While Paul was in Corinth during his third missionary journey in 56 AD, he wrote his Roman epistle to the house churches in that city. He had a desire to visit them but knew that may not be possible due to the circumstances he found himself in with some Jews plotting to have him killed. He wrote this letter to help reunite Jewish and Gentile Christians by active foresight wanting to ensure the unity between them became reestablished. Emperor Claudius had all Jews leave about five years earlier. Now, with his death, Jews were allowed back into Rome. Paul knew that this act of removing all Jews, even Christian Jews, likely caused the house churches in Rome to change dramatically. For five years these churches would not have had any Jewish influence in how the churches operated. It would be a shock for Gentiles to hear criticism from their Jewish brethren on their services because they were not Jewish enough, and a shock to the Jewish believers to see how much things had changed since they had left. That is likely why Paul used a question/answer format to help Gentiles understand the Jewish perspective of scripture and help the Jews to understand why certain Jewish customs were not really necessary any longer. Many of the people Paul mentions at the end of his epistle were likely displaced Jewish believers who left Rome and stayed in Corinth or nearby areas waiting for the time they could return to Rome, their hometown. Phoebe, a deacon in the church at Cenchreae, not very far from Corinith, was the bearer of Paul’s letter to the believers at Rome. Paul also desired to enlist the help of the Roman church with his missionary efforts to the west, including Spain, emphasized the universality of the gospel stating it was for both Jews and Gentiles, wrote to provide a comprehensive presentation of the doctrine of salvation by faith, and sought their prayer support.

Paul states that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been promised by the Old Testament prophets and contrasts the Old Testament and the dispensation of the Law to the New Testament and the dispensation of the Church. He quotes more Old Testament scripture than any other New Testament book where the quotes refer to Adam, Abraham, Moses, and David, all associated with covenants in the Old Testament. Paul also quotes Habakkuk stating that the just shall live by faith. Paul addressed the sinfulness and condemnation of all men, the justification of believing sinners, the sanctification of believing sinners, the place that Israel has in the plans of God, and the righteousness of God in practical living. In his conclusion, he provides greetings to 35 people mentioned by name.

In his letter, Paul mentions three churches. One was the church that met in the home of Pricilla and Aquilla (Ro 16:3-5) who he knew well as he had met them in Corinth on his second missionary journey and had worked with them extensively (Ac 18:1-4). He then mentions Andronicus and Junia (Ro 16:7) who had been Christians even before he, and they had been imprisoned for their actions. Since Paul had never been to Rome at this point, it could be that Andronicus and Junia had been in Jerusalem for Shavuot (Pentecost) when the Holy Spirit fell causing them to hear about Jesus Christ at that time and had believed.

Paul then mentions those who had caused divisions and put obstacles in their way contrary to the teachings they had learned and cautions these believers to stay away from them because they were not serving Christ but their own desires (Ro 16:17-19). Who Paul was referring to may likely have been the so-called church that Simon Magus had infiltrated. This is the sorcerer who Deacon Philip had first encountered in Samaria (Ac 8:9-25) and began teaching gnostic ideas and had likely infiltrated the Roman Gentile church when the Jews were banished from Rome by Claudius Caesar and initiated anti-Semitic beliefs. This is likely the reason for Paul including much doctrine in his letter to ensure they understood the correct doctrine rooted in Jesus Christ and emphasizing that God was not done with his nation Israel.

Simon Magus likely made his way to Rome during the reign of Claudius Caesar. Claudius apparently became enamored with him and all his magical abilities. While there, he met Marcus Antonias Felix, originally a slave of Claudius Caesar’s mother Antonia. He was a favorite of hers and she helped him earn his freedom. He was well liked by Claudius as well. It seems Felix did a favor for Simon Magus by encouraging Claudius to expel the Jews from Rome (First Church Rome). Later, when Claudius made Felix procurator of Judea, Simon Magus did him a favor by enchanting Drusilla, of Hasmonean descent and sister of Herod Agrippa II, to leave her current husband and her religion and marry Felix (Bible Hub). It seems the Hasmonean women were considered extremely beautiful.

With the Jews out of Rome, it allowed Simon Magus to operate more freely with Gentile Christians and argue his own interpretation of Scripture through the lens of Zoroastrianism and Gnosticism with little push back. Over time, he became revered by the Gentile Christians who bestowed the term, Father, or Paeter (the Latin name for Father) to him as many looked up to him for guidance and appreciated his leadership of the Roman church in which he taught his Gnostic beliefs and hierarchal mysteries which later morphed into what was labeled Simonism. It seems he went back to his teachings in Samaria as one who was almost like a god, taught that the god of the Bible was subservient to the all-existing god. After all, if the God of the Hebrews allowed evil, how good of a god could he actually be? This was likely the start of the church teaching antisemitic beliefs and the teachings of Jesus being a man who received a god spirit at his baptism which was taken away just before his crucifixion. Belief in Jesus was important but true salvation came by following rituals and not through Jesus Christ himself.

Since he now went by the name Simon Paeter, this may be how he became confused with Simon Peter over time. It is likely Simon Magus became the first bishop of Rome rather than Simon Peter (Two Peters, Hoeck), as Peter was noted at the apostle to the Jews (Ga 2:7-8) and preached to Jews in Parthia (1Pt 5:13) and northeastern Asia Minor (today Turkey; 1Pt 1:1). This could also explain some of the beliefs, teachings, and church structure that began to occur in the Roman church with the exclusion of Jews in its congregation. There is no solid evidence, only tradition, that apostle Peter ever visited Rome (Lewis). Evidence has emerged that Peter likely died and was buried in Jerusalem (Deborah).

