If you were living back in the time of Christ, you would notice that everywhere you turned the people of Palestine saw the pervasive, mighty hand of Rome directing their everyday lives. The Roman Empire was the most powerful kingdom in history and surpassed in extent, strength and splendor of all other kingdoms that had preceded it. Furthermore, the kingdom of Rome was the first human kingdom to qualify as an adequate illustration and model, however imperfect, of the Lord God's plan for Kingdom expansion.
Keep in mind, the earlier empires, such as the Assyrian, the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires, expanded through the process of invasion, conquest, destruction and enslavement. Their invading armies would sweep into a region, destroy its army, lay waste to its cities, tear down its infrastructure and slaughter its people. Most of those who were not killed outright were enslaved and taken away from their own country to the home territory of the conquering power. This is exactly what happened to the northern kingdom of Israel when it fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and to the southern kingdom of Judah in 587 B.C. when the Babylonians invaded their land.
Rome however, followed a different kingdom expansion strategy. Instead of wreaking widespread destruction and slaughter in a newly conquered territory, the Romans recognized the wisdom and value of preserving the people and leaving their infrastructure intact. While a Roman occupation army maintained order, the Roman citizens and government officials were sent in to establish Roman government in the new territory. Their job and responsibility was to reproduce the culture and society of Rome, to teach the conquered people to think, act and live like Romans. Are you seeing the big picture now? Thus the Roman Empire was the first human kingdom to practice colonization to any significant degree. Do you recall what Paul wrote to the believers at Rome?
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
This is why I am teaching the Kingdom mindset. We have to embrace it in order for us to truly understand God's Constitution--the Bible. Our minds have to be transformed through the reading and studying of the Word.
We will continue tomorrow.
Romans 12:1-2
~~W.R. Luchie
Keep in mind, the earlier empires, such as the Assyrian, the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires, expanded through the process of invasion, conquest, destruction and enslavement. Their invading armies would sweep into a region, destroy its army, lay waste to its cities, tear down its infrastructure and slaughter its people. Most of those who were not killed outright were enslaved and taken away from their own country to the home territory of the conquering power. This is exactly what happened to the northern kingdom of Israel when it fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and to the southern kingdom of Judah in 587 B.C. when the Babylonians invaded their land.
Rome however, followed a different kingdom expansion strategy. Instead of wreaking widespread destruction and slaughter in a newly conquered territory, the Romans recognized the wisdom and value of preserving the people and leaving their infrastructure intact. While a Roman occupation army maintained order, the Roman citizens and government officials were sent in to establish Roman government in the new territory. Their job and responsibility was to reproduce the culture and society of Rome, to teach the conquered people to think, act and live like Romans. Are you seeing the big picture now? Thus the Roman Empire was the first human kingdom to practice colonization to any significant degree. Do you recall what Paul wrote to the believers at Rome?
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
This is why I am teaching the Kingdom mindset. We have to embrace it in order for us to truly understand God's Constitution--the Bible. Our minds have to be transformed through the reading and studying of the Word.
We will continue tomorrow.
Romans 12:1-2
~~W.R. Luchie
