40% Growth Then, 5% Growth Now — What We Must Learn Anew
In our last session, we looked closely at the seven undisputed letters of Paul and asked whether we can trust the words we read today to be the same words Paul originally wrote. We compared Paul’s manuscripts with those of other ancient authors and saw that, despite a gap before our earliest copies, Paul’s writings were treated as sacred from the very beginning. The early church copied and preserved them with great care.
Now we take the next step. Before moving forward with Paul’s journeys and the spread of Christianity, we need to step back and see the world in which Jesus and the first Christians lived. That means looking at the Roman leaders who set the stage — Julius Caesar, Augustus, and the Jewish rulers they empowered. Their decisions shaped the political, cultural, and even religious environment into which Christ was born and the gospel was first proclaimed.
1. Jewish Support for Julius Caesar (47–44 BC)
The Jews were not a marginal group in Caesar’s world — they were a significant presence across the Mediterranean, and their loyalty mattered.
During Caesar’s campaign in Egypt around 47 BC, Antipater, the father of Herod the Great, brought 3,000 Jewish troops to aid him. Antipater, serving as procurator of Judea (Rome’s appointed administrator), was the key power in Jerusalem at this time, and this explains how he could mobilize troops so decisively.
“When Caesar had settled the affairs of Syria, he made his expedition against Egypt. Antipater arrived with three thousand heavy-armed Jewish soldiers, and also managed to get the chiefs of Arabia to come to his assistance…”
—Josephus, Antiquities 14.8.1 §190 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
Not long after, during Caesar’s campaign in Asia against Parthian-aligned forces, another 3,000 Jews under Hyrcanus II, the high priest in Jerusalem, rallied to his side. Hyrcanus was not only the religious head of the Jews but also recognized by Caesar as ethnarch, a civic ruler of the nation. His authority carried both sacred and political weight.
“The Jews in Asia also sent him three thousand men, by the command of Hyrcanus, their high priest, who was then in great friendship with Caesar.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 14.10.22 §295 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
This partnership — Antipater as Rome’s political agent and Hyrcanus as the high priest — tied Jewish fortunes directly to Caesar. It also set the stage for the rise of Antipater’s son, Herod the Great, who would later be crowned King of the Jews under Augustus and rule Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:1).
2. Jewish Mourning for Caesar’s Death (44 BC)
When Caesar was assassinated, the Jewish community expressed unusual devotion that astonished Roman observers.
“The Jews also mourned for him, and continued for many nights together to come to the place where his body was burned.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 14.10.1 §213 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
Appian, a Roman historian writing later in the second century, confirms the same remarkable detail:
“At his funeral the Jews alone mourned for him, and they stayed by the pyre for many nights.”
—Appian, Civil Wars 2.148 (c. AD 120, Loeb)
Both Josephus and Appian highlight how the Jews stood apart in their loyalty to Caesar. In a city divided between factions — some celebrating his assassination, others fearing the consequences — the Jews alone kept vigil at his tomb. Their devotion explains why Caesar’s decrees were so generous: he had every reason to bind the Jewish nation tightly to Rome.
3. Size of the Jewish Population (1st century BC–1st century AD)
Caesar’s favor toward the Jews was not simply personal; it was strategic. By the 1st century BC, the Jewish people were numerous, organized, and strategically placed across the empire.
Josephus emphasizes their strength in Rome itself:
“As for the Jews, they had already increased in numbers so greatly that it would have been hard to expel them from the city.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 14.7.2 §110 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
Elsewhere, he insists their influence stretched across the Mediterranean:
“There is not a single city of the Greeks or of the barbarians, nor a single nation, to which our custom of abstaining from work on the seventh day has not spread, and where our fasts and the lighting of lamps and many of our dietary restrictions are not observed.”
—Josephus, Against Apion 2.39 §282 (c. AD 100, Loeb)
Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher writing in Alexandria under Emperor Caligula, echoes the same picture:
“Countless myriads of Jews are in every region of the inhabited world — in Europe, in Asia, in Libya, on the mainland, in the islands, on the coasts, and in the interior.”
