The Lost Letters Of Pergamum - 1217 Words

The Roman Empire, in which the early Church rises in the wake of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, is complex cultural melting pot. Rife with hedonism, the honor/shame structure of the Roman Empire encourage the worship of the Emperor as God and the Empire as his Holy Empire. Against this narrative, the early Church was a counterculture to the ways of the empire and it is against this backdrop that Bruce Longenecker’s The Lost Letters of Pergamum takes place. The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a historical narrative following Antipas and encounters with Luke through an associate in a neighboring town. Antipas, named after his relative Herod Antipas, has come to great wealth and influence in the Roman empire. Antipas is introduced to†¦show more content†¦In Roman society, the food would be served based on position in society, but in the Church, everyone was treated as an equal. Paul admonishes the church at Corinth for such practices in the celebration of t he Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-22). Paul bemoans the division that are present in the fellowship among believers and points to the counterculture equality that characterizes Christians. The Corinthians are following the conventions of their societal practices, yet in Christ there is a unity that overcomes the divisions of society. Upon first reading of this passage it seems that the Corinthians should have known better than to allow this practice to take place. However, with the cultural context this passage becomes less about intentional discrimination on the part of the Corinthians and more about the church finding its identity in the ways of Christ and not in the ways of the world. The cultural of the Roman Empire was a melting pot of the religious and cultural influences of the conquered societies that had been assimilated into the Empire. The various religions and cultural practice created a complex pantheon of â€Å"gods.† Ever larger temples and statues were ere cted to bring glory and honor to cities and give honor the Emperor. Additionally, cities would host gladiatorial games to bring honor to the Emperor. These events and building projects were facilitated by those who sought to bring greater glory and honor upon themselves with Roman society.Show MoreRelatedThe Lost Letters Of Pergamum1000 Words   |  4 PagesBruce W. Longenecker emerges as a contemporary innovator of Christian literature through his historical fiction work The Lost Letters of Pergamum. Throughout this work, Longenecker analyzes the fundamental features of first-century Christianity, which were primarily affiliated with the New Testament. The Lost Letters of Pergamum is composed of the combination of letters. These letters primarily document the communication between two citizens: Antipas, â€Å"citizen of the blessed empire of Rome, and worshiperRead MoreLost Letters of Pergamum2257 Words   |  10 PagesBandy Lost Letters of Pergamum Assignment 13th February, 2013 The Lost Letters of Pergamum Ancient Customs Form of Letters: * The form of ancient lettering is seen in every new script written from the characters, they are very formal at first, and being sure not to offend the people they are directing their words to, while still maintaining a respectful tone even if it is a disagreeing one. What I enjoyed about the works were the quick friendships that were formed through simple letter writingRead MoreLost letters of Pergamum Essay1275 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Ivy Davison October 25, 2013 Prof. Brodin Pergamum Reflection The Lost Letters of Pergamum â€Å"You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.† (Revelations 2:13). In â€Å"The Lost Letters of Pergamum†, by Bruce Longenecker, he takes the name found in Revelations and creates a fictional character in a world based two thousand years ago. Antipas is a Roman Civic leader who learns much about ChristianityRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Lost Letters Of Pergamum 1806 Words   |  8 PagesLongenecker, Bruce W. The New Testament. The Lost Letters of Pergamum. Orlinda, TN: PhD and Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews. 2002. The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a book by Professor Bruce W. Longenecker, is a fictional book of letters that are exchanged between the fictional characters Antipas, a benefactor of Rome, and Luke, a physician and writer of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. This book is artfully written to give the modern reader a glimpse into the context and cultureRead MoreThe Lost Letters of Pergamum by Bruce W Longenecker555 Words   |  2 PagesAntipas, a quite wealthy nobleman, began his letters in a bragging type of tone sharing that not only did he come from the house of Philip but he was in fact a benefactor to two very large cities in Rome. In the beginning of the book he boasted about his standing with little to no sense of restraint. But the more his relationship with Luke grew his manner became that of a much humbler person, and opened one of his letters in such a way, â€Å"Antipas, a nobleman of Caesarea; To Luke and the noble Calpurnius†Read MoreAnalysis Of The Book Re velation Of The Bible 1204 Words   |  5 Pagesof the Asia Minor. There is some doubt into how the letters to the seven churches fits into the Book of Revelation and why they are not their own separate entities. Through careful analysis one will gain a strong insight into the message that these letters contribute to the overall Book of Revelations. Through the analysis of the letters sent to Ephesus and Laodicea one will gain understanding that the letters are not actually individual letters sent to each church, but in actuality are meant to encompassRead MoreHannibal and the Second Punic War Essay1406 Words   |  6 Pagesmilitary commander in history. In his early life he was made to swear oath of hatred against Rome, which lead him into starting the Second Punic war. During this time he transformed Carthage from being a lowly place into a military superpower. Although he lost the war, his tactics were far beyond any other person at the time, which had won him many battles even when the odds were stacked against him. Hannibal was born in 247 BCE in Carthage, located in North Africa. When he was born, Carthage was aboutRead More Role of Christian Faith in Ancient and Contemporary Turkey1487 Words   |  6 Pagesbeing exiled to the island of Patmos, the Lord gave John a vision, which he wrote of in the book of Revelations.? It is the message for the ?seven churches? (Revelations 1:1) and all seven congregations are located in what is now Turkey:? Bergama (Pergamum), Akhisar (Thyatreira), Alasehir (Philedelphia), Sart (Sardis), Pamukkale (Hierapolis, near Laodicea), Efes (Ephesus), Izmir (Smyrna).? Christians used to meet secretly in these seven churches of the Apocalypse when being a Christian was prohibited