Podcasts about Claudius

Acts 11:19-30Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Kurz und bündig, interessant und informativ. Aber auch tröstlich und gelegentlich anstößig. Bunt wie das Leben sollen auch die Formen der christlichen Botschaft im Sender sein. Von Claudius Rosenthal.

Kurz und bündig, interessant und informativ. Aber auch tröstlich und gelegentlich anstößig. Bunt wie das Leben sollen auch die Formen der christlichen Botschaft im Sender sein. Von Claudius Rosenthal.

Episode 194: Last time I left things hanging for Hamlet as, having seen the ghost of his father and resolved on revenge, he had seen his planning go awry as he mistakenly killed the old councillor Polonius while he hid behind a wall hanging. We have seen his daughter Ophelia begin her descent into madness, school friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern become embroiled in Hamlet's feigned madness and Claudius prompted into a desire to pray, having seen the players perform a piece that replicated his actions in the matter of his brother's murder. That quick summary in no way does the play any sort of justice so please do listen to the previous two episodes on ‘Hamlet', my look at the first half of the play and my conversation with Colin David Reese about the language in the play, if you have not done so already. I'll be here waiting for you when you get back.Continuing a summary of the play picking up from the murder of Polonius, with Hamlet leaving and dragging the body behind him.The Character of GertrudeThe female characters and the players who portrayed themThe rise of boy playing troupes reflected in ‘Hamlet'The political position of Claudius in the Danish nationThe character of Osric and his role in the playThe themes of death and decay The character and actions of HamletHamlet as a tragic heroThe graveyard sceneA brief overview of the performance history of the playSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He came, he saw, he left... but what did Caesars arrival and departure actually influence iron age Britain. Did the Britons actually know about them and how much would this change their lives over the 90 years before Claudius. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025.11.09 - Biserica Lumina TimișoaraEpisodul 6: Falimentul nu este destinul tăuSeria: „House of David"Predicator: Claudius Sămărtinean

We return to our rundown of Flash Gordon, just as Flash and Prince Barin are being taken to the Hawkmen's planet to fight to the death!Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp, and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who's who of cult cinema.We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon, from De Laurentiis' first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars. The film's troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman's colourful POW! ZAP! style to TV in the 1960s. That influence is clear throughout, giving Flash Gordon its unmistakable comic-book tone.The film was shot mainly at Elstree and Shepperton Studios, pushing British set design and visual effects to the limit. For the famous Hawkmen sequence, the crew built a sixty-foot-high, hundred-foot-wide blue screen powered by a million watts of light. The result is one of the most gloriously excessive moments in sci-fi history — a flying army, Brian Blessed shouting “Gordon's alive!” and Queen blasting through the speakers.Speaking of Queen, we explore how their soundtrack revolutionised film music, paving the way for rock bands to score major blockbusters. The combination of Freddie Mercury's operatic flair and Howard Blake's orchestral compositions gave Flash Gordon a sonic identity that still feels fresh today.We also look at the film's eclectic cast. Sam J. Jones' brief but memorable career, Melody Anderson's move from acting to social work, and Ornella Muti's headline-grabbing life and legal troubles. There's Max von Sydow's path from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Topol's secret links to Mossad, Timothy Dalton's long and winding journey to becoming James Bond, and Peter Wyngarde's transformation from Department S to the gold-masked villain Klytus.And, of course, the mighty Brian Blessed — mountaineer, Shakespearean thunder-god, near-astronaut, and national treasure. From I, Claudius to Doctor Who, Cats, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and beyond, he's one of Britain's most extraordinary performers.In this episode, we unpack the layers of Flash Gordon as both cult classic and chaotic masterpiece: how its bright visuals masked a difficult shoot, how its camp sensibility influenced generations of filmmakers, and why it remains a cornerstone of British sci-fi fandom. Whether you're here for trivia, nostalgia, or the Queen soundtrack alone, this is one of our most detailed episodes yet — and we'll be back next week with part two to finish the adventure.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, we take a look at the Praetorian Guard of the Roman Empire, and consider how ancient history can inspire fantasy novels. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Silent Order series at my Payhip store: SILENT2025 The coupon code is valid through November 10, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 275 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is October 31st, 2025, and today we're talking about the Praetorian Guard of Ancient Rome and how that can inspire fantasy novels. Also, Happy Halloween (or Happy Protestant Reformation Day, if you prefer). Before we get into all that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up, Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in my Silent Order series at my Payhip store: SILENT2025. And as always, both the coupon code and the links to my store will be in the show notes. This coupon code will be valid through November 10th, 2025. So if you need a new ebook for this fall as we come into winter, we have got you covered. And now for an update on my current writing and publishing projects. As I mentioned last week, Cloak of Worlds is now out and you get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and at my Payhip store. The initial response has been very strong and very positive, so thank you for that and I'm glad that people are enjoying and reading the book. Now that Cloak of Worlds is done, my next main project is Blade of Shadows, which will be the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. I'm currently 44,000 words into it, which puts me on chapter 9 of 20, though I'll probably have more chapters in the final draft than I will in the first draft. I found people really do tend to prefer shorter punchier, shorter chapters. Anyway, I'm about 44,000 words into it. I think I'll be about 109,000 words, when all is said and done. So hopefully that will be out in November. I'm also 4,500 words into the next Rivah book, which is Wizard-Assassin. It'd originally been entitled Elven-Assassin, but I decided Wizard-Assassin sounded punchier, so we went with that instead. I'm about 4,500 words into that and if all goes well, it will come out in December, which will make it the final book I'll publish in 2025, though hopefully I'll be publishing more books in 2026 before too much longer. In audiobook news, Brad Wills is currently recording Blade of Flames and we've been listening to some proof chapters of it and are very excited about what we're hearing. Hollis McCarthy is starting work on recording Cloak of Embers. That'll be the 10th book in Cloak Mage, and hopefully we will have both of those audiobooks out before the end of the year, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing projects. 