble, and faithfully to use their spiritual gifts, in their respective stations. (3-8) Exhortations to various duties. (9-16) And to peaceable conduct towards all men, with forbearance and benevolence. (17-21)

Romans 12:9-16. The professed love of Christians to each other should be sincere, free from deceit, and unmeaning and deceitful compliments. Depending on Divine grace, they must detest and dread all evil, and love and delight in whatever is kind and useful.

I have been fascinated by the book of Roman because of the writing of Paul. We really have to read into the letter and embrace the history to better understand Paul and how the word of God is to transform us and not our tradition and or what we think. Let me take you back a little.

The Significance of Rome

The Roman Empire was the human political entity that God used to prepare the world for the birth of the Messiah and for the spread of the gospel.

Although Scripture prophesied centuries before that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), Mary and Joseph were firmly established in Nazareth of Galilee (Luke 1:26). The Roman Empire moved them to the city where Christ was to be born. A decree of the Roman Emperor Augustus (Octavian) mandated that all should return to their home for registration so “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child” (Luke 2:4–5). God used the decree of a pagan emperor to move Mary and Joseph into the place that had been prophesied. Certainly, Mary and Joseph could have chosen to go to Bethlehem on their own in order to fulfill the prophecy; however, the Roman emperor’s decree that set everything in motion demonstrated that Mary and Joseph did not manipulate events to “set up their son” as a potential Messiah.

One of the priorities of the Roman Empire (perhaps the main priority) was peace, which it accomplished with an iron hand.

The apostle Paul traveled all over the Roman Empire on Roman roads and shared the gospel with diverse groups of Gentiles in the common Greek language. (The common trade language of the Roman Empire was Greek and was not replaced with Latin for several centuries.) Paul’s Roman citizenship allowed him to move about the empire more freely and provided him with an additional measure of protection (see Acts 22:22–29). Not only Paul, but many Christians spread out all over the Roman Empire, taking the gospel with them.

Three Roman emperors are mentioned by name in the New Testament. Augustus, in connection with the census that moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth. Tiberius, who was emperor when John the Baptist started his public ministry (Luke 3:1). And Claudius is mentioned as the emperor who expelled all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:1). The Roman historian Seutonius is his work The Lives of the Twelve Caesars says that the expulsion was the result of Jewish disputes over someone called Chrestus. Believed to be Christ. The mere fact that Rome. Roman was so significant leads me to believe we should really pay attention this this book for it reveals the nature and heart of a God that wants to free us from our past. Since men became enemies to God, they have been very ready to be enemies one to another. And those that embrace religion, must expect to meet with enemies in a world whose smiles seldom agree with Christ's. Be not overcome of evil. Learn to defeat ill designs against you, either to change them, or to preserve your own peace. He that has this rule over his spirit, is better than the mighty. God's children may be asked whether it is not sweeter unto them than all earthly good, that God so enables us by his Spirit, thus, to feel and act. God must be served with the spirit, under the influences of the Holy Spirit. He is honored by our hope and trust in him, especially when we rejoice in that hope. He is served, not only by working for him, but by sitting still quietly, when he calls us to suffer.