—Philo, Embassy to Gaius §281 (c. AD 41, Loeb)
By some estimates, Jews made up 7–10% of the empire — millions of people. Their greatest concentration lay along the eastern frontier bordering Parthia, Rome’s most dangerous rival. Jewish loyalty meant security on that frontier, which explains why Caesar was so eager to secure their support.
4. Caesar’s Decrees in Favor of the Jews (47–44 BC)
Julius Caesar did not merely thank the Jews with kind words; he issued a series of formal decrees guaranteeing their freedoms across the empire. Josephus preserves these in Antiquities 14, showing just how far Caesar was willing to go to secure Jewish loyalty.
Sabbath protection:
“It is not permitted to bring them before the tribunals on the Sabbath day, nor to require them to bear arms or to march, or to labor, on the Sabbath day.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 14.10.6 §213 (Loeb)
Right of assembly and sacred offerings:
“They shall be permitted to assemble together according to their ancestral laws and ordinances, and to do so unhindered… They shall not be required to pay taxes on the sacred money which they send to Jerusalem, nor on their sacred offerings.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 14.10.8 §§213–216 (Loeb)
Provincial enforcement: Caesar repeated these protections in letters to governors in Asia Minor and Cyrene, instructing them to allow the Jews “to observe their own laws, and to enjoy the sacred money they collect for Jerusalem.”
—Antiquities 14.10.8 §§223–225; 14.10.10 §235
Together these decrees formed nothing less than a charter of Jewish privilege under Rome. Judaism was legally recognized, protected from interference, and granted rights unmatched by most other groups in the empire.
5. Rome’s Respect for Ancient Religions
The Roman attitude toward religion explains why Caesar’s decrees carried such weight. Romans admired what was ancient and distrusted what was new.
Pliny the Elder (c. AD 77):
“All true religion belongs to the past; bringing in new gods is an act of impiety.”
—Natural History 30.11 (adapted from Loeb)
Tacitus (c. AD 100):
“Whatever their origin, the practices of the Jews are sanctioned by their antiquity.”
—Histories 5.5 (Loeb)
Judaism thrived under Rome’s protection precisely because of its antiquity. Christianity, however, was new — and therefore suspect. The seeds of future persecution were already planted.
6. How the Romans Could Call a Man Divine
The Romans were practical in how they thought about the gods. To them, divinity was not about moral perfection but about power and benefaction. A god was one who brought victory in war, prosperity in peace, or protection to a city.
This is why Julius Caesar, after his assassination and cremation, was declared a god by the Senate in 42 BC. From then on he was known as Divus Julius — the Divine Julius.
Several competing stories circulated about how Caesar became divine:
- The comet sign: “During the games which his heir Augustus gave in honor of Venus, a comet shone for seven successive days, rising about the eleventh hour, and was thought to be the soul of Caesar received among the gods.”
—Suetonius, Julius Caesar 88.1 (c. AD 120, Loeb) - A vision of Caesar’s likeness: “Some men believed that after his death he had risen to the ranks of the gods, not only because a likeness of him was seen by certain men in the Forum a few days later…”
—Suetonius, Julius Caesar 88.1 (c. AD 120, Loeb) - The poetic legend of Venus: “She [Venus] snatched him from the flames of the pyre and bore him up among the stars. … A fiery star shone in the sky and was believed to be the soul of Caesar.”
—Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.745–851 (c. AD 8, Loeb)
This was not unique to Caesar. Centuries earlier, Rome’s founder Romulus (ruled 753–716 BC) was said to have vanished in a thunderstorm. The traditions conflict: some said he was murdered and torn apart by the jealous senators, others that he was taken up to heaven in the storm, and still others that he appeared to a senator afterwards.