00:02:33 Main Topic: Praetorian Guard of the Ancient Roman Empire Now let's move on to our main topic this week, which is the Praetorian Guard of the Ancient Roman Empire, and they were very bad at their jobs, but we'll get into that more very shortly. One of the fascinating (if occasionally depressing) aspects of history is how often institutions end up having the exact opposite outcome of what they were intended to do. The late science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle had something called Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy, which once the bureaucracy got large enough, it will inevitably start turning its main focus to perpetuating the bureaucracy rather than carrying out its actual mission. And we can see examples of that time and time again, and no doubt you yourself can think of many examples: schools that make their students dumber, military organizations that fail to defend, hospitals that make people sicker, bureaucracies that exacerbate the problems that they are created to solve, and so forth. This can also apply to social movements as well. My favorite example of this is Prohibition in America. The Temperance movement of the late 19th and early 20th century achieved its goal of banning alcohol sales in the United States during the Prohibition period, but the backlash and the consequences made it unpopular. And today, while alcohol is much more heavily restricted than it was at the end of the 19th century, the idea of banning alcohol in the United States is utterly implausible. The Praetorian Guard of Ancient Rome, the personal bodyguards of the Emperor, might be another example of such an institution that utterly failed at its primary goal. For over a thousand years, people have been asking why the Roman Empire fell, and I think that might actually be the wrong question. The better question is why did the Roman Empire last as long as it did, because it sure almost didn't. At the height of its power, the Empire controlled land on three different continents in an area larger than many modern states, and it had to maintain that control without anything resembling modern technology and organization. Think of the difficulties involved in governing a large multi-ethnic state in the 21st Century with modern technology and communications and imagine how much harder it was in the first century AD. Travel was difficult and dangerous even with the Roman road system. The account of St. Paul's shipwreck in the book of Acts must've been an all too common experience in the Roman Empire, given the number of Roman wrecks on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Messages could take weeks to reach their recipients, and there was no division between civilian and military authority. That meant if the Emperors wanted to do anything, they had to use the army to do it because the army was the only pool of skilled men loyal to the state. Since the Empire never really solved the problem of succession and the transfer of power, it didn't take long before ambitious men figured out that the man with the largest army could declare himself Emperor and the Roman Empire actually broke apart into three competing mini empires and almost fell apart entirely in the middle of the 200s AD. So as we can see, there were a lot of reasons the Roman Empire fell apart and the Praetorian Guard, the bodyguard of the emperors, was one of them. The Praetorian Guard certainly wasn't the sole reason the Roman Empire collapsed, but the guard most definitely didn't help. In the last century of the Roman Republic, one of the growing problems was that the armies were less loyal to Rome and more loyal to their general, who made sure they got paid and received grants of land upon discharge. To show their prestige and to guard against the danger of assassination from rivals, generals began collecting personal bodyguards. Since the Roman generals commanded from a tent in a legionary camp called a "praetorium," the general's private guards became called "praetorians." Obviously, the general wanted his best troops as his bodyguards so becoming a praetorian was a privileged position with higher pay and perks. This practice continued as the Roman Republic split apart into civil wars between the ambitious generals of the First and Second Triumvirates. The civil wars of the Roman Republic ended with Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus, as the last man standing with sole control of what we now think of as the Roman Empire. Augustus is remembered as the first Roman emperor, but the office of Emperor didn't really exist at the time, not the way we think of it now. Rather, Augustus was essentially a military dictator, but after he won, he went to great lengths to conceal his power under cloak of legality by having the Senate invest him with various official powers and offices. In modern terms, it'd be like if the United States was ruled by a military dictator who simultaneously held the offices of President, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, the governorships of the five most populous states, all while claiming to be only the first citizen among equals. Essentially, Augustus invented the powers of the Roman emperor on the fly while being a military dictator and his successors followed suit. Julius Caesar famously pardoned his enemies and went around without a bodyguard to show his courage, which ended up getting him assassinated. Augustus, by contrast, was determined not to repeat that mistake. So after annihilating his enemies, he founded a personal bodyguard in what we know today as the Praetorian Guard. That's a modern term. The praetorians never called themselves the Praetorian Guard, and they always refer to themselves as the praetorian of whichever emperor they happen to be serving like the Praetorians of Augustus or the Praetorians of Claudius and so forth. Augustus seems to have seen some of the potential danger in the institution of the Praetorian Guard, and during his reign, they were scattered around Italy with ones guarding him rotated out every so often. The Praetorians in Italy, when not guarding the Emperor, tended to do odd jobs for the government that needed doing like policing, construction, surveying, settling boundary disputes, and so forth. However, Augustus's successor Tiberius concentrated the Guard in Rome, which made it even more dangerous. It also tied into another problem with the Roman Empire, one that it never quite managed to solve, which was the succession problem. Augustus was a military dictator who assembled a sort of ad hoc legality around his position with various offices and powers. But how would he pass that onto a successor or what if someone else decided they were the proper successor? Augustus had taken his office by force, so why shouldn't anyone else? The Praetorian Guard exacerbated this problem further. Was their loyalty to the office of the Emperor (which was tricky because that office didn't technically exist)? Was it to the man himself or to his heirs? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Praetorian Guard eventually settled on the most practical answer to this question. Their loyalty belonged to whoever paid them the most money. There's a very high chance that Tiberius was murdered by the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, which means that the imperial bodyguard made it only two emperors [repeated for dramatic emphasis] before it started killing them. Tiberius's successor Caligula was famously insane and the Guard eventually got sick of him and participated in his murder. After Caligula's death, the guard declared Claudius as the new Emperor, who repaid them by giving them lavish donatives. That meant the Guard had gone from protecting the emperors to killing ones that didn't like, and then installing new ones. After the Senate turned against Nero and he committed suicide in 69 AD, the Roman Empire had its year of four emperors: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and finally Vespasian, who won the civil war and became the new emperor. Each of the potential claimants had their own praetorians who fought against other praetorians. The original Praetorian Guard of Nero did not cover itself in glory, as their comfortable life in Rome did not make them effective as field soldiers and they lost against the toughened legionaries from the frontier armies who came to fight in the civil war. That said, during the reigns of the Five Good Emperors (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) from 96 to 180 AD, we don't hear much about the Praetorian Guard. The most likely explanation is that these emperors were strong and capable rulers, so the guard had no reason to turn against them, and therefore any potential