The document provides a timeline of Roman history from 753 BC to AD 67 and discusses the influences of Greek philosophy and religion on early Christianity. It summarizes the teachings of major Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and how their ideas relate to and sometimes differ from Christianity. It also discusses the influences of other Greek movements like Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Skepticism as well as how Paul engaged with Stoic ideas in his speech on Mars Hill.

1. Lesson 3 Beware of Greeks (and Romans) Bearing Gifts – Part 2
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2. Paul – Roman Citizen - Addendum
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Senatus Populus Que Romanus

3. Roman Timeline 753 BC to AD 67
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753 BC
Rome
Founded
509 BC
Republic
Founded
149 BC Rome
Conquers
Greece
63 BC
Jerusalem
Falls to Rome
54 BC Julius
Caesar (First
Caesar)
44 BC Julius
Caesar
Assassinated
27 BC End of
Republic –
Begin Empire
Caesar
Augustus
4 BC Birth of
Jesus the
Christ
14 AD Augustus
Dies – Tiberius
Becomes
Emperor
28/29 AD
Jesus’
Passion
37 AD
Caligula
Becomes
Emperor
54 AD Nero
Becomes
Emperor
64 AD Rome
Burns
Christians
blamed
67 AD
Paul
Beheaded
4 AD
Birth of
Paul
29 AD
Church
Founded

4. Roman Timeline 753 BC
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753 BC
Rome
Founded
509 BC
Rome
Republic
Founded
149 BC
Rome
Defeats
Greece,
Battle of
Corinth
54 BC
First
Caesar
Julius

5. •Political influence of the Romans
•Cultural and intellectual influence of
the Greeks
•Religious influence of the Jews
•Result: by 312 AD, 10% of Roman
World is Christian
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Early Rise of Christianity – Causes

6. • Unity and Diversity
• Pax Romana (Peace)
• Roman Army
• Roman Roads
• Roman Conquest
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Roman Influence – Political

7. • Incorporation of Greek Language
and Cultural Influence
• Incorporation of Greek Philosophy
• Source: George Mason University
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Rome’s Greek Influence on Christianity

8. Paul, the Greek Influences
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9. Greek Religion Before “the Seven Sages”
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10. Greek Philosophers – 470-322 BC
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•Socrates
•Plato
•Aristotle

11. Socrates (470/469 – 399 BC)
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Que
• Socratic > Scientific Method
• Questioning an hypothesis
Why
• Existence > function
• Thing exists because it has function
gods
• God (g) arranges all for the best
• Probably a polytheist, divine fatalist
Ethics
• Ethicist – Do the right, not the Expedient

12. • Founder of:
Western Religion
• Hypothesized Spirituality
• Two realities:
physical & “shadows”
• Physical world mirrors
the spiritual
• Two heresies:
asceticism & hedonism
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Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC)

13. • Creator – God
(however, subject “the Good”)
• Truth and Morality are absolute
(however, they exist outside God)
• The unseen reality is of greater import
(however, “dualism” denies the goodness
of the Creation)
• Immorality of the soul (however, Plato
recognized “reincarnation”)
• Materialism is the great enemy (however,
the body is not a prison, as in dualism)
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Platonism, a “Bridge” to Christianity

14. 1. God is supreme, not subject to the
greater “Good.” God is good and
“the Good.” Christianity’s God is
infinite and “Omni-supreme”
2. God created all things good – they fell
3. The body was created good and has
value, it is not a prison, it will be
perfected, not discarded
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Plato’s Underlying Difference with Christianity

15. • Tutor of Alexander the Great
• Raised on Platonic dualism but
changed to “”empiricism”
• Knowledge is based on perception
• Father of logical reasoning and
gaining knowledge by observation of
natural science
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Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)

16. • People of color were
naturally destined to be slaves
– Rome, later was 50% slave
• Paul attacks idea directly, indirectly
– See Galatians 3:27 and 28
– Galatians 4:6 and 7
– Philemon VV. 15-18
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Aristotle and Slavery

17. “When . . . it becomes
necessary for one people
to dissolve the political
bands which have
connected them . . . to
which the Laws of Nature
and of Nature's God
entitle them . . .
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American Heritage Hangover
Declaration of Independence

18. • Based in materialism
• Denigrated the “gods”
• “The Epicurean Paradox”
• Pleasure the greatest good
• Led to Hedonism – “do as you want”
• Early challenger to Platonism
• Later, main opponent of Stoicism
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Epicureanism – Epicurus (circa. 307 BC)

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Skepticism - Pyrrho of Elis (365–275 BC)

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Alexander the Great’s Empire (356-323 BC)

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After Alexander – Circa. 323 BC

22. • Probably most influential on Paul
• Taught in Tarsus by Athenodorus, and
• Athenodorus taught Caesar Augustus, thus
• Adopted by Roman Empire
• Rejected Plato's and Aristotle's “form”
• Invented the principle of reality with the
Logos, Reason, or God
• Determinists, fatalists, practical, ethical
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Zeno and Stoicism - (334 – c. 262 BC)

23. • Materialistic vs God-centered
• Pantheistic vs monotheistic
• Invented the “Logos,” the creative
force in the universe
• Both highly moral
• Stoicism absolutely determinist while
• Christianity has complex idea of God’s
influence in events
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Stoicism vs Christianity

24. • Paul’s Mars Hill Speech quotes Stoic poet,
Aratus of Soli in Cilicia (Note Cilicia)
• See Acts 17:18 and 23
• Audience were Stoics and Epicureans
• The “mockers” were Epicureans
• Doctrines of creation, divine immanence,
spirituality and fatherhood of God, would
be familiar and acceptable to Stoics
• Preaching on Christ, not so much
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Paul and the Stoics

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Paul at Mars Hill

26. Let’s Pray About It
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