Livy, writing centuries later under Augustus, preserves all these strands:
“The suspicion of the commons was that the senators had murdered Romulus; and in fact that rumor gained ground, darkly and vaguely at first, then even openly, because the king had been torn limb from limb by the hands of the senators. Others thought he had been taken up to heaven. … Then one man, Proculus Julius, declared that Romulus appeared to him at dawn and bade him tell the Romans that he was to be worshiped as a god, Quirinus.”
—Livy, History of Rome 1.16.4–7 (c. 25 BC, Loeb)
Notice the gap: Romulus’ supposed “ascension” was placed in the 8th century BC, but the first surviving detailed narrative comes from Livy in the 1st century BC — over 700 years later. By then, multiple contradictory versions of the story were already circulating.
These examples set a pattern: Roman “ascensions” were tied to political needs, celestial signs, and visionary claims. In sharp contrast, the Christian claim was that Jesus rose bodily from the grave and was seen by many witnesses. The apostles staked their lives on this testimony.
7. Augustus: The Divine Son (27 BC–AD 14)
After Caesar’s death, his adopted son Octavian became Caesar Augustus, the first emperor. He carried forward his father’s legacy of divinity and used it to establish a new political order.
Augustus as “Son of a God”
When Julius Caesar was declared divine, Augustus styled himself as Divi Filius — Son of the Divine Julius.
- Suetonius (c. AD 120): “He gave orders that he should be called ‘son of a god.’”
—Augustus 94.1 (Loeb)
Coins across the empire bore DIVI F(ILIUS), declaring Augustus as “Son of God.” Coins were not neutral objects — they were deliberate propaganda. Every transaction carried the emperor’s titles and reminded subjects of his divine claims.
Augustus as “Savior” and “Lord”
The Priene Inscription (9 BC) celebrated Augustus in exalted terms:
“Since Providence… has filled Augustus with virtue so that he might benefit mankind, sending him as a Savior (sōtēr) both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things… The birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning for the world of the good tidings (euangelion) that have come through him.”
—OGIS 458
Rome proclaimed Augustus as Savior, Lord, and bringer of good news. The word used here, euangelion, is the very same word our Bibles translate as gospel.
Mark’s Gospel opens with a deliberate counter-claim:
“The beginning of the gospel (euangelion) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
—Mark 1:1
Luke emphasizes the same with the angel’s words to the shepherds:
“I bring you good news (euangelion) of great joy… for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
—Luke 2:10–11
The gospel writers deliberately used the empire’s vocabulary and flipped it: what Caesar claimed, Jesus fulfilled.
Augustus in His Own Words
In his Res Gestae, Augustus reflected on his reign:
“After I had extinguished civil wars… I excelled all in influence… The senate consecrated me as a god.”
—Res Gestae §§34–35 (Loeb)
Augustus in the Provinces
Dio Cassius records the spread of emperor worship:
“The Greeks, though they had received many benefits from him, did not at first readily worship him as a god; but when they were commanded to do so they obeyed. In Asia and Bithynia temples were built to him jointly with Rome.”
—Roman History 51.20 (c. AD 210, Loeb)
Jesus Under Augustus
Jesus was born while Herod the Great still ruled Judea as Rome’s client king. Since Herod died in 4 BC, most historians date Jesus’ birth to about 6 BC.
That means Jesus’ entire childhood and youth unfolded under Augustus’ reign. When Augustus died in AD 14, Jesus was about twenty years old. He grew up in a world saturated with Augustus’ titles: Son of God, Savior, Lord, and bringer of good news.
The Gospels’ proclamation of Jesus as Lord and Savior was not safe religious talk — it was a direct challenge to Rome’s imperial ideology.
8. Herod the Great and His Cruelties (37–4 BC)
Into this imperial world came Herod the Great, Rome’s client king in Judea from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC. Herod combined ambitious building projects with relentless paranoia and brutality.
Josephus paints Herod as a man who killed to protect his throne:
“He did not spare even his nearest relatives, but slew his wife’s grandfather Hyrcanus, her brother, her mother, and finally his wife herself, and three of his sons.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 17.6.1 §191 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
“His whole life was a continual scene of murder; and while he inflicted unspeakable miseries upon his subjects, he was at the same time the victim of endless terrors and suspicions.”