conspiracies that would've involved the Guard just didn't get off the ground. However, part of the reason the 100s AD were the apex of the Roman Empire is that Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius did not have sons, so they adopted a capable leader as their son and heir, thereby creating continuity of rule. Marcus Aurelius unfortunately had a natural son named Commodus, and after he died, Commodus became Emperor. Commodus was a spectacularly incompetent narcissist, nowadays famously known as the villain from the movie Gladiator. If anything, Gladiator toned down Commodus' brutality, though to be fair to Commodus, he didn't murder his father like the fictional version did in the movie. Commodus was eventually assassinated, and the Praetorian Guard hit its lowest point soon after. Pertinax became Emperor after Commodus, and there was hope he would be a Nerva-type figure, a respected elderly Senator who would adopt a capable heir the way Nerva did with Trajan. However, Commodus had used the Guard as his privileged force of personal thugs, and Pertinax tried to impose discipline upon them. The Guard most definitely did not care for that, so they murdered Pertinax and then auctioned off the title of Emperor to whoever would pay them the most. Soon after Septimius Severus seized control of the Empire and he summarily fired all the Praetorian and put his own veteran legionaries in their place. So the Praetorian Guard, which had been intended to guard the emperors, ended up murdering the Emperor on a regular basis and sometimes choosing a successor and even auctioning off the title of Emperor to the highest bidder. Septimius Severus was a brutal ruler and held the Empire together long enough to die of natural causes. His sons Caracalla and Geta were his successors, and Caracalla murdered Geta before he was assassinated himself by yet another plot from disgruntled praetorians. After that, both the Empire and the Guard declined precipitously. This was the period later historians would call the Crisis of the Third Century, when the Roman Empire fractured into the three competing mini empires I mentioned earlier. A depressing pattern rapidly took hold. The Praetorian Guard or the army would kill an Emperor and proclaim a new one. The Emperor would last until he tried to do something the army didn't like, such as imposing discipline and then the pattern would repeat. The Praetorian Guard was never really reformed, but like so many failed institutions, it gradually became obsolete. Part of the reason was that the Empire was subject to frequent barbarian invasions throughout the 200s. The Emperor was required constantly on the frontiers to supervise the defense with the field armies. The emperors developed a different kind of bodyguard called the "scholae palatinae", a mounted group of soldiers that would accompany him in the field as he moved about the Empire. The constant defensive warfare also resulted in a subtle shift within the Empire. Rome was no longer the center of power within the Empire. The center of power was actually wherever the Emperor happened to be at the moment. The city of Rome itself had become in many ways an expensive vestigial relic of another age. Some of the emperors only visited Rome once. Some of the shorter-lived ones never made it there at all, and the Emperors certainly did not rule from Rome. Because of these changes, the idea of the Praetorian Guard, a permanent bodyguard force based in Rome, had become obsolete. The actual end of the Praetorian Guard came after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, the battle where the Emperor Constantine famously had the vision that led him to convert to Christianity. The Praetorian Guard sided with Constantine's opponent Maxentius, and since Constantine had no use for the Praetorian Guard and indeed would move his capital to the new city of Constantinople, he simply had the Guard disbanded and continued to rely on mounted cavalry units for his personal bodyguard. So the Praetorian Guard, after three centuries of frequent treachery and corruption, had come to an end. Amusingly, while the Guard was gone, the title of "praetorian prefect" remained in use in the Empire for the rest of its history, which came to show just how powerful the commander of the Guard could become. In the end, the Praetorian Guard was yet another example of institution that became a hindrance to the very goals it was founded to advance. This seems to be a curse of any organization, and the only cure is constant vigilance and strong leadership, two qualities, alas, that are all too rare at any age of history. Yet you can definitely see why I say history is the best source of material for fantasy writers. You could get like 20 different novels out of the events I discussed above. So that is it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see you all next week.

2025.11.02 - Biserica Lumina TimișoaraEpisodul 5: Acum este timpulSeria: „House of David"Predicator: Claudius Sămărtinean

Sorry this one's a bit late — but to make up for it, we've gone all in with an extra-long episode of General Witchfinders, split into two parts. This week, we take you through the extraordinary, over-the-top world of Flash Gordon (1980) — the space opera superhero film that blended camp comedy, science-fiction spectacle, and Queen's iconic soundtrack into something truly cosmic. The second half of this intergalactic adventure will land next week. Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp, and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who's who of cult cinema. We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon, from De Laurentiis' first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars. The film's troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman's colourful POW! ZAP! style to TV in the 1960s. That influence is clear throughout, giving Flash Gordon its unmistakable comic-book tone. The film was shot mainly at Elstree and Shepperton Studios, pushing British set design and visual effects to the limit. For the famous Hawkmen sequence, the crew built a sixty-foot-high, hundred-foot-wide blue screen powered by a million watts of light. The result is one of the most gloriously excessive moments in sci-fi history — a flying army, Brian Blessed shouting “Gordon's alive!” and Queen blasting through the speakers. Speaking of Queen, we explore how their soundtrack revolutionised film music, paving the way for rock bands to score major blockbusters. The combination of Freddie Mercury's operatic flair and Howard Blake's orchestral compositions gave Flash Gordon a sonic identity that still feels fresh today.We also look at the film's eclectic cast. Sam J. Jones' brief but memorable career, Melody Anderson's move from acting to social work, and Ornella Muti's headline-grabbing life and legal troubles. There's Max von Sydow's path from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Topol's secret links to Mossad, Timothy Dalton's long and winding journey to becoming James Bond, and Peter Wyngarde's transformation from Department S to the gold-masked villain Klytus.And, of course, the mighty Brian Blessed — mountaineer, Shakespearean thunder-god, near-astronaut, and national treasure. From I, Claudius to Doctor Who, Cats, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and beyond, he's one of Britain's most extraordinary performers. In this episode, we unpack the layers of Flash Gordon as both cult classic and chaotic masterpiece: how its bright visuals masked a difficult shoot, how its camp sensibility influenced generations of filmmakers, and why it remains a cornerstone of British sci-fi fandom. Whether you're here for trivia, nostalgia, or the Queen soundtrack alone, this is one of our most detailed episodes yet — and we'll be back next week with part two to finish the adventure. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 192:And so, we come to perhaps the biggest challenge in all of Shakespeare's work, ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark'. Over the next two episodes and a special guest episode I hope I can get close to doing this monumental play justice.The dating of the play and the complication of the ‘ur-Hamlet'The early print history of the play and the three versionsThe possible sources for the playThe opening of the playThe character and significance of FortinbrasThe character of PoloniusThe ghost of Hamlet's father and the responsibility of revengeThe position and character of OpheliaOphelia and the meaning of flowersRosencrantz and Guildenstern – appearances and honestyThe players and their play as an insight to acting genres and techniques of the timeThe success of ‘The Murger of Gonzago'The centrality and irony of Claudius at prayerHamlet, Gertrude and the ghostPart two of this review of ‘Hamlet' will follow as episode 194 (season 6 episode 81) Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025.10.26 - Biserica Lumina TimișoaraEpisodul 4: Regele peșterilorSeria: „House of David"Predicator: Claudius Sămărtinean

