Episode 1491: Acts of the Apostles (Part 7, Chapter 1-Paul)

Rome is still reeling from the devastating fire of AD 64, and Nero’s government has turned its attention toward the growing Christian movement. Into this atmosphere comes Paul of Tarsus, a Roman citizen, Jewish teacher, missionary, and prisoner whose preaching has carried the name of Jesus throughout much of the eastern Empire. The prosecution is led by Varro, an experienced Roman advocate who sees Paul not merely as a religious dissenter but as a potential threat to Roman order.

In his opening argument, Varro lays out the prosecution’s central case. Paul has traveled from province to province proclaiming that Jesus of Nazareth, a man executed by Roman authority, rose from the dead and is Lord over all. Wherever Paul has gone, controversy and sometimes violence have followed. Varro therefore asks the question that will hang over the trial: how many cities must erupt after one man’s arrival before Rome stops regarding him as a preacher and begins regarding him as an insurgent?

Paul does not dispute the geography, the disturbances, or even the suffering he has endured. Instead, he argues that Varro has presented the facts of his life without explaining their purpose. Paul asks the tribunal to hear his entire story before deciding what kind of kingdom he serves. The episode ends with Varro confronting the political implications of Paul’s faith directly: if Paul calls Jesus “Lord,” does he place Jesus above Caesar?