PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

DEHRADUN

ASSIGNMENT ON

HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDS

STEPHEN LEPCHA
1172
PAULINE
2022
HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDS

INTRODUCTION: In Paul’s missionary journey he had been to many places. His focus was to

preach the gospel of Jesus Christ where he went through. In this paper I am going to write about

the history of some cities which Paul visited established churches there while his missionary

journeys.

1.GALATIA:

Galatia, located in modern Turkey was a province of the Roman Empire. The name

comes from the Greek word “Gaul”. The term Galatia was used in cultural and political sense. A

great population explosion in central Europe brought Gauls into this area during the 3rd century

BC1. In 189 B.C. Galatia came under Roman domination, and in 25 B.C. Augustus declared it a

roman province.

The Galatians indulged themselves to worship the Phrygian sky god Sabazois, the all-

powerful horseman of the heavens brought to Anatolia by the Phrygians.2 The Galatians were

proud and independent in themselves. They spoke their own Celtic tongue. They kept their native

law under the empire. They spoke Greek. They were customed to Greco-Asiatic law; the law of

adoption and inheritance.3

1
W. M. Ramsay, An Historical commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, (Source Digital
1889)
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
 Paul visited Galatia and established churches there (Acts 13-14). The people of Galatia

have been practicing jealousy, drunkenness, liberal sexuality and idolatry.4 They were slaves to

these things. Regarding these issues Paul writes them and offered them freedom in Christ from

the worldly pleasures. After the missionary journey of Paul in Galatia changed the picture of

Galatia. Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Paul’s appeals worked well and the

Galatians were converted into Christianity.

2.CORINTH:

The city of Corinth, west of Athens in southern Greece, was part of the Roman. It was the

city of Greece. Corinth was an ancient seat of power, in the New Testament times paramount

among the many cities of Greece. Corinth was ransacked in 146 B. C. E. and it was rebuilt by

Caesar in 46 BC as a Roman colony.5

The city was full of evil. The city was a center of cult-prostitution in honor of the goddess

Aphrodite.6 Corinth offered wide variety. The city was busy and populous as well as an evil city,

a place where men might be expected to develop their own interests, whether those interests lay

along the lines of business, lust, or culture.7 Corinth in the 1st century was characterized by the

utmost in vice and evil living.

Paul founded the church there in his second missionary journeys. Paul stayed in Corinth

for 18 months in his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1-18).8 The church in Corinth was

4
ESV BIBLE
5
NEW BIBLE DICTIONARY SECOND EDITION BY By JD Douglas, FF Bruce, JI Packer, N G
Hillyer, D Guthrie AR Millard DJ Wiseman

6
Ibid.
7
Comm. By E. B. Allo (2nd ed. 1956)
8
Ibid.
struggling with division, immorality, idolatry, and theological confusion.9 Paul writes letter to

them regarding these issues they were struggling with. Paul encourages them to repent for their

sins to build up those and so they me be witness to non-believers. Paul encourages the

Corinthians to become a true dwelling place for God’s Spirit (1 COR. 3:12,16).

3.ROME:

Rome was cosmopolitan and all the world was Rome.10 Rome was an ideal place for a

city. It is located along with the banks of the Tibet River. Rome was a huge and very rich empire.

The Roman people admired Caesar as a war hero and a strong leader. In 46 BC, the Roman

elected Caesar as dictator of Rome. In New testament times Rome was in the full flush of her

growth.

The Romans used great public projects to make the city most advanced of the ancient

world, and to create the largest empire of the era. Some roads made by the Romans are still used

today. Rome was the center of modern civilization. The city has many amphitheaters and huge

stadiums. People would watch the fight between wild animals and Gladiators. Gladiators were

those who were slaves and criminals. Often the Gladiators lost their live during this battle.