Collaboration Lessons from Theatre Directors That Apply to Any Creative Project with Stacy Zuberi, Sara Ruiz, Basil Rodericks, and Andy Reiff. What can a directing class teach us about creativity, leadership, and the art of telling stories that connect? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda Trakhtenberg sits down with fellow directors Basil Rodericks, Andy Reiff, Sara Ruiz, and Stacy Zuberi to share lessons from their time training with master teacher Karen Kohlhaas. You'll hear how working on plays like Sweet Bird of Youth, A Streetcar Named Desire, Mala Hierba, and The Revolutionists shaped their vision, sharpened their communication, and strengthened their confidence as creative leaders. If you want practical strategies for directing theatre, leading collaborative projects, or building a more mindful creative practice, this conversation is full of insights you can put to work in your own life. Andy Reiff Andy Reiff is a director and costume designer. Most recently, Andy directed and designed the costumes for Sugar and Salt as part of the Circle Theater Festival, produced by RJ Theatre and The Actor Launchpad. Directing credits include: Anton Goes to Heaven (?) at Theater for the New City. Costume design: The Fundamentalist (Theaterlab), My Name is Susan (Scandinavian American Theater Company), Miracle of the Danube (Philipstown Depot Theatre), Expression of Regret (Philipstown Depot Theatre). Film: "Down the Shore", "Gender Studies", "Goodboy", "Egg", "Lifted" for Gucci and Garage magazine. Styling credits include music videos, editorial projects, red carpet styling for Tony nominee Max Vernon for the opening of KPOP on Broadway and Ben Levi Ross for the premiere of Tick, Tick…Boom!. Andy is passionate about creating opportunities for trans actors onstage. For three years, Andy has been working towards directing and playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret, which you can follow at @prairieoysterclub. @andyreiff andyreiff.com   Basil Rodericks Basil Rodericks trained with John Basil at the American Globe Conservatory Theatre, where he performed for more than ten seasons. He later continued classical work with unShout the Noise (Tricia Mancuso Parks) under Ron Canada and as a member of Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre Company. Favorite roles: Othello, Iago, Claudius, the Ghost, Lord Capulet, Oberon, and the King of France. Recent: Langston Hughes in Harlem to Moscow: A Soviet Film on Negro Life as Told by Langston Hughes and Bill in PINK, both by Alle Mims under David Henry Hwang/Columbia U.. Directing: Kindergarten Confidential (Debbie Goodstein), The Wanderer (David Glover), and Pecking Order (59E59). Basil served as an evaluator for Hedgepig's “Expand the Canon” initiative and a nominator for The Drama League. An accomplished theatrical photographer, he teaches photography at a South Bronx high school. basilrodericks.com Currently: 2nd Murder, Soho Shakes at the Flea Oct 9-Nov 1. Tix: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2nd-murderer    Sara Ruiz Sara Ruiz is a director, producer, writer, actor and activist from the San Fernando Valley. In 2020, she graduated with degrees in Political Science and Theatre from CSU Channel Islands. Since she was in high school her passions have been making politics and policy more accessible through the use of theatre and film. She believes that the arts can be used as a tool to break down barriers in the political world. Previously, she served as President of Ventura based theatre company, Unity Theatre Collective and is a founding member of Sana Sana Productions, a guerilla theatre and film production company based in LA. Currently she is Co-Directing "Everybody" by Brandon Jacobs Jenkins at CSU Channels Islands alongside her former Professor Laura Covault. Her past directing credits include: Asteroid Belt by LM Feldman, Collective Rage: a Play in 5 Betties by Jen Silverman, (un)American Activities, Sana Sana's first original short film, Mi Cielo, an original radio play, and a handful of staged readings.   Stacy Zuberi Stacy Zuberi has been acting since 2020. She has been in several short films and community plays. Her most recent stage productions were playing Mary in City Jail, Lorna in Surviving Grace and Mrs. Soames in Our Town. She has also been the director of Walnut Springs Middle School Drama Club since 2023. This past year they produced Shrek jr., the musical. In her spare time she loves hiking and biking and playing with her grandkids. https://www.instagram.com/zuberistacy/   Izolda Trakhtenberg Izolda Trakhtenberg is a director and playwright whose work spans stage and screen. Many moons ago, she directed Pam Gems' Dusa, Fish, Stas, Vi on a 50.00 budget. She also created original projects including the One-Minute Movies community short film series. With NASA, she wrote, directed, and produced award-winning films such as Breathable: A Story of Air Quality and Touch the Earth, along with over 30 films on Earth's biomes. As a playwright, her work has been featured in festivals across the USA, including Expiration Date at the 29 Palms Festival and Perhaps, Maybe? at Gi60. She is the creator of the If She Had Lived play cycle, exploring untold women's stories. She's currently writing three books, two plays, and a musical. She's also the president of the Tri-state New York chapter of Sisters in Crime, crime writers organization. Connect with Izolda Get exclusive content and bonus podcast episodes when you join my Patreon. Website: https://IzoldaT.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social. Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series  https://crossroads.consulting/  This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It's also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you've been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link  

2025.10.19 - Biserica Lumina TimișoaraEpisodul 3: Cântece, sulițe și multe lacrimiSeria: „House of David"Predicator: Claudius Sămărtinean

Interviul atinge, cu onestitate, teme sensibile pentru școală și familie: formarea cadrelor, relația profesor–elev, dependența de ecrane, bullyingul, tentațiile tehnologiei și dilemele homeschoolingului. În centrul discuției stau modelele vii și conlucrarea școală–Biserică–familie. Prin exemple concrete și sfaturi practice, dialogul oferă repere pentru a înțelege și a trata problemele învățământului românesc fără panică, dar cu discernământ și nădejde.Vizionare plăcută!Pentru Pomelnice și Donații accesați: https://www.chilieathonita.ro/pomelnice-si-donatii/Pentru mai multe articole (texte, traduceri, podcasturi) vedeți https://www.chilieathonita.ro/

Schicksal trifft Stromgitarre! In dieser Folge der Klassik Ultras wagt Host Judith das Unmögliche: Eine First Hearing Reaction auf Tschaikowskys 4. Sinfonie mit Meliz, die eigentlich nur Heavy Metal hört, und Claudius, der Klassik lebt. Zwischen Oboensolo und Gitarrenriff geht's um Pathos, Power und die große Frage: Was passiert, wenn das Schicksal headbangen lernt?

Who was Emperor Nero, and was he the most insane leader? Today, we take a closer look at the crazy life of one of history's most brutal emperors. We'll explore the early life of Nero, his adoption by Agrippina and Claudius, Nero's rise to power, the murder of Agrippina the Younger, Nero's downfall, and other fascinating topics...WELCOME TO History CAMP!

