Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
There's no Roman Empire in the Bible. Just a place (city?) called Rome, that some people mention and go to. And one mention of the language used there. That's it. #WordStudy

Replies (19)

Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
I don't see anything linking Ceasar to Rome specifically though. If anything, these things seem to be mentioned in more of a worldwide "Greek Empire" of sorts.
DoctorBug's avatar
DoctorBug 1 month ago
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” — Luke 2:1 (NIV)
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
That's a link some translators make and seem to sneak in there, though. οικος (oikos) doesn't mean ROMAN World. It doesn't even necessarily mean World for that matter 😉. image
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
What links tertrachs, denarii and Caesar specifically to the Rome of the Bible? (and not the Rome we were given in history) I don't see that link. Where does it say that Herod is a Roman? Or Pilate? Or Augustus? If I don't step out of the Bible and try to figure out what reign people are under at the start of the New testament, I don't come to the conclusion that Rome (a location that is mentioned a handful of times) is a huge empire under which rule everyone is living.
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
I'm trying to figure out in what context the New Testament kicks off, by only looking within the Bible itself.
DoctorBug's avatar
DoctorBug 1 month ago
Certainly because at that time this was so obvious it was not worth mentioning it.
Wasn't Pontius Pilate the Roman governor (ie dictator) of Judea? So far as I can tell "Emperor" is basically a euphemism for "King", which various societies have had severe phobia about. The Roman emperors took the title of "Imperator" meaning something like "conquering general" because the Romans might have revolted if the rulers took the title of "Rex" (King). The concept of "Empire" is a later invention that the people of that time would not have used. The etymology is literally 'an area which is ruled', which Pilate's central role seems to establish. So, I think you are playing a word game rather than thinking clearly. Moreover, if you understand how the Roman governorship worked you see clearly that the Romans could never have crucified Christ. Once Pilate declares him innocent it would be murder to crucify him anyway.
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
I'm taking the Word as my one true foundation and I'm seeing where that takes me. Mainstream history, like most other teachings of men, doesn't make sense and is full of contradictions. So, especially when it also contradicts three Bible, I'm not looking at it for this exercise. Wikipedia can say whatever it wants about Pilate, I'm not reading it. Who is he in the Bible? If that exercise sounds totally retarded to you, no problem.
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
I find it very interesting that "Empyrean" means "on fire" in Greek btw :fire:
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
The best case for Rome being something that's, at least legally, recognized more broadly is Acts 22:25-28
How did you come to the conclusion that the Christian Bible (and which version anyway, Lutheran?) teaches true doctrines but everything else is false? If I wanted to understand some historical event I would consult all of the documents of the time + the most recent and comprehensive historical analysis. I would not assume to start that some documents were correct and others false, but only come to such a conclusion comparing each to objective facts as best I understand those.
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
Many translation turn "praitorios" (praetorium) into "hall of the Roman governor" for no reason. It means "the first building" or "building of the first", so "Capital building" is a better translation. image
lkraider's avatar
lkraider null 1 month ago
Must be hard trying to read anything in the Bible without understanding tradition at all 🙈
Niel Liesmons's avatar
Niel Liesmons 1 month ago
Deception after deception (mainstream history very much included), I just kept being led to the Word as the one thing that still stands. That said, the Christian religion flavours/denominations/eschatologies/translations are a whole can of worms on its own. But reading the Bible from the Greek and Hebrew had been very rewarding so far. Using it as a razor to cut through the worldly nonsense, even more so.