Welcome back! In today's episode, we explore how the early Christians in Thessalonica dared to proclaim a different kind of “good news”—one that directly challenged the power and propaganda of the Roman Empire.
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The Gospel vs. The Empire: Why Jesus, Not Caesar, Is the Real Good News
The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is one of his earliest writings, addressed to a young and courageous church in the city of Thessalonica. Located in Macedonia, this city was a thriving cultural center in the Roman Empire. It was full of competing loyalties:
This cultural mixture made Thessalonica a spiritual and political battleground. It was in this context that Paul boldly preached a new message—one that didn’t fit into any existing category.
To understand the revolutionary nature of Paul’s gospel, we need to grasp how the Roman Empire presented its rulers.
This was the Roman Empire’s version of the gospel: salvation through the emperor, peace through power, and a kingdom built by human might. It was political propaganda wrapped in divine language.
In direct contrast, Paul brought a different kind of good news to Thessalonica.
“For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true…”
— 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)
This message centered on Jesus—not Caesar—as the true Son of God, the real Savior, and the eternal King. Paul wasn’t just preaching theology; he was making a political and spiritual declaration. His message was:
The Thessalonian believers responded with joy—even though it brought suffering.
“So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you.”
— 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NLT)
Their conversion was radical. They turned away from idols, including allegiance to Caesar, and began to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). This wasn’t a mild change—it was a total shift in identity. According to scholars, they didn’t mix Jesus into their old beliefs; they abandoned the old system entirely.
Their faith became contagious. Paul says that their testimony rang out across Macedonia and Achaia. Others heard not just about their beliefs, but about how they lived and suffered for their allegiance to Christ.
Paul finishes this section with a bold statement:
“And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.”
— 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NLT)
While Rome proclaimed the emperor as savior, Paul declared that Jesus is the one who will rescue us. While Roman decrees tried to reshape time around Augustus’s birth, Christians later reshaped the global calendar to mark the birth of Jesus:
Even in secular culture today, though terms like BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) are used, they still trace back to the same pivotal event: the birth of Jesus.
From Caesar Augustus to modern politicians, the world keeps looking for someone to fix everything—someone who can restore order, bring peace, and heal division.
But no emperor, president, policy, or celebrity can do what Jesus has already done.
So if you’re asking today, “Who’s going to make things right?”—just look at the calendar. History itself testifies to the answer.
Jesus is Lord. And He’s coming again.