You Can Conquer

Hi there and welcome to Van Life Devotions. Today we are in beautiful Ancient Ephesus. Paul lived in Ephesus for 3 years and from here he wrote three important letters to two churches – the churches at Corinth and Rome. Leisl and I will not be going to Rome on this trip however we have been to Rome on a previous trip. Today I want to share a bit about the Early Church in Rome, particular from what Paul wrote from here.

We don’t know who commenced the church in Rome, however it is possible that earliest Roman Christians were Jewish inhabitants of Rome who were converted to Christ when they visited Jerusalem for Pentecost when the thousands were converted as Luke tells us that pilgrims from Rome were there (Acts 2:10).

Christianity had become a major presence in the city of Rome by the late 40s A.D. In those days, the Roman Christians were not collected into a single congregation. Instead, small groups of Christ-followers gathered regularly in house churches to worship, fellowship, and study the Scriptures together. For example, Paul mentioned a specific house church that was led by married couple Priscilla and Aquilla in Romans 16.

In addition to these house churches, there were as many as 50,000 Jews living in Rome. Many became Christians and joined the church with some probably meeting together in the synagogues throughout Rome. Both were among the groups of Christians Paul addressed in the opening of his letter to the Romans (Romans 1:7).

Rome was tolerant of most religious expressions. However, that tolerance was largely limited to religions that were polytheistic -- meaning, the Roman authorities didn't care who you worshiped as long as you included the emperor. That was a problem for both Christians and Jews during the middle of the first century as they proclaimed that there is only one God. In Romans 3:30, Paul wrote “There is only one God…” (Romans 3:30 NLT) and because of this they refused to worship the emperor or acknowledge him as any kind of deity. Christians and Jews began to experience intense persecution when the Roman Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from the city of Rome in 49 AD which is why Priscilla and Aquilla fled Rome for Corinth before their return several years later.

Christians began to experience greater persecution under of Emperor Nero. Paul wrote the Book of Romans during the early reign of Nero, when Christian persecution was just beginning. Despite these persecutions and issues between Christians from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, the church at Rome experienced healthy growth throughout the first century.

One of my favourite passages that Paul wrote from this area to the church at Rome is Romans chapter 8 verses 35 to 39: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39, NIV)

I want to ask you, are you separated from God because of your sins? Please, in faith ask Jesus Christ to save you and follow Him as your Lord. The bible assures that you will be saved from God’s anger. Nothing, not your past, not the devil, not hardships, will again separate you from God’s love. Jesus’ death on the cross achieved this.

Let’s Pray:

Our Heavenly Father. Thank you for saving us through Your Son Jesus. Through the power of Your Spirit, help us to conquer trouble, hardships, persecution, the devil that tried to separate us from you. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

David Moyes