New Testament Letters: Historical Context

Summary

Near the end of the Bible are 21 letters written by the apostles to communities of Jesus' followers throughout the Roman empire. Because these letters were written to specific people in specific situations, reading them wisely means understanding their historical context. The video lays out three layers of context — how the letters fit the larger biblical storyline, the culture of the first-century Roman empire, and the specific situation that prompted each letter — so that the wisdom these letters still offer can come through clearly.

Key Points

Letters Written to Someone Else

• The 21 letters were written by the apostles — those Jesus appointed to spread the good news of his Kingdom — to followers living in different cities around the Roman world.
• They are written in a style called prose discourse.
• Like any letter not addressed to us, they assume background information that is not always stated, so understanding context matters.

Level One: The Biblical Storyline

• The story begins with God creating humanity as his partners to rule creation, but humans choose to rule on their own terms, leading to violence, exile, and death.
• God promises Abraham that life and blessing will spread to all nations through his descendants.
• Jesus came to bring that promise to fulfillment through his life, death, and resurrection.
• The apostles saw themselves as heralds announcing the arrival of God's Kingdom in Jesus. Paul, writing to the house churches in Rome, said his job was to summon people of all nations to give their allegiance to Jesus, the exalted King of the world — a bold claim in the capital of an empire that demanded allegiance to Caesar.

Level Two: Roman Imperial Culture

• Rome ruled the territories around the Mediterranean, building its empire by conquering and enslaving enemies and imposing heavy taxes.
• The emperor and a small circle controlled the power and wealth, and they knew how to deal with anyone who threatened the social order; most people lived without much money or stability.
• Roman culture had a clear hierarchy: men from important families with money and education could advance, while women, slaves, children, and the poor were treated as inferior.
• In communities of Jesus' followers, everyone was treated with love and equal dignity. It was unheard of for high-status people to associate with those below them, but the apostles said God had given the gift of his love to everyone, without regard to status — making these letters countercultural and barrier-breaking.

Level Three: The Situation of Each Letter

• Each letter was prompted by specific issues in the church of a particular city.
• In Romans, it is tempting to focus on the theology and overlook why Paul wrote. Toward the end, he addresses how Jewish food laws and sacred days had become controversial between Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus, creating divisions.
• Some higher-status Christians treated Jewish believers with contempt, and Jewish Christians condemned the non-Jews as second-rate followers.
• All the theology in the first part of the letter was crafted to address these problems. Paul acknowledges the Roman Christians' big differences in culture, theology, and social status, but wants them to see they are unified by their faith in Jesus, the real center of their church.

Why It Still Matters

• In these letters we watch the apostles challenge and transform every part of their first-century culture with the good news about King Jesus.
• By watching them, we gain wisdom about how that same good news can transform our culture as well.
• One more helpful step remains: learning to follow the flow of thought from a letter's beginning to its end (the subject of the next video on literary context).

Notable Quotes

"If I'm reading a letter that wasn't written to me, then there's likely a lot of background information that's assumed but not mentioned."

"In Roman life, it was unheard of for people of high status to associate with people below them. But the apostle said that through Jesus, God had given the gift of his love to everyone, without regard to their status."

"In these letters, we see the apostles challenging and transforming every part of their first century culture in life with the good news about King Jesus. And by watching them, we gain wisdom about how that same good news can transform our culture as well."