Às vezes a História nos passa a impressão que as coisas são inevitáveis, mas tem casos nos quais ninguém pode afirmar que era "óbvio" o que ia acontecer. O imperador Cláudio é o maior exemplo disso. Veja bem. Mais.Contate-nos: vejabempodcast@outlook.comPIX: e3257213-46ea-4c97-9740-4c6f268baa0fMaterial de apoio:The Trolley Problem in Real Life - Vsauce, YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Árvore da família Júlio-Cláudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Referências:⁠⁠⁠Cláudio - Suetônio⁠⁠⁠ 121 d.C ⁠Livro LX (Claúdio) - Cassius Dio⁠ 229 d.C⁠⁠⁠ ⁠61 - What, me Claudius?⁠ (até epi 63) – podcast, The History of Rome⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rhine Podcast - epi 21⁠ – podcast, The Rhine ⁠⁠⁠Claudius⁠⁠ ⁠- The Rest is History Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eu, Cláudio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ epis 10 ao 13⁠⁠ (série, YouTube)⁠⁠Claudius: Reformer, Conqueror of Britain - Kings & Generals YouTubeClaudius: Rome's Accidental Emperor - Biographics

Op 13 oktober in het jaar 54 wordt keizer Claudius vermoord door zijn echtgenote Julia Agrippina. Claudius werd uitgeroepen tot keizer nadat zijn voorganger Caligula werd vermoord. De Pretoriaanse garde vermoordde keizer Caligula omdat die steeds gekker werd en steeds vaker dingen riep als dat hij zijn paard zou benoemen tot consul. Caligula gaf ook veel te veel geld uit, vooral aan flauwekul zoals tempels gewijd aan hemzelf en een twee kilomter lange zwevende brug voor zijn paard. Wat kan ik zeggen, de man hield van zijn paard. Als Caligula wordt vermoord breekt er chaos uit in het paleis waar ook zijn oom, Claudius woonde. Claudius had zich in de chaos achter een gordijn verstopt en wordt daar gevonden door een van de wachten. Hij denkt dat ze hem wel zullen vermoorden, maar in plaats daarvan roepen ze hem uit tot Keizer. Deze Claudius zou later onsterfelijk worden dankzij een van mijn absolute lievelingsboeken: I, Claudius! Hij was mank en doof en stotterde en daarom dacht iedereen dat hij niet wijs was en nam niemand de moeite om hem te vermoorden. Hij wordt keizer na Caligula en doet dat eigenlijk uitstekend. Zijn enige grote vergissing is om met Julia Agrippina te trouwen. Het is ook creepy, want Julia Agrippina is de zus van Caligula en dus Claudius zijn nichtje...   Daarna komt de fatale vergissing, namelijk om Agrippina's zoon Nero te adopteren. Agrippina vergiftigt op 13 oktober 54 haar man Claudius, volgens Tacitus met paddestoelen, zodat Nero daarna keizer kan worden. Ik kan vast verklappen dat het daarna met Agrippina ook niet zo lekker afloopt...  Meer waargbeurde, historische misdaadverhalen? Luister naar Moord Podcast! Wil je mij LIVE zien? Dat kan! Kom naar de  boekpresentatie op 24 oktober in de Centrale Bibliotheek in Utrecht!  of mijn lezing over barones Hélene van Zuylen in Café Het Wapen in Haarzuilens op 30 oktober of naar mijn lezing op Het AuteursFestival in Slot Loevestein op 1 november Podcasts maken kost tijd en geld, dus wil je deze podcast steunen? Geef me vijf sterren op Spotify of een duimpje op Podimo en volg me op Instagram, TikTok, Threads of Youtube. Of koop alvast mijn nieuwe boek! Een besneeuwd kasteel, een vervloekte diamant, een gemaskerd bal, een onverklaarbare moord... Kom kerst vieren in Kasteel De Haar. Als je durft... Op 24 oktober komt Moord in Kasteel de Haar uit. In dat boek worden Joop en Nettie, het dynamische duo uit De Moord op mr. Jacques Wijsman, door barones Hélène van Zuylen uitgenodigd voor kerst op Kasteel de Haar.  Het hoogtepunt is een gemaskerd bal waar iedereen als Napoleon moet verschijnen. Tijdens het bal wordt één van de Napoleons vermoord. Wie heeft de trekker overgehaald en hebben ze eigenlijk wel de juiste Napoleon te grazen genomen? Als ze tot overmaat van ramp ingesneeuwd raken met de moordenaar moeten Joop, Nettie en Hélène zo snel mogelijk de moordenaar ontmaskeren... Ik groeide op in Haarzuilens, letterlijk om de hoek van het kasteel, heb er ook jaren als gids gewerkt. Het was altijd de droom om nog eens een boek te schrijven waarin barones Hélène allerlei avonturen zou beleven. Dit is dat boek. Moord in Kasteel de Haar is vanaf NU online overal te koop in pre-order!  Of bestel 'm direct bij mij: Liz@Doffeltje.nl Liever live? Kom naar de boekpresentatie op 24 oktober in de Centrale Bibliotheek in Utrecht!

