Lost Letters of Pergamum

I also must affirm, consequently, that Rome’s authority is legitimate as long as it does not transgress the boundaries of the empire of God, in which Jesus is Lord.

So the words that I speak are those not of a scoundrel but of one who all his life has been loyal to you and the great

testify to a new form of society, a truly generous society, wherein honor is not zealously reserved for the few who can manipulate it for their own benefit but is recognized as a quality of all people. No one is more surprised than I am to find that what motivates me now is not a commitment to the Pax Romana [the peace brought about by Rome] but a commitment to the empire of the God of Israel. That God is, I now believe, the eternal, sovereign, and blessed Lord of all, the creato

You and I are the possessions of our common Creator, and we both are enslaved to his will. You have done your part; now I must do mine. I do so without fear, complaint, or regret, looking forward to the glorious return of the Son of Man, my Lord, my God, and my Savior, whose kingdom is eternal. May the God and father of Jesus Christ preserve my soul and bless my brothers and sisters in the Lord.”

I would plead with you, then, to release Demetrius, by your grace. Should Rome’s justice require a victim, then let that victim be me. I will take his punishment. After all, I have acted as a sponsor to Demetrius and his family for several months now, just as a patron sponsors a client. If a footman is knocked down and killed by a chariot, it is not the chariot but the chariot driver who is culpable. If a ship smashes into the rocks, it is the sailor at the tiller who takes the blame. So too, if you deem Demetrius to have committed an offense, I, as his sponsor, must take the responsibility. You may consider me an irresponsible nobleman who has permitted scandal to rise up und

Demetrius, who knew only of Antipas’s entry into the arena, was simply told that his life had been spared. He was beaten and then ejected from the amphitheater complex, unaware of the conditions of his release.
After a few minutes, Antipas emerged, stripped of his garments except for a simple tunic and bound with chains

preserve my entire life is simply a self-perpetuating

In the past few months, I have been exposed to the desperate needs of others and have begun to view them with a sympathetic eye. As a consequence, the single-minded purpose of the gala events of the elite here at Caesarea seems almost woeful, pitiful perhaps, involving little else than self-interest.

along with other Antiochene Christian communities, was among the first to welcome Jewish and non-Jewish members into its fellowship. Consequently, these Christians were also among the first to implement guidelines to enable and promote mutuality between Jewish and gentile members at Christian gatherings. The problem of different ethnic groups living in harmony with one another is as old as the ages and probably has shaped the course of human history more than any other factor. But the Antiochene Christians, along with Christians elsewhere, take radical steps to ensure that Christians of all different groups and races can unite in their common worship of Jesus and in their mutual support of one another, while still respecting one another’s differences.

But it is the importance of this city in the rise of the Christian movement that has impressed me. I was especially interested to note that our host,