People would love to entertain themselves watching these battles. Some of Roman entertainment

was so cruel.11

The Romans were pagans, but they did not force Jewish to worship Romans gods, instead

they allowed them to practice their faith.12 There was no one central Church at Rome. They had
9
ESV Bible
10
J. P. V. D. Balsdon, Life and Leisure in Ancient Rome, (ISBN 1974).
11
PDF (A BREIF HISTORY OF ROME)
12
J. P. V. D. Balsdon, Line and Leisure in Ancient Rome, 1974.
no common meeting place, but there were several churches meeting in private houses. Rome was

the center of the empire. Paul’s missionary journey had only one purpose and that was to preach

the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Paul visited Rome in his missionary journeys, the Jewish

leaders’ personal ignorance of the sect (Acts 28:22). No matter who stood against him, he

continued his preaching faithfully there.

4.THESSALONICA:

The ancient city of Thessalonica was the important sea port area of Macedonia.13 It was a

regionally named after the sister of Alexander the Great. The Romans conquered Macedonia in

168 B.C. and organized it into a single province twenty-two years later with Thessalonica as the

capital city.14 It became a free city under Augustus with its own authority. The city had a sizable

Jewish population.

The city had huge populational which included Greeks, Romans, etc. The Gentiles had

become disenchanted with Greek paganism. In this city Judaism attracted many Gentiles through

their living. The Jewish were proud people at that time, they continuously practiced their faith.

They proclaimed themselves as righteous people among the Gentiles.

Paul visited Thessalonica and established churches in his second missionary journey.

Thessalonica was the first place where Paul’s preaching achieved a numerous and prominent

following (Acts 17:4,10).15 The Jews became jealous of Paul’s success and organized a crowd to

13
KJV BIBLE
14
KJV BIBLE
15
NEW BIBLE DICTIONARY SECOND EDITION, Edt. By JD Douglas, FF Bruce, JI Packer, N G
Hillyer, D Guthrie AR Millard DJ Wiseman
oppose the Christian missionaries. However, Paul did not stop his mission, he appointed some

elders to look after the Church.

5.PHILIPPI:

Philippi was a Roman colony in northeastern Greece. Philippi was founded by the Greek

king Philip II, father of Alexander the great in 356 B.C. Because of that reason Philippi was

named after Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great (356 B.C.E.). Philippi was an

important city in eastern Macedon, which flourished in the Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine

periods.16

The Romans captured it in 168 B.C. and in 42 B.C. the defeat of the forces of Brutus and

Cassius by those of Antony and Octavian. Octavian turned Philippi into Roman colony (Acts

16:12). The citizens of this colony were regarded as the citizens of Rome and they also got the

privileges for that.17 The city of Philippi did not have much Jews in the city.

Paul visited Philippi in his second missionary journey along with Silas. Paul converted

Lydia and others. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned at Philippi. Though they were

beaten and imprisoned this resulted the conversion of the Philippian Jailor. Paul successfully

established the church at Philippi. Paul again visited the Philippians in his third missionary

journey. Paul and Silas endured suffering for the extension of the kingdom of the God.

16
R. P. Martin, Philippians, (NCB, 1976).
17
KJV BIBBLE
6.EPHESUS:

Ephesus was the most important city in the Roman province of Asia, major port city on the

western coast of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).18 Ephesus is sometimes also called Ephesos.

Ephesus was devoted to the goddess Artemis. Her temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the

Ancient World.

Ephesus became the greatest commercial city of the Roman province of Asia. Ephesus

had vast area and huge population. Ephesus maintained its religious under the Roman rule. It

became center of the emperor cult. There was a large colony of Jews at Ephesus, and they

enjoyed privileges under the Roman rule.19

Paul visited Ephesus while his third missionary journey. In Paul’s third missionary

journey he stayed at Ephesus for over 2 years (Acts 19:8, 10). Paul focus was to make Ephesus a

base for evangelization of the whole province of Asia.20 It is said that the Christianity spread

quickly at Ephesus. Paul also faced riot there in Ephesus. The word of God spread throughout the

province of Asia.

