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- From: "Ayla Lepine" <arlepine AT uvic.ca>
- To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
- Subject: Re: Romans 13:1-7
- Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 23:37:01 -0700
Title: [corpus-paul] Re: Romans 13:1-7
My understanding is that while generally the practice of deifying
emperors was posthumous (as in the case of Augustus), Nero demanded to be
addressed and treated as a god while still in power. The sticky part is that
while Nero was emperor between 54 and 68, he was known as a fairly mild and
benevolent ruler prior to the murder of his mother in 59. Most scholars would
agree that Romans was written at least 3-5 years before this decided shift in
the emperor's character and reputation. Nero of course is best remembered for
his later "achievements" of persecuting a ridiculous amount of Christians,
initially using them as the scapegoat for the great fire of
64.
Rom 13:1-7 calls for respect for those in political power,
arguing that the far greater power of God institutes and oversees state
governance. Paul's somewhat adamant stance that the state protects the good and
punishes only those who clearly do wrong in both deed and conscience may have
been driven in fact by Nero's actions around the year 53: a reduction in taxes
and an (albeit short-lived) end to capital punishment/bloodshed in the
circuses.
I'm hardly arguing that Nero was a fabulous emperor. Far
from it. His early years as emperor however were, despite his paranoia and
moderate incompetence, likely seen as an improvement for the early
Christians.
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Re: Romans 13:1-7
, (continued)
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Steve Black, 05/15/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, tmcos, 05/15/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Jim Hester, 05/15/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Steve Black, 05/16/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Eric Zuesse, 05/16/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, RSBrenchley, 05/16/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, RSBrenchley, 05/17/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Tim Harris, 05/17/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Eric Zuesse, 05/17/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Steve Black, 05/17/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Ayla Lepine, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Frich107, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Tim Harris, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, LeeEdgarTyler, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Tsalampouni Ekaterini, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Jill and Dale Walker, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, RSBrenchley, 05/18/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, RSBrenchley, 05/19/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Eric Zuesse, 05/19/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Tim Harris, 05/19/2002
- Re: Romans 13:1-7, Eric Zuesse, 05/19/2002
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