Title: Good News Reviled Text: Acts 28:17-22 FCF: We often struggle making the gospel the only offender of the world. Prop: Because the gospel offends sinful men and our character can hinder the gospel call, we must be blameless in our character. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we will read starting from verse 17 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. By the hospitality and brotherly love provided to him by fellow followers of Christ, Paul has made it safely to Rome. He has been set up with a rented room and is under house arrest being guarded by a Roman soldier. Still, he is afforded a good deal of freedom, and today we will see that he really doesn't waste a lot of time before he sets out to work in the city of Rome. But where will Paul begin the ministry in Rome while he waits to see Caesar? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Oh Heavenly Father, we come to you today with hearts that desire that the whole world hears the good news of Your Son and His sacrifice for His people. We know that no man is without excuse having all the signs of nature around them. Yet we desire to share with them the hope of Christ crucified for sinners. We confess and know that you alone save the hearts of men. We cannot be persuasive enough to convince men to believe. You must give them a new heart to first. Still, we desire to be Your servants in delivering this call to the nations. At times we can live in ways that keep us from doing this. May we be shown by Your Spirit today, Lord, how we can live blamelessly so that we can be granted an audience with those who need to hear. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Richard Own Roberts: “The nature of the gospel is that it divides.” Charles Coleson: “The gospel is good news. But Jesus never said it was easy news.” Oswald Chambers: “There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin.” Since the gospel is this way… we must be sure that we don't provide even more reasons for natural man to turn aside from the gospel. May our offense be from the gospel alone and nothing else. Let me show you how this was Paul's concern… I.) Violating laws of government or using the legal system for vengeance harms the church's gospel witness, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 3] 17 - And it happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, i. So, Paul spends a little time settling in, no doubt getting accustomed to his new living arrangement and getting some specifics of what he can and cannot do. ii. It seems as though he is sequestered to his home and if he is permitted to go out, it would only be for essentials. iii. All the interactions we see in the book of Acts are when people come to Paul. iv. Because of Paul's love for his fellow Jews, and as was his custom in every new city he arrived in, if there were Jews present, he took the gospel to the Jews first. v. Normally he would go to the synagogue, where he would find the leading Jews of the city. However, because he cannot leave his home, he found it necessary to call them to him. vi. It is necessary for us to do a bit of historical background to fill out some of the context for this last segment of the book of Acts. 1. First, in regard to the Jews in Rome. a. In AD 48, Emperor Claudius responded to growing tensions in Rome between Jews and Jewish Christians by expelling all the Jews from Rome. b. When Paul entered Corinth for the first time on his second missionary journey, he met Aquila and Pricilla there. They were said to have been Jewish Christians who were expelled from Rome due to Claudius' edict. c. Before the expulsion there were probably around 40-50 thousand Jews living in Rome. d. Emperor Claudius died in AD 54 but Nero did not reinstate this edict. e. So, for the last 6 years or so, Jews had been steadily making their way back. f. It is estimated that there were around 20,000 Jews living in Rome at this time. g. Because of the recent expulsion though, history seems to indicate that the returning Jews tried to maintain a low profile within the city of Rome. There were at least 5 synagogues but they did not seem to be highly organized and the social status of the Jews living in Rome seemed to be rather low class and probably largely illiterate. h. Nevertheless, The Jews' influence over the Romans was not insignificant. Indeed, many high-profile Romans had converted to Judaism, which would have been quite scandalous for pagans to go from polytheism to monotheism. i. It is believed that Nero's second wife, which he would have been married to at the time of Paul's arrival in Rome, was at very least a Jewish sympathizer if not Jewess herself. 2. We also know that a thriving Christian community exists within the city of Rome. a. We glean this not only from the church existing in Rome for many years but also because of Paul's letter to the Romans indicating a thriving church albeit somewhat theologically imprecise. b. Luke has already shown us the interaction Paul had with some Christians from Rome as he made his way to the city. c. But Luke chooses not to focus on Paul's interaction with the church once he arrives. Instead, he focuses on Paul's desire to go to the Jew first with the gospel message. d. Luke does this in order to show yet another major theme in the book of Acts. Christianity is not a new religion. And no one thought so. Not even the Jews in Rome. More on that in a bit. b. [Slide 4] and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. i. Paul, wisely, tries to get ahead of the issue for which he has been sent to Rome. ii. In a sense, Paul is trying to put a truthful spin on the events that have led him here because he knows that those who have opposed him have not been the kind to value or always tell the truth. iii. So, what does he say? iv. He says first, that he has been a good Jew. He has not done anything against the Jewish people nor has he done anything against the customs of their fathers. v. Is this true? 1. We know that Paul has overtly violated the somewhat cultural law not to eat with gentiles. We also guess that he has himself violated the dietary laws while with Gentiles. 2. He has even advocated in some of his letters that the eating of meat offered to idols is not necessarily or inherently sinful so long it does not cause others to violate their conscience and so long as it is not consumed at the worship feasts for these idols. 3. Again, this goes back to what God has said about the dietary laws in the first place in Acts chapter 10. It is not that these laws are no longer in force. It is that God has purified the unclean animals. Therefore, the list of animals which are unclean is populated by exactly zero animals. 4. We have recently discussed something similar in foundations. When something ritually unclean interacts with God's presence, the ritually unclean thing is made clean. This is another aspect of Christ fulfilling the law of Moses. Ceremonial aspects of the law are completed, fulfilled. The picture they illustrated now has come to full fruition. 5. God making the unclean animals clean, is a signal that God's Kingdom is invading and permeating the world – whether the world wants it to or not. 6. But despite Paul probably not following dietary laws, we have seen him encourage Timothy to be circumcised. He has made great effort to regularly be in Jerusalem for ritual feasts and celebrations. He has even endured purity rites after having spent large amounts of time in gentile lands with gentile people. And he did this specifically to assuage the fears of Jewish Christians that he was teaching that the Jews should stop following the ceremonial aspects of the law of Moses. He wasn't. 7. And that brings us to what most recently happened in Jerusalem. 8. Did Paul do anything against the law of Moses or against the culture of the Jewish Fathers while he was in Jerusalem this past time? 9. The answer to that question is a resounding… NO. 10. They accused him of bringing gentiles into the temple courts, which is not actually in the law of Moses but would have been a tradition dating back to the late second temple era. 11. And, of course, Paul hadn't brought a gentile into the temple courts. vi. This is what Paul is referencing. He obviously cannot mean that he has never done anything to upset the Jewish sensibilities or cultural mores. Because he has definitely done that. vii. But Paul, in the most recent events in Jerusalem, was innocent of even doing that. viii. In spite of his innocence, they still delivered him to the Romans. ix. It is unclear which Romans he is talking about here, but it matters little because at every stage the same thing happened… c. [Slide 5] 18 - And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. i. Now when the Sanhedrin examined Paul – they wanted to find cause to put him to death. ii. In the midst of that trial, Paul pivoted the discussion to center on the resurrection of the dead. A matter that is both core to the gospel and highly disputed among the Sanhedrin between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. iii. But in every stage of Roman imprisonment, Luke dutifully records the