7.COLOSAE:

Colossae was a city in Roman province of Asia in the region of Phrygia, now it is Asiatic

Turkey.21It was the important city in the Lydian and Persian periods. Colossae was great city

with great privileges of trade and commerce. The city of Colossae was located around 120 miles

18
NEW BIBLE DICTIONARY SECOND EDITION.
19
J. T. Wood, Morden Discoveries on the Site of Ancient Ephesus, 1890
20
Ibid.
21
J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, 1875
east of Ephesus on the ancient road from the Anatolian coast toward Syria and Mesopotamia, the

merchants, travelers, and armies would pass through this city.22

Colossae was damaged by an earthquake along with Laodecia and Heirapolis in 17 A.D.

and rebuilt quickly. In A.D 60 again there was an earthquake and it destroyed them again. The

cities were good in wealth and possession so again they built it very quickly. The fields around

Colossae yielded produce such as olives figs, and the many sheep pastured in the are contributed

to a wool industry which included the production of a popular wool dyed dark red and purple.23

The city had mostly Gentiles population, but there were Jews too but not great in

numbers than Gentiles. The people in that city used Roman money and worshiped various

deities. Greek was spoken as their main language.24 The people of Colossae practiced polytheism

and lived their lives according to Romans rules.

Colossae had small Jewish community which faced heresies of syncretism. The false

teachers were spreading the heresies to the church at Colossae. Church at Colossae was not

founded by Paul (Col. 2:1).

8.JERUSALEM:

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and it is considered to be the holiest place in the world.

This city is mainly known as holy for three main religions i.e., Judaism, Christianity and Islam.25

The word “Jerusalem” is taken from a Hebrew word which means peace. In today’s context this

city is also known to be the oldest city in the world.

22
J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon, 1875
23
Comm. On Colossae by Titus Kennedy on January 7, 2017.
24
Comm. On Colossae by Titus Kennedy on January 7, 2017.
25
Murphy O’Connor, J. The Holy Land, (Oxford University Press, USA, 2008)
 The city was also known for religious place especially for the Jews. People would come

to the temple which was built by king Solomon to worship God. Though the meaning of the

name of that city was peace this city faced many things throughout the history. The temple of

Solomon, along with the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire (586 BCE)

during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.26

The city gained its popularity more by the life of Jesus. At that time the city was under

the Roman control. Every people had to follow Roman rules. Jesus taught the people in the

synagogue. Jerusalem was the main city for everyone at that time. Every one would come to

Jerusalem to worship God.

After the conversion Paul started his missionary journey from Jerusalem. Paul would

return to Jerusalem to give report to the elders. When he returned back to Jerusalem from his

third missionary journey, he finds controversy in the synagogue. Paul was urging Jews not to

follow the law after becoming the follower of Christ. He was dragged from the inner courts of

the temple; it gates were shut down for him (Acts 21). The soldiers secured Paul from the crowd.

The commander gave him a chance to defend himself to the crazed crowd. Paul took opportunity

and delivered his case.

CONCLUSION: After the conversion of Paul’s life, he was dedicated to the mission.

He has given us the example of the true missionary person. No mattered what he faced

throughout his missionary journeys he did not stop rather he continued to preach the word of

God and continue to build the church and nurture the church.

Bibliography
26
World History Encyclopedia.
There are no sources in the current document.

Ramsay, W. M. (1889). An Historical commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, Source

Digital 1889)

Balsdon, J. P. V. D. (1974) Life and Leisure in Ancient Rome, ISBN.

Martin, R. P. (1976) Philippians, NCB,

Wood, J. T. (1890) Morden Discoveries on the Site of Ancient Ephesus,

Lightfoot, J. B. (1875) Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon,

New Bible Dictionary Second Edition by Edt. By JD Douglas, FF Bruce, JI Packer, N G Hillyer, D Guthrie

AR Millard DJ Wiseman

O’Connor, Murphy (2008) J. The Holy Land, Oxford University Press, USA.

COMM. On Colossae by Titus Kennedy on January 7, 2017

World History Encyclopedia.