By Joe Hawkins
In the first centuries A.D., the Roman Empire constructed a vast network of roads stretching over 50,000 miles. These highways were engineering marvels of the ancient world—built in straight lines, layered with stone and packed sand, and marked with milestones for distance. The Romans’ primary aim was to unite and control their empire: roads enabled efficient commerce, rapid communication, and swift movement of legions to far-flung frontiers. Imperial couriers could carry messages across the Mediterranean world in days, and soldiers could march up to 20 miles a day on these sturdy roads. In short, Rome built the roads to solidify its power and prosperity.
Yet from the perspective of early Christianity, these same roads became unexpected conduits for a very different kind of kingdom. Jesus Christ was born “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), at a moment when Roman peace (the Pax Romana) and infrastructure had prepared the way for a new message to travel. The apostles and early missionaries found that the Roman roads allowed them to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ further and faster than would have been possible in earlier eras. For example, the Apostle Paul took advantage of major Roman highways like the Via Sebaste, the Via Egnatia, and the famed Via Appia in his missionary journeys across Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually to Rome itself. In an age before motor transport, these well-maintained roads meant Paul and others could trek dozens of miles a day to bring the good news to new cities. What the Roman engineers intended for the glory of Caesar, God repurposed for the spread of the gospel of Christ.
Not only did roads facilitate planned missionary efforts, they also spread the faith through ordinary believers. The Roman Empire’s extensive trade routes and safe travel conditions meant Christian merchants, travelers, and refugees all carried their faith “along the road” into new regions. A history professor notes that while apostles like Paul preached publicly, much of Christianity’s growth happened through regular people sharing the message with neighbors and fellow travelers as they went. In essence, everyday Christian men and women used Rome’s transportation web to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), just as Jesus had commissioned. The result was that within a few generations, Christian communities sprang up in distant provinces far from Judea—often directly along the Roman roads and trade routes that knit the empire together.
www.prophecyrecon.com
Roman Roads: Built for Empire, Co-opted for the Gospel
In the first centuries A.D., the Roman Empire constructed a vast network of roads stretching over 50,000 miles. These highways were engineering marvels of the ancient world—built in straight lines, layered with stone and packed sand, and marked with milestones for distance. The Romans’ primary aim was to unite and control their empire: roads enabled efficient commerce, rapid communication, and swift movement of legions to far-flung frontiers. Imperial couriers could carry messages across the Mediterranean world in days, and soldiers could march up to 20 miles a day on these sturdy roads. In short, Rome built the roads to solidify its power and prosperity.
Yet from the perspective of early Christianity, these same roads became unexpected conduits for a very different kind of kingdom. Jesus Christ was born “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), at a moment when Roman peace (the Pax Romana) and infrastructure had prepared the way for a new message to travel. The apostles and early missionaries found that the Roman roads allowed them to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ further and faster than would have been possible in earlier eras. For example, the Apostle Paul took advantage of major Roman highways like the Via Sebaste, the Via Egnatia, and the famed Via Appia in his missionary journeys across Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually to Rome itself. In an age before motor transport, these well-maintained roads meant Paul and others could trek dozens of miles a day to bring the good news to new cities. What the Roman engineers intended for the glory of Caesar, God repurposed for the spread of the gospel of Christ.
Not only did roads facilitate planned missionary efforts, they also spread the faith through ordinary believers. The Roman Empire’s extensive trade routes and safe travel conditions meant Christian merchants, travelers, and refugees all carried their faith “along the road” into new regions. A history professor notes that while apostles like Paul preached publicly, much of Christianity’s growth happened through regular people sharing the message with neighbors and fellow travelers as they went. In essence, everyday Christian men and women used Rome’s transportation web to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), just as Jesus had commissioned. The result was that within a few generations, Christian communities sprang up in distant provinces far from Judea—often directly along the Roman roads and trade routes that knit the empire together.
Tactical Evangelism in the Last Days: Navigating Enemy-Built Systems for the Gospel
Roman Roads: Built for Empire, Co-opted for the GospelIn the first centuries A.D., the Roman Empire constructed a vast network of roads stretching over 50,000 miles. These highways were engineering marvels of the ancient world—built in straight lines, layered with stone and packed sand, and...
www.prophecyrecon.com
