Did the Apostle Paul Have Beef with Rome?

Описание: What did the Apostle Paul really think about the Roman Empire? Was he anti-Rome? Many scholars have searched Paul's letters for hidden, coded criticisms of the Empire — but is that the best way to understand Paul's politics?

In this video, we explore three things that reveal Paul's view of Rome without needing to read between the lines: (1) his cosmic vision of the powers, (2) his Jewish political theology rooted in a Deuteronomy 32 worldview, and (3) his politically charged gospel proclamation that Jesus — not Caesar — is Lord.

Paul didn't sneak his critique of Rome into subtle allusions. He proclaimed it every time he announced the gospel.

Sources & Further Reading:

John Barclay, “Why the Roman Empire Was Insignificant to Paul”
Christoph Heilig, Hidden Criticism? The Methodology and Plausibility of the Search for a Counter-Imperial Subtext in Paul
Michael Heiser, The Unseen Realm
Michael Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly
Michael Gorman, Apostle of the Crucified Lord
Shane J. Wood, The Alter-Imperial Paradigm
G.B. Caird, Principalities and Powers
Daniel Block, Gods of the Nations
Joel Muddamalle, The Unseen Battle
N.T. Wright's various works on Paul and Empire
Nijay Gupta, 15 New Testament Words of Life