{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Christ Covenant Church","title":"Questions You Have Been Meaning To Ask About Evangelism and Love","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4052,"description":" \n1. Why was evangelism was so much easier in the 1st century?\n1.1. Textual support for my question (Act 11:19-21) = Those doing the evangelism are not the apostles but the untrained laity of the Jerusalem church (Act 7:51-8:1). Given then their evangelistic success, what advantage did the laity of the early church possess that we do not have today? Why was it so much easier?\n1.2. Unlike today, everybody was religious: it was considered axiomatic truth that the events of the natural world (our world) were influenced and impacted by the decisions and actions of supernatural beings (otherwise known as gods) who not only lived in a supernatural world but often had human children (sons) who lived among us. And this belief was not compartmentalized as it is oftentimes today.  In the ancient world such beliefs impacted every aspect of daily civilian and government life (e.g.,): 1) kings (Caesars) were often revered as deity in human flesh, as the sons of the gods. 2) holidays, cities – even people’s children and homes were named after and/or dedicated to a patron deity. 3) national identity was theological rather than geographical. 4) the primary reason for all animal slaughter was propitiatory not dietary. 5) all government was viewed as divine and all service to the state a religious act (hence the reason Christians were accused of being atheists for their refusal to serve in government or the military). 6) victory in battle, economic success or good weather was viewed as not only favor from a particular deity or group of deities but a sign that they were the “god(s) on top.” 7) the manufacture and sale of idols for personal and public shrines (Act 17:16) was a vital economic industry providing a large tax revenue base to the state and income to many families (Act 19:23-29). 8) the most popular form of conversation taking place in the public square was not entertainment, sports or politics – but theology - most especially the subject of “who is the god on top?” (Act...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UXGjftzm8Yw--IISwUKe6A6-CX1YtARptisfLmFJFoI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81Zjc4/MmNmNTMxZjNmOTgw/YjA1NWRhYmMxMTNl/YmE1Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}