—Josephus, War 1.33.6 §659 (c. AD 75, Loeb)
Even Augustus, his patron, couldn’t resist a dark joke about Herod’s cruelty:
“Augustus used to say that it was better to be Herod’s pig (hûs) than his son (huios), since he refrained from killing pigs, but he put his sons to death.”
—Suetonius, Tiberius 76.3 (c. AD 120, Loeb)
The Slaughter of the Innocents
Matthew records another act consistent with Herod’s character:
“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.”
—Matthew 2:16
Some modern critics question this because Josephus doesn’t mention it. But Josephus focuses on political and military events. Compared to the executions of Herod’s own sons, the killing of children in a small village may not have reached his threshold for inclusion. For Matthew, however, it carried theological weight as a fulfillment of prophecy.
The Death of Hyrcanus II
Among Herod’s victims was Hyrcanus II — the same high priest who had once supplied troops to Julius Caesar and been confirmed by him as ethnarch. His later execution by Herod highlights the irony of Judea’s situation: loyalty to Rome could not guarantee safety under a paranoid client king.
9. The Revolt at Herod’s Death (4 BC)
When Herod died in 4 BC, chaos broke out in Judea and Galilee. For Rome, nothing mattered more than the Pax Romana — the Roman peace. All privileges, decrees, and favors that groups like the Jews had enjoyed could be negated or ignored the moment they violated that peace. Rome’s highest priority was order.
Even before Herod’s death, unrest was simmering. Some young men tore down the golden eagle Herod had placed on the Temple gate, regarding it as idolatrous. Herod had them burned alive:
“Some young men, students of the Law, pulled down the golden eagle which Herod had placed over the great gate of the Temple, supposing it to be against the Law; and they were punished by being burned alive.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 17.6.2 §149 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
When Herod died soon after, disorder broke out on a massive scale:
“There were at this time ten thousand other disorders in Judea. … Many hoped for a change in affairs.”
—Josephus, War 2.2.3 §4 (c. AD 75, Loeb)
During the next Passover, an immense crowd gathered in Jerusalem. Archelaus, Herod’s son and successor, tried to calm them, but when the unrest escalated, he unleashed the army:
“At the feast of unleavened bread, which the Jews call Passover, an immense multitude came together from all Judea. … The people were so inflamed that Archelaus was forced to send in the whole army; and about three thousand of the people were slain.”
—Josephus, War 2.1.3 §§10–13 (c. AD 75, Loeb)
Finally, the Roman governor Publius Quinctilius Varus arrived with legions. His suppression was merciless:
“Varus sent his whole army into the villages of Judea, and when they had taken them, they put them to the torch. … He crucified about two thousand of the rebels.”
—Josephus, War 2.5.2 §§68–75 (c. AD 75, Loeb)
The sight of 2,000 crosses lining the roads of Judea left a lasting memory. Jesus would have been a small child — about two years old — when this revolt broke out. His earliest years were lived in a land marked by bloodshed, fear, and Rome’s determination to preserve its peace at all costs.
10. The Census and Judas the Galilean (AD 6)
After Herod’s son Archelaus was deposed, Judea was placed under direct Roman rule in AD 6. Caesar Augustus ordered a census for taxation, conducted under Quirinius, governor of Syria. This is the same registration Luke mentions in his Gospel account of Jesus’ birth.
