The Church in the Roman Empire Before A.D. 170
Overview
The apostle Paul's journeys were of great significance to William Mitchell Ramsay. Initially, their importance was due to his own personal mission: to disprove Christianity through archaeological evidence. However, as Ramsay studied Acts, traveling to Asia Minor himself to chart Paul's journey and dispel the truth of the Gospel, he was astonished to find that the historical content in the book of Acts is indeed factual, and it was through these studies and travels that Ramsay himself found Christ. The contents of this volume, originally presented as a lecture series in 1892 at Mansfield College, Oxford, give us a look Paul's travels and the early history of the Church through the eyes of an archaeologist. Maps, pictures, and notes are included.
Top Highlights
“Toleration of new religions as such was far greater under the Roman Empire than it has been in modern times: in the multiplicity of religions and gods that existed in the same city, a single new addition was a matter of almost perfect indifference. But the aggressiveness of Christianity, the change in social habits and every-day life which it introduced, and the injurious effect that it sometimes exercised on trades which were encouraged by paganism, combined with the intolerance that it showed for other religions, made it detested among people who regarded with equanimity, or even welcomed, the introduction into their cities of the gods of Greece, of Rome, of Egypt, of Syria.” (Page 12)
“I found myself compelled to abandon it, and to understand Galatians as inhabitants of Roman Galatia,” (Page 9)
“North Galatia will be used to denote the country of the Asiatic Gauls, South Galatia” (Page 9)
“To understand the development of Nero’s action, it is necessary to conceive clearly and precisely what is meant by the hatred of the world with which the Christians were charged (odium humani generis).” (Page 236)
“the parts of Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Pisidia, which were by the Romans incorporated in the vast province of Galatia” (Page 9)
- Title: The Church in the Roman Empire Before A.D. 170
- Author: William Mitchell Ramsay
- Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
- Publication Date: 1893
- Pages: 494
W. M. Ramsay (1851–1939) was professor of humanity at the University of Aberdeen. He was most well-known for his archaeological endeavors, as he traveled extensively throughout Asia Minor, studying the missionary journeys of Paul, conducting archaeological research, and writing numerous books on his findings and adventures.
He studied at Oxford, the University of Aberdeen, and Gottingen, and he later went on to become the first ever professor of classical archaeology at Oxford. Ramsey received awards for his work from Pope Leo XII, the University of Pennsylvania, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He was knighted in 1906.
His works include St. Paul the Traveller and Roman Citizen. His original intent was to disprove Christianity through archaeology, but through his research he realized that the Bible was accurate and converted to Christianity.
