Slow Down: Let's Not Jump to Conclusions!

 

When Jesus was born in earth, it was a terrible time in world history. Remember, the Roman empire didn't only kill for sport amid the columns of its colosseum; Rome also was spreading eastward, and was holding Israel under Roman occupation.

 Some of Israel's leaders, at that time, did have Jewish heritage but were appointed by Rome. Herod the Great and his sons, for example, served through Roman appointment. They were Israel-born persons who were loyal to Rome.

Herod the Great had Rome's violent tendencies. Herod ordered soldiers to kill as many Hebrew babies as could be found in Bethlehem. Herod did so in order to try killing Jesus, who was said to be king of the Jews.

Rome was ruthless. But thanks be to God, the Gospel God gave through showing Himself in Christ, saved many a Roman soldier, and Rome itself became hospitable to the church, in time.

As Roman occupation was pushed away by Persian leadership over Israel, and as the church spread in Rome, crucifixions ended, and a time of renewed faith bloomed.

That is to imply that God had a plan to do away with Roman godlessness, by allowing Rome to have Israel for a season, and by overcoming that season of Roman rule through the love of Jesus.

In God's Good Time

It took decades for Heaven to change Rome. But God did bring light into the darkness, according to His own timing - which was a long time.

Yet the Bible says not to consider God slow, as men think of slowness. Instead, see Him as merciful, not wanting anyone, spiritually, to live for hell instead of Heaven. God gives even whole nations time to get things right.

So, if you're among those who are angry at God for working on Rome for so long; and you don't give Heaven credit for the long years He spent guiding, shaping, and saving the soul of our nation, the U.S., and all of America; and you don't acknowledge any good He has done in nations all over the globe now; and you despair that evil seems to be triumphing in many ways; and you dislike that God spread His word broadly in print through ministering to the English (right along with the Spanish, the Greek, and the Ethiopian); and you just don't want to consider how on earth Asia fits into the Bible - maybe you have a few things to learn about global history!

After all, many territories (lands we know today as Georgia, Turkey, and Syria) are also known, historically, as Asia Minor. In ancient times, Asia was present as far west as Israel and at least as far south as Egypt, which was a crossroad for global trade.

Sometimes, I personally have wondered whether the Bible place name "Eden" refers to someplace as far east as the Asia we know today. After all, wise men traveled from the far east, to see the baby or toddler Jesus.

It's worth considering that life in earth didn't begin in Israel! But it's possible God settled an ultimately obedient group of "His people" in the land of Israel, because that land, logistically, would be a crossroads for everyone, from at least as far west as Rome, to at least as far south as Ethiopia, to at least as far east as some part of Asia proper.

In fact, one of Israel's failed kings, son of Abijam, was named Asa. Asa was an ancestor of Joseph, Jesus's adoptive father.

But what about the fact that one of the letters the Apostle Paul wrote, only mentions people who had Greek and Roman-sounding names? And why does that letter say a man with a Greek or Roman-sounding name was the first church member from the province of Asia?

Well, that one letter was only from one moment in the time and life of the early church. That letter was to a church congregation in a Roman-occupied place. And, just think: Even some Jewish people had Greek and Roman-sounding names, being so long under Roman occupation.

Apparently, in that one, small church, someone from an Asian community (but who had a Greek or Roman-sounding name) joined the congregation. We can understand that in terms of churches taking root in New York City long ago, and one of those congregations having a first member from Chinatown.

The scripture about a first member from the province of Asia, doesn't mean that man was the first person of Asian heritage to know Jesus! Just think!

Matthew 26:31:

Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'"

Without the Shepherd, the flock scatters.