The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era

by James S. Jeffers

Publisher:

IVP

, 1999

Overview

What was life like for first-century Christians? Imagine a modest-sized Roman home of a well-to-do Christian household wedged into a thickly settled quarter of Corinth. In the lingering light of a summer evening, men, women and children, merchants, working poor and slaves, a mix of races and backgrounds have assembled in the dimly lit main room are spilling into the central courtyard. This odd assortment of gathered believers—some thirty in number—are attentive as the newly arrived and travel-weary emissary from Paul reads from the papyrus scroll he has brought from their apostolic mentor.

But if you were to be transported to this scene you would perhaps be overwhelmed by a flood of unexpected difference. The voice of the reader recedes as through open windows the din and clamor of the city assault your ears. Hooves clunk and cart wheels grind and echo from the street while drivers shout, vendors call and neighbors gather and converse. And later, as you accompany a family through darkened and dangerous streets to their third-story tenement apartment, you might try to mask your shock at the cramped and unsafe conditions.

In The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era, James Jeffers provides an informative and scenic tour of daily life during the time of Jesus and the apostles. He affords "you-are-there" glimpses of everything from legal codes to dinner foods, from social hierarchy to apartment living, from education to family dynamics. His eye-opening book will advance your understanding of the New Testament and early Christianity and enrich your reading and application of the Bible.

Key Features

• Describes the lives of first-century Christians
• Discusses the culture and every day experiences of people living at the time of Jesus and the apostles
• Enriches your reading of the Bible

Contents

Top Highlights

“Some Christians would later sell themselves into bondage in order to ransom fellow believers, or sell themselves into outright slavery in order to raise money for the churches in Rome.” (Page 24)

“Rome and Alexandria were the giants of the ancient world, with populations near 1,000,000 and 600,000, respectively. Next were Carthage and Antioch, both near 500,000, then Ephesus, with 400,000. Smyrna and Thessalonica were home to over 200,000 persons. Several more cities had populations over 75,000, but the rest were closer to the 20,000 population of Pompeii.” (Page 57)

“Because they accepted the existence of many gods, Romans usually were tolerant of other religions, even when they considered them distasteful. But they became intolerant, even repressive, when they feared that a religion threatened their way of life.” (Pages 89–90)

“Contrary to the views of some modern authors, we have no evidence that Christians were persecuted in the Colosseum. It was not opened to the public until a.d. 80, long after the persecutions under Nero in a.d. 64.” (Page 33)

“Under Greek, Roman and Near Eastern law, creditors could bind into permanent slavery or temporary debt bondage those debtors who did not pay up.” (Page 24)

Product Details

• Title: The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era
• Author: James S. Jeffers
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 335
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Biblical Studies

About James S. Jeffers

James S. Jeffers is associate professor in the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University, and he teaches ancient history at California State University in Dominguez Hills. He has also written Conflict at Rome: Social Order and Hierarchy in Early Christianity.