testimony of each judge-like-figure to be a declaration of Paul's innocence. At least innocence of anything for which he would be executed. iv. This is what Paul recounts. v. No Roman official saw any evidence of a charge which would lead to his execution. vi. Of course, this begs the question… well then how did you get here? d. [Slide 6] 19 - But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. i. This is a very quick summary of what took over 2 years to play out. ii. Festus saw no grounds to hold him on anything Roman, so he attempted to compromise with the Jews to curry their favor, and have the judgment of Paul take place in Jerusalem. iii. Paul had seen this play out before and did not trust Festus to be just in his dealings with him. iv. So, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar. v. Paul knew it was because of the Jews' insistence that Festus desired to move the trail to Jerusalem. vi. And Paul knew the Jews wanted him dead any way they could because he actually discovered at least one of the two plots to kill him during this time. vii. But Paul assures these Roman Jews that he did not have an accusation against his nation. viii. If a Roman citizen is appealing to Caesar they can do so on a couple of grounds. ix. Either they feel as though the judge has acted unjustly or the ruling is unjust… or that those accusing are doing so unlawfully or with intent to not honor the legal system and harm the prisoner. x. Thus, Paul could bring a countersuit against the Jewish leaders for their sham of a trial. And he would be just to do so. xi. But Paul wants the Roman Jews to know that he did not appeal because he wanted to submit a countersuit. xii. He simply desired to go before Caesar because he did not feel that the justice he deserved would have been granted to him otherwise. e. [Slide 7] 20 - For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” i. Finally, Paul wants to make it very plain why he is here as a prisoner of Rome appealing to Caesar. ii. What exactly was the beef was between him and the Jews in Judea? iii. It is because of the hope of Israel. He was given over to the Romans because of a theological dispute. iv. Specifically, he took the side of the Pharisees, which insisted that there was a hope for Israel in that there would be a future resurrection of all those who were God's people. An eternal kingdom made up of all those who were true Israel. v. Couched in this, of course, is the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah who was the first born from the dead. vi. This seems to be one of Paul's primary strategies to lead into presenting the gospel to Jews. To speak of this theological issue where he takes an established and very popular position in the debate and then expands it to speak of Jesus. vii. We'll see that he will do just that next week when he meets with the Jews again. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Luke begins this final segment in the book of Acts centered around some of the key themes he has been developing since the beginning. Indeed, everything in this text this morning is centered on the expansion of the church. In this first point specifically we see Luke zero in on the reason that Paul is here in Rome under house arrest set to appear before Caesar. It is incredibly important for Paul to clarify to the Jews of Rome why he is really in chains. Indeed, in order for Paul to have an audience with them to preach the gospel, he must clear his name from any hint of wrongdoing from the authorities of the Jews and of the Romans. If Paul is to preach the gospel to them, he cannot be viewed as a criminal. And so, Paul sets out to clarify that he is neither in chains for violating the Mosaic law and the customs of the Jews, nor is he in chains because he had committed some crime worthy of death according to Rome, nor does he plan to seek vengeance upon the Jews by filing a countersuit against them. Instead, Paul insists that he is in chains for the sake of the hope of Isarel. He is in chains because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This becomes our primary point of application today. We must be sure that our character is blameless and holy. Not as a replacement for preaching the gospel… but to keep ourselves from setting up unnecessary hindrances to people hearing the gospel. If we are criminals violating laws of men that do not directly contradict God's Word, or we use the legal system to seek vengeance on others, we should expect the gospel witness of the church to be hindered. So, we must live holy and upright lives, only suffering disdain for the sake of the gospel. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] Being blameless affords us opportunities to give the call of the gospel to unbelievers. Does this mean that if we are blameless they will listen and receive the gospel? Will they even like us or see us as blameless? Let's look at the next two verses as the Roman Jews respond to Paul. II.) Stirring up disputes and social unrest while preaching the gospel cannot be helped, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 10] 21 - And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. i. After Paul explains his side of the story hoping to control the opinion of the Roman Jews, somewhat comically they inform him that this is the first they are hearing about it. ii. In fact, they haven't received any letters from Judea that indicate anything about Paul good or bad. iii. And they certainly haven't seen any brothers from Judea reporting or speaking anything bad about Paul. iv. This is quite comical because it is so anticlimactic. v. Perhaps Paul wasn't laughing. It had been around three years of his life, spent in prisons and shipwrecked, only to find out that the Jews in Judea had not even followed up with the case. vi. Now why might this have been so? vii. The most likely reason is that the Judean Jews had little interest in actually standing before Caesar and attempting to prove that Paul is guilty of a crime worthy of death. 1. If they were having difficulty proving it to local officials, they would certainly have even more difficulty proving it to Nero. 2. Also, this would have required a trip from Judea to Rome in order to accuse the apostle. 3. They were no doubt satisfied that he was no longer in Judea and wouldn't be for the foreseeable future. viii. Another reason they don't pursue it is probably because Festus rules well in the region for the next two years before dying unexpectedly. 1. While Paul travels to and waits in Rome, they enjoyed relative peace and harmony with the local Roman governor. 2. Traveling to Rome and accusing Paul before Nero could have repercussions that may even include Festus being removed from office. 3. They don't want that. ix. This report is also Luke's way as a storyteller to foreshadow the release of Paul after he meets with Nero. 1. It is difficult to know if Luke writes up to the point he knows or if he writes with the shared knowledge that Paul is released and freed to continue his missionary journeys. 2. But since Luke ends his book saying that Paul spent 2 years in Rome preaching without hindrance – it seems like Luke knows the end of the time in Rome, meaning he knows that Paul was released. 3. This would have been a detail that Theophilus was already well aware of. Perhaps because it had happened very recently, and perhaps because Theophilus was part of Roman legal system which acquitted Paul. 4. So, Luke recording this communication between the Roman Jews and Paul is a subtle way to foreshadow that no Jew from Judea is going to show up for Paul's trial. 5. More than likely this means that Paul will stand before Caesar and plead his case, but the trial will probably be very short. 6. Around AD 62 Nero's tutors had died. He loathed dealing with these appeals in the first place and without his tutors insisting that he perform this duty, he was very slow to deal with the backlog of appeals. History records that he rushed through many of these trials. 7. Paul was probably one of them. x. But the Roman Jews, although not knowing anything bad about Paul, are interested in the hope of Israel he spoke of, but not for the reasons we might think. b. [Slide 11] 22 - But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.” i. It is interesting that they understand what Paul says about the hope of Israel. ii. They know that he is a well-known teacher in this sect of Judaism known as “The Nazarene Sect” or “The Way” or “Christianity”. iii. They connect this hope of the resurrection with what the Nazarene sect taught. In many ways, to the Jews, the Nazarene sect would have seemed like an offshoot of the Pharisee party. iv. Learning this it isn't that hard to understand why there would be a Pharisee party within the church like we saw back in Acts 15. v. And once again, Luke reinforces the concept that Christianity is not a new religion. Even the Jews don't see it as a new religion. They see it as a sect of Judaism. Meaning that it is part of their own religion. Of course, the apostles would argue that it is TRUE Judaism and only those who receive Jesus as their Jewish Messiah remain TRUE Jews. But the point is well taken. vi. But why do they wish to know more about this sect? vii. They obviously have some idea of the resurrection being central to its teaching. But the main thing they've heard about it… is that it is causing problems everywhere. viii. And if they were in Rome before Claudius' edict, they would have witnesses this firsthand. ix. And so, we do find out that the Jews around the empire are talking bad about those who followed what Paul taught… not necessarily about him specifically. x. Having set aside the legal concern that he might be executed at this trial, now Paul will get a chance to preach the gospel to the Jews in Rome. xi. We'll see how that goes next week. