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What Were The Key Social And Cultural Factors That Enabled The Gospel Of Spread So Quickly Through The Roman

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Assessment 3 Short Essay 1000 words

What were the key social and cultural factors that enabled the Gospel to spread so quickly through the Roman Empire? Using primary and secondary sources, discuss with particular reference to Paul’s writings and the Book of Acts.

Paul more than anyone was responsible for the spread of the Jesus movement into the Gentile world. By the end of the first century Christianity had become an important religious force. Paul while respectful of its Jewish origins moved the Christian faith into a position where it was no longer bound by Jewish law and was able to embrace people of any cultural background. After his own conversion, Paul passionately espoused his message from the Palestinian world through Asia Minor and southern Europe to Rome, the heart of the empire. Some of his letters by Paul to fledgling churches throughout the Roman Empire are contained in the New Testament and outline Paul 's theology. He insisted that Gentiles had as much access to the faith as Jews and that freedom from the Law set everyone free. It was this teaching which was essential for the development and success of the early church which would otherwise have remained another Jewish sect.

The culture of Paul’s time was Greco-Roman. In the fourth century BC Alexander the Great dominated the Near Eastern world and was a strong devotee of Greek culture. He brought the Greek language to the Eastern world, a tongue that became the Lingua franca of early Christianity with

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