The Apostle Paul boldly engaged the religious, political, and philosophical centers of the first century world in which he lived. As a Jew he encountered the living Christ and was transformed from a persecutor of Christ to one of the church’s foremost apologist. In Athens he stood on Mars Hill and engaged the great philosophies that had shaped the Mediterranean world. He wrote to the church at Rome, the center of political and economic power, and declared, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation…” (Romans 1:16). The political power of the Roman Emperor and the culture he embodied was being challenged by the good news of Jesus Christ. Read more »