Day 4, Wednesday, Dec 6
Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His son….”
Let’s consider all the wonderful preparations God accomplished to bring about this “fullness of time.” Note this list of extraordinary events:
- The Jews were finally convinced of monotheism. By the time the first century A.D. rolls around, they hated idolatry. Just let the Romans try to bring their images into Jerusalem; the Jewish zealots fought them “tooth and nail.”
- The Greek language became “universal.” From 300 B.C. to A.D. 300, Greek was the lingua franca of the Mediterranean world. Linguists tell us that it was the perfect medium to communicate God’s truth – the New Testament. (Robert Gromacki: A Survey of the New Testament)
- The Old Testament was translated into Greek (ca. 250 B.C.). This was commonly called the LXX or Septuagint and made the prophetic word available to all.
- Jewish Synagogues were prolific throughout that region of the world. They were used for worship and the reading and teaching of the Scripture. Note in Acts that the synagogue in a particular city was often the first place Paul visited on his journeys.
- The Romans established peace, referred to as the Pax Romana. Missionaries could spread the word about Jesus without fear of invading armies.
- The Romans also built a marvelous system of roads. A way is provided to spread the good news about Jesus to the remote parts of the empire. You can be sure the apostles used these roads to great advantage. (Taken from Notes for N.T. Survey – Dr. Keith Miller)
When everything was just right, God sent forth His Son! What an awesome and sovereign God we serve!
Dr. Keith Miller, Bible & Theology Department Chair
