What does Acts 28:22 reveal about the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire? Text and Immediate Context “‘But we consider it worth hearing from you what you think, for we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.’ ” (Acts 28:22) Paul, under house arrest in Rome (c. AD 60-62), has summoned the leading Jews of the city. They know of “this sect” (τῆς αἱρέσεως ταύτης) and report that it is already the object of empire-wide discussion and opposition. Term “Sect” and Jewish Perception • “Sect” (hairesis) in 1st-century Jewish parlance denoted an intra-Jewish school (cf. Pharisees, Sadducees, Acts 5:17; 15:5). Christianity, therefore, is still viewed as a Jewish renewal movement, not a distinct religion. • The Jewish leadership’s willingness to grant Paul a hearing shows that Rome’s synagogue network served as an early conduit for gospel proclamation (Acts 13:14; 17:1, 10). Empire-Wide Awareness • “Everywhere” (πανταχοῦ) indicates geographic breadth: by the early 60s the faith had reached Jerusalem (Acts 2), Antioch (11), Asia Minor (13-14), Greece (17-20), and now the imperial capital. • External corroboration: – Suetonius, Life of Claudius 25.4 (c. AD 120): Jews expelled from Rome in AD 49 over disturbances “impulsore Chresto.” – Tacitus, Annals 15.44 (c. AD 115): Christians punished under Nero, “a class hated for their abominations … originating in Judea.” – Pliny the Younger, Ep. ad Trajan 10.96-97 (AD 112): Christianity spread in Bithynia “not only in cities but also in villages and rural areas.” These hostile witnesses match Luke’s statement that the movement was widely known and maligned. Growth Despite Opposition Acts 28:22 echoes an earlier pattern: “For we regard this man as a plague, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world” (Acts 24:5). Opposition became an unintended metric of success; the more the message circulated, the more criticism it attracted (cf. Acts 17:6). Sociopolitical Climate in Rome • Judaism enjoyed legal recognition (religio licita). As long as Christians were seen as a sect within Judaism, they benefited from that protection. • By AD 64 (Neronian persecution) the distinction solidified, but Acts 28 shows the transitional phase when Romans and Jews were still assessing the movement’s status (cf. Acts 18:15). Evidence of a Roman Congregation Prior to Paul • Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (c. AD 57) greets believers in Rome, proving an established church existed before the apostle arrived. • Archaeology: The Catacomb of Priscilla (1st-2nd cent.) contains Christian frescoes (Good Shepherd, Jonah) and inscriptions in Latin and Greek, attesting to a mixed community. • Philippians 4:22—“All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household”—shows penetration into imperial service. Communication Networks Fueling the Spread • Roman roads (the viae), sea lanes, and common Greek (koine) allowed rapid dissemination of oral tradition and written texts (Luke-Acts itself, the Pauline corpus). • The synagogue diaspora supplied ready-made assemblies familiar with Scripture (Acts 13:15), while Gentile “God-fearers” (Acts 10) bridged cultural gaps. Summary Acts 28:22 provides a snapshot of Christianity’s status in the early 60s AD: no longer obscure, it is recognized from Judea to Rome; it is controversial, yet unstoppable; and it is still perceived as a Jewish sect even while crossing ethnic and geographic boundaries. The verse thus confirms that the gospel had permeated the social fabric of the Roman Empire in remarkable breadth and speed, exactly as Acts’ narrative trajectory—and Old Testament prophecy—anticipated. |
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