Divine Honours for the Caesars: The First Christians' Responses

by Bruce W. Winter

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2015

Overview

Though the first century A.D. saw the striking rise and expansion of Christianity throughout the vast Roman Empire, ancient historians have shown that an even stronger imperial cult spread far more rapidly at the same time. How did the early Jesus-followers cope with the all-pervasive culture of emperor worship?

This authoritative study by Bruce Winter explores the varied responses of first-century Christians to imperial requirements to render divine honours to the Caesars. Winter first examines the significant primary evidence of emperor worship, particularly analysing numerous inscriptions in public places and temples that attributed divine titles to the emperors, and he then looks at specific New Testament evidence in light of his findings.

Key Features

• Examines how early Christians responded to divine-honurs for caesars
• Provides socio-political background for New Testament studies
• Includes examination of primary resources as well as possible New Testament references

Contents

• The All-Pervasive and Inescapable Imperial Cultic Phenomena
• Festivities, Holidays, New Honors and Golden Ages
• Honours to, for and by the Caesars and Reciprocal Benefits
• Imperial Endorsement of Divine Titles and 'Declining' New Temples'
• Adopt, Adapt, Abstain: Jewish Responses to Divine Honours
• The Admission of New Gods to Athens: Rome's and Paul's'
• Promoting Cultic Honours in Achaea and Exemption for Christians
• New Imperial Honours: Some Corinthian Christians Compromise
• Avoiding Divine Honours: Some Galatian Christians' Strategy'
• Confrontation for Thessalonian Christians and the Most Divine Caesar
• Impending Exile for Christians in Hebrews
• Conformity and Commerce or Capital Punishment: New Honours for Caesar

Top Highlights

“It consisted of praying and sacrificing to the Caesar, as well as praying to the gods for his safety. It was also the rôle of each emperor as ‘the high priest’ to pray and sacrifice to the gods for the well-being of the Roman Empire.” (Page 15)

“Evidence from official inscriptions indicates that Jews did find an acceptable solution whereby they could express loyalty to Rome through their own sacrificial system.” (Page 98)

“Scotton concludes that it was ‘a generic dedication to the Caesares Augusti, living and dead emperors’.^{62” (Page 210)}

“Good grounds exist, then, for arguing that in Acts 17:19 Paul was not simply being asked to provide an explanation. Instead these Council members were informing him at this initial interaction that ‘we possess the legal right to judge what this new teaching is that is being spoken of by you’.⁸² The reason to examine him officially was stated as—‘because you bring certain foreign things to our ears’ (ξενίζοντα γάρ τινα εἰσφέρεις εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν) (17:20)—the ‘certain ‘foreign’ things’ (ξενίζοντα τινα) was a reference to what was new to them.” (Page 144)

“Octaviae Neronis Augusta was inscribed on a Corinthian coin with a bust of Octavia, along with the same magistrates named on the reverse side and the words ‘Genius of the Colony’. The same abbreviation also occurs in the nearby Roman colony of Patria on a coin struck in Nero’s time, ‘Gen. Col.’¹⁰¹ In these circumstances the term would not be understood as ‘demon of the colony’ by its citizens, but a reference to the ‘divine guardian spirit’ of Corinth.” (Page 217)

This volume presents Winter's careful re-evaluation of the extraordinarily rapid spread of social pressure among both Gentiles and Jews, across the first-century Greek East, publicly to honour living Roman emperors as divine beings. His geographically and chronologically focused approach especially reveals a diverse range of responses to this phenomenon both among the Jews and among the first Christians whose primary allegiance was to Jesus as Messiah. By analysing the primary, non-literary sources and building on the scholarship of other ancient historians, this study advances the field in particular and important ways.

—Andrew D. Clarke, University of Aberdeen

Takes account of much important new research on emperor worship and will be required reading for ancient historians as well as for students of the New Testament.

—Stephen Mitchell, University of Exeter

Product Details

• Title: Divine Honours for the Caesars: The First Christians’ Responses
• Author: Bruce W. Winter
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2015
• Logos Release Date: 2017
• Pages: 348
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Church and state › Rome; Christianity and politics › History--Early church, ca. 30-600; Christians › Political activity--Rome; Church history › Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
• ISBNs: 9780802872579, 0802872573
• Resource ID: LLS:DVNHNRSCSRS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:25:51Z

About Bruce W. Winter

Bruce W. Winter is the former warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge, and a respected authority on the historical background to the New Testament. Much of his work has focused on Christianity in Corinth.