Luke records the event (and ties it to Bethlehem):
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. … And Joseph went up to Bethlehem … to be registered with Mary, who was with child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
—Luke 2:1–2, 4–7
Josephus describes the AD 6 census in detail:
“Quirinius, a Roman senator … came himself into Judea, with Coponius, a man of the equestrian order, who had the power of life and death put into his hands by Caesar. … Quirinius also came to take an account of their substance.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.1–2 §§1–2 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
A Galilean named Judas (of Gamala) rose in revolt against the census:
“Judas, a Gaulonite from a city whose name was Gamala … prevailed with his countrymen to revolt, and said they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans and would, after God, submit to mortal men as their lords.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.6 §23 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
Josephus explains that Judas founded a fourth branch of Jewish philosophy:
“This Judas was the author of a fourth branch of Jewish philosophy … They have an inviolable attachment to liberty and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.6 §23 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
To clarify Josephus’ taxonomy, the three other groups were:
- Pharisees — the largest group, popular among the people, believed in angels, resurrection, and both fate and free will.
- Sadducees — the priestly aristocracy, denied resurrection and angels, emphasized free will, rejected oral tradition.
- Essenes — a separatist group, communal in lifestyle, practicing ritual purity and strict discipline (often celibate).
- Zealots (Fourth Philosophy) — founded by Judas the Galilean, agreeing with Pharisees in many points but insisting that God alone is ruler and lord, fiercely committed to liberty, and ready to die rather than submit to Rome.
Josephus sums up the significance:
“This was the beginning of great disturbances.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.8 §27 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
But Rome acted swiftly:
“Quirinius subdued their attempt at innovation immediately, and the nation was at peace.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.1 §4 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
And Josephus records Judas’ fate:
“Judas the Galilean was the author of this sedition… but he was destroyed, and his followers were dispersed.”
—Josephus, War 2.8.1 §§117–118 (c. AD 75, Loeb)
The uprising was crushed, Judas perished, and his followers scattered.
At this time Jesus was about twelve years old. He grew up in Galilee, the very region where Judas’ revolt began, and the stories of Rome’s crucifixions and suppression would have been seared into local memory.
11. Rome Never Forgets (AD 46–48)
Rome never forgot. Decades later, the long arm of Roman vengeance reached Judas’ family:
“Two of his sons, James and Simon, were captured, and Alexander the governor gave orders for them to be crucified.”
—Josephus, Antiquities 20.5.2 §102 (c. AD 93, Loeb)
That execution took place around AD 46–48, nearly forty years after the census revolt. By that time:
- Jesus had already been crucified and raised.
- The church was spreading in Judea.
- Paul’s First Missionary Journey (AD 47–48; Acts 13–14) was beginning.
Rome’s message was unmistakable: rebellion may be crushed in a day, but the empire’s justice would reach even to the children of rebels. For Rome, the Pax Romana was all that mattered.
12. Other Provinces Resist Rome
It is important to note Judea was not the only province to resist taxation and Roman rule. Tacitus records several examples:
“The Gauls … declared they were being reduced to slavery under the guise of a census and taxation.”
—Tacitus, Annals 3.40 (c. AD 115, Loeb)
And again:
“The Britons, outraged by abuses and tribute, rose in fury to throw off the Roman yoke.”
—Tacitus, Annals 14.31 (c. AD 115, Loeb)
But for the Jews, taxation was not only political slavery; it was also a theological affront. To pay tribute to Caesar was to acknowledge him as lord — something Jews and certain Jewish sects refused to do, which made their resistance both political and religious.
13. The Luke/Acts Contradictions and the Skeptical Critique
In Session 1 we introduced one of the main tactics of skeptical scholars: pointing out contradictions and inconsistencies. Here we face two of the most significant — one between the Gospels themselves, and one between Luke/Acts and Josephus.
Luke vs. Matthew: The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1–2, 4–7
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. … And Joseph went up to Bethlehem … to be registered with Mary, who was with child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
Matthew 2:1
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king…”
- Luke ties Jesus’ birth to the census under Quirinius (AD 6).
- Matthew ties Jesus’ birth to Herod the Great (d. 4 BC).
This creates about a ten-year gap between the two Gospel accounts.
And remember: Mark and John don’t even mention Jesus’ birth or childhood at all. Two Gospels give nativity accounts — and they differ; two Gospels skip it entirely.
Luke/Acts vs. Josephus: Theudas and Judas
Acts 5:36–37
“For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody… After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.”
