Part 1: The Good Man
We begin a 3-part series on the cultural background of the New Testament. The world of the New Testament, and especially the Roman world, was incredibly status-conscious. Every person had a specific place in the social order, and at the top of the pecking order was the vir bonus, the good man. Needless to say, the Christians presented a challenge to this whole structure.
Part 2: Social Status
In this episode, we continue our series on the culture of the New Testament, and we ask the question: where did the first Christians fit socially? The world of the New Testament, and especially the Roman world, was incredibly status-conscious. Moreover, as we saw last week, those at the top were the elites, the “good men”. The Christians, however, had a completely different approach to who was at the top and what characterised the leaders.
Part 3: Honour and Shame
In this episode, we continue our series on the culture of the New Testament, and we look at one of the most important aspects of ancient society: honour and shame. The highest goal that any free person could strive for was honour—for oneself, for one’s family, and for the group. Conversely, the worst thing that could happen, even worse than death, was to be shamed. It was into this world that the shameful message of the cross entered.
The New Testament Story 