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Luke conveys a similar point in verses 21 and 22 as he did in the previous section, only this time from the perspective of the Jews in Rome. They did not know any different of Paul. They had not received letters or any person saying he was a bad person. But they had heard rumblings from all over the empire of the problems that The Nazarene sect had been causing. Having read all of Acts up to this point, we know that they couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, we know that the unbelieving Jews had actually been the cause of all the strife. Primarily because they would not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this, they stirred up crowds, instigated riots, beat and dragged Christians before judges, and pursued Paul and his team from town to town persecuting them and attempting to prevent them from preaching the gospel. Even if we are blameless, the church will still inevitably cause strife and civil unrest. This is all the more reason for us to ensure that our character remains blameless and that only the gospel offends and not our actions too. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC that corrects and informs our beliefs and shapes and guides our lifestyles. Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 13] Today we've seen two truths that flow out of the same thought. The reputation of the church is quite important. When individuals in the church seek out trouble, become lawbreakers themselves, unnecessarily push the boundaries of legality, and/or use the legal system to punish their enemies, this actually hinders the church's ability to share the gospel. And yet, the church's witness to the nations will always cause civil unrest and stir up strife. Why? Because what the church preaches is naturally offensive to the world. So why guard our reputation at all when the message we preach will cause unrest anyway? When it is only the gospel that is offensive it validates and draws attention to its truths and not to us as lawbreakers. So, we must be blameless people. But let me apply this a little more specifically today. 1.) [Slide 14] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that our character can hinder the general call of the gospel. a. Peter and Paul both express in their letters that if you suffer for doing wrong things, there is no reward. You have gotten what you deserve. b. But as Jesus says, if you suffer for my name when you are accused falsely, then you are blessed. c. There is a saying floating around evangelicalism today which says “Preach the gospel and if you must, use words.” d. This represents a tension we must maintain. e. In one sense, the gospel cannot be preached without the Word of God. So, we must use words… always. f. But the point of this saying is well taken and proven by this text. g. The gospel preached without a life lived in blameless character, can severely limit the general call of the gospel. h. The general call is the when the gospel is preached to everyone. This is different than God's effectual call which will be heard by those whom He is drawing to repentance and faith. i. The effectual call is God's job. The General call… is ours. j. And our civilly malevolent behavior can heavily restrict or even eliminate our ability to deliver the general call of the gospel. k. Just as Paul was concerned that the Roman Jews knew that he did nothing to earn the chains he wore, nor did he plan to seek legal vengeance on those who falsely accused him, so too we must concern ourselves with blameless and upright character which becomes the perfect complement to our gospel proclamations. l. At the council of Nicaea, in AD 325 (which incidentally is the most blamed council for all the bad things the Roman Catholic church did. I've heard people say that this is where they decided the books of the bible, this is where they edited the bible to say what they wanted. And many more. But none of that is actually true.) At the real council of Nicaea, and not the one from fantasy, 220 bishops gathered together at the request of Emperor Constantine to define the nature of God and eliminate confusion within the church. m. It is here that Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria brought one of his Elders before the council with whom he could not agree on a particular definition of the divinity of the Son of God. n. Arius argued that Jesus was not fully God and had a beginning, not being eternal. o. He argued so strongly that a bishop known as Nicholas of Myra slapped Arius across the face for his heresy. p. Although never having a history of violence and generally being an example of generosity and giving (yes this is the Nichoas from which the Santa Claus story evolved) Nicholas was immediately stripped of his Bishop status and imprisoned for his actions. He was eventually released and the council did end up condemning Arius' beliefs as heresy, while also clarifying the hypostatic union of Jesus in the writing of the Nicaean Creed q. Still the church universally disapproved of Nicholas' action. r. This serves as a good illustration for us to harmonize this tension. s. I also hate Arianism. And if you are a follower of Christ, you should too. Why? Because Arianism can't save anyone from the judgment of God. t. That's ok, Arianism being declared a heresy means that it has been snuffed out of existence, right? u. No! v. Arianism is still alive and well. w. Modern Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses and many more cling to a form of Arianism today. x. But if I were to set out to stamp out Arianism using every means available to me… if I went around slapping Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses, not only would they not listen to my call for them to repent… but other unbelievers would not listen either because of reprehensible behavior. y. Though I preached the gospel to them… pure truth… my actions would cause others to dismiss all that I had to say as something not worth hearing. z. This illustrates the point quite well. aa. Our character can adversely affect whether or not someone is open to hearing the general call of the gospel. bb. This is why Paul went to great lengths to clear his name. cc. But we must not pendulum swing too far here. 2.) [Slide 15] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the world will accept the gospel if we are loving, kind, and winsome in our proclamation. a. Although poor character can adversely affect whether or not someone hears our gospel proclamation, loving, kind, and winsome character does not guarantee that the world will accept the gospel message. b. All blameless character gives to us is the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. c. It merely gains us an audience. d. If we enter into the ministry of evangelism with the expectation that people will accept the gospel if we are loving and kind, we will be sorely discouraged very quickly into that endeavor. e. Why is that the case? Well, we will get to that in a moment. But before we do… what should we do since our blameless character gives us opportunities to proclaim the gospel? 3.) [Slide 16] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be blameless in character to ensure that the gospel is the only thing causing offense. a. Why do we do this? What is the motive of our having blameless character and being loving, meek, and winsome. b. Because this is what our Lord has commanded and demonstrated to us. c. We don't live with blameless character for the result of winning people to Christ. God alone saves. d. Our blameless character is in service to our Lord and merely to eliminate possible stumbling blocks to being heard. e. We will still be blamed for much and accused falsely. But when we live as blameless people, eventually the world will have to recognize that it is our message itself that is offensive, and not our methods. f. Friends, when the world hates us for our message – we are doing something right… not wrong. g. But if we offend them before we are even able to speak the message, this will not do. h. We must be above reproach and ensure that the only reason someone will not listen to what we have to say, is because of what we are saying. i. But what comfort can we find in this? 4.) [Slide 17] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Knowing that we will cause offense to sinners even with a meek and blameless presentation of the gospel, gives us more