- Acts: Theudas came first; Judas later “in the days of the census.”
- Josephus: Judas’ revolt was at the census of AD 6 (Antiquities 18.1.6–8). Theudas was much later, under Cuspius Fadus (AD 44–46, Antiquities 20.97–98).
This means Acts and Josephus present opposite orders for Judas and Theudas.
Why This Does Not Threaten Our Faith
Yes — the contradictions are real. But here’s the crucial point: this does not threaten our faith. It actually strengthens it.
- These differences show that the Gospels, Acts, and Josephus are independent witnesses. If they matched perfectly, skeptics would cry collusion.
- The biblical authors’ goal was never flawless Roman chronology. Their goal was to place Jesus’ story in the real world of Caesars, governors, and revolts — and to proclaim his death and resurrection.
The Core Message of “First Importance”
Paul tells us what matters most in 1 Corinthians 15:3–10 — a passage every historian, even skeptics, recognizes as one of the earliest Christian creeds:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
Notice: Paul not only passes on the creed, he adds his personal testimony — he was transformed by seeing the risen Christ, from persecutor to apostle, and he says he “worked harder than all of them” because the grace of God was alive in him.
The Gospels’ Emphasis on the Cross and Resurrection
The gospel writers give the same priority. Just look at how much space they devote to Jesus’ final week and his death:
| Gospel | % of Book on Last Week | Where Focus Begins | % of Book from That Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 36% (ch. 21–28) | Ch. 16 (“Sign of Jonah,” passion predictions) | 51% (ch. 16–28) | Over one-third on last week; more than half from 16 onward. |
| Mark | 34% (ch. 11–16) | Ch. 8 (first passion prediction) | 55% (ch. 8–16) | No birth story; jumps straight to Jesus’ ministry. |
| Luke | 27% (ch. 19–24) | Ch. 9 (Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem) | 65% (ch. 9–24) | Includes a nativity, but two-thirds is about Jesus’ death. |
| John | 39% (ch. 12–21) | From the very start (“Lamb of God,” 1:29; “Destroy this temple,” 2:19) | 100% | No nativity story; the entire Gospel is oriented to the cross and resurrection. |
Acts: In every major sermon, the focus is on Jesus’ death and resurrection as the heart of the message.
Of First Importance
So yes — the contradictions are real. Luke and Matthew do not line up on Jesus’ birth. Luke/Acts and Josephus do not line up on Theudas and Judas. Even Luke himself doesn’t smooth over every detail between his Gospel and Acts.
But far from undermining our faith, this strengthens it. It proves these are independent witnesses. And despite differences in detail, they all converge on the one testimony Paul calls “of first importance”:
- Jesus lived.
- He was crucified under Rome.
- He was buried.
- He was raised.
- He appeared to many.
- His followers were transformed — Peter the denier, James the skeptic, Paul the persecutor — and they worked, suffered, and even died rather than deny what they had seen.
This is the gospel. This is what matters. This is what still changes lives.
14. Conclusion
From Julius Caesar’s decrees to Augustus’ divine titles, from Herod’s paranoia to Varus’ mass crucifixions, from Judas the Galilean’s revolt to Rome’s long memory — the world into which Jesus was born was dominated by imperial propaganda, oppressive taxation, and violent suppression.
Jesus was a toddler when Varus crucified 2,000 rebels (4 BC). He was twelve years old when Judas the Galilean sparked a revolt over the census (AD 6). Judas’ sons were crucified in AD 46–48, as the church spread and Paul began his first missionary journey.
And through it all, the independent voices of Paul, the Gospels, Acts, and even Josephus converge: Jesus lived, was crucified, was buried, was raised, and appeared. His followers were transformed — Peter, James, Paul above all — and they gave their lives rather than deny what they had seen.
So when the first Christians proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Savior, they were not using safe religious words. They were confronting Caesar’s claims and Rome’s power with the one truth that could never be crucified: Christ is risen.
Living the Bible 