Sermons by Danny Dodd (Page 17)
Newness in Christ
Aliens and Strangers
With some understanding now of the cultural context in which the first Christians lived, perhaps we can appreciate more the challenges they navigated as they followed Jesus in a world that truly viewed them as “aliens and strangers”. Think about what living life in the first century meant for them.
2020 Cardboard Testimonials
SEX IN THE ROMAN WORLD
Living in the First Century World #10 As to every other aspect of life, Christianity spoke into the sexual culture of the first century—and what was spoken, again like almost every other encounter, was a word from the Lord that challenged accepted norms and practices— and that was because the sexual culture within the Roman Empire was wide open: In many ways,…
WOMEN IN THE ROMAN WORLD
During the first century Roman world, women were in no way considered equal to men—being systematically regulated to certain well-defined roles. There were variations within this system due to social standing, wealth and other factors, but for the most part in the Roman culture the woman’s main role was to marry (usually very young), have numerous children (due to the…
But Also for Us
Every Nation, Tribe and Language
Worship
Consider a couple of citations from two quite different sources concerning worship practices in the first/second century church.
They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternative verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud,…
Little Children and Jesus
Christian Identity and Community in the Roman Empire
Even though Christianity began as a rural movement (Christ emerging from the agricultural region of Galilee; Peter a small-town fisherman, etc.), the real growth and spread of Christianity came in the large Roman cities. Christianity, lived out in faith, in these large, close-quartered cities such…