Therefore, it was no accident as to the teachings Paul included in his epistle to the Roman house churches: the need for unity between Jew and Gentile believers, how God was not yet done with Israel as a nation, and strong doctrine showing that all focus should be on the belief in Jesus Christ himself and his redemptive work via his death, burial, and resurrection. We, too, need to be sure that this is our spiritual foundation and not built on anything else. Anything else is superfluous.

Paul’s problems are not over, though. Unfortunately, they are just beginning. Join me next time for more.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We previously talked about how Saul, the one persecuting Christians with the support of the Jewish Sanhedrin, became converted to Christianity and became one of the very ones he had been persecuting. At about this same time Deacon Philip went and began preaching in Samaria. There he performed many signs, wonders, and miracles. In the city in which he preached was a sorcerer named Simon, or Simon Magus, as history labels him, who amazed the people with his magical abilities, and the people called Simon the Great Power of God (Ac 8:10). This means they looked upon him as being a deity. But as Philip preached, many of the people believed in Jesus and were baptized, including Simon (Ac 8:13). The people realized what Philip preached was very different from what Simon Magus taught. Yet, there is some doubt if this Simon truly believed because he became enamored with Philip and the great signs and miracles he performed. Even Simon Magus recognized there was a vast difference in the power with which Philip operated than the power with which he operated.

When the Church in Jerusalem heard of the success Philip was having in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to investigate. Peter and John laid their hands on the believers there and they received the Holy Spirt (Ac 8:14-17). Yet, apparently Simon Magus did not receive the Holy Spirit but was very impressed with these apostles’ ability to cause such a change in people and offered money to them if they would allow him to receive such power (Ac 8:18-23). In other words, he was trying to buy his way into becoming an apostle. Peter reprimanded him and said that Simon Magus was full of bitterness and captive to sin. Peter was referencing an Old Testament passage (Dt 29:18) which uses the term “bitter poison” to refer to one turning away from God and following false gods. Peter was proclaiming that his man was deceptive in how he was trying to follow God.

Early church tradition teaches that this Simon, Simon Magus, gave rise to the Gnostic ideas that plagued the early church (Dumond). It seems this Simon was involved in Zoroastrianism which began in Media and Persia which later became Parthia and spread westward. When Assyria captured the Northern Kingdom of Israel, they repopulated the land with those from Babylon and other cities occupied by Assyria (2Ki 17:24-41). They combined their belief practices with those of Judaism and thereby had a form of worship of God but they were actually worshipping false gods (2Ki 17:7-23). Remember, the priests in Northern Israel were not Levites (1Ki 12:31) and did not teach the people properly in the worship of Yahweh (1Ki 12:32-33). Therefore, combining these two religions received no pushback. Simon Magus was likely a descendant of those who taught these practices. Zoroastrianism believes in monotheism, of a type, and a coming Messiah, but for entirely different reasons.

Since Zoroastrianism began in the 6th century BC, scholars proport that other monotheistic religions, like Judaism and Christianity, drew its monotheistic teachings from it. However, who lived in Babylon in the 6th century BC? Daniel. And he was over all the wise men, or Magi, at the time (Da 2:48). Therefore, it is likely that Judaism had influence on Babylonian theology, and not vice versa. Then, Zoroastrianism was created to explain how a polytheistic culture could believe in a supreme god and not forgo the rule of lesser gods underneath him.

From a distance, Zoroastrianism appears similar to Christianity. It seems Simon Magus merged Zoroastrianism and Christianity even further. In Zoroastrianism, there is a supreme being who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Yet, what this god desires is for people to do good and if they do enough good deeds they will be rewarded in the afterlife. Those who are not rewarded go to punishment, but not for eternity. There will be a Messiah who will come and allow those to one day also be transitioned into paradise. So, you can see how easy it was for Simon Magus to get new Christians confused as to the truth which Paul, Peter, Timothy, Titus, and others were preaching. Because people are saved by the grace of God, they taught that only spiritual matters were important. How one lives in this life is immaterial to one’s belief in Christ. Also, he taught that believing in Jesus Christ would grant them the ability to gain insight into the mysteries of God which were not available to all. This led to the teaching of a hierarchy with more knowledge granted with more privilege granted as one elevated themselves through this hierarchy. Gnosticism became a belief reliant upon Jesus Christ but not in his transforming power or the receipt of the Holy Spirit. It became very appealing because it did not require people to change the way in which they lived. Early on, it was taught that what happens to one’s body is immaterial because the physical had no connection to the spiritual. This belief allowed sexual immorality to continue and still believe one could be right with God. We’ll see that this Simon became even more deceptive as time went on as he incorporated more Christian teaching saying one should do good deeds for others because such actions would appease and please God.

This teaches us that we should remain faithful to truth—God’s truth. Anything that teaches anything other than the belief in Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection is needed for us to be right with God should be avoided. There is no work we do that will or could ever appease God (Ro 3:20; Ep 2:8-9). It is only through Jesus Christ that we become pleasing to God. We are declared righteous because of our belief in him and not by anything we can do (Ro 5:1).

There were other events that were also at play during this time. We’ll look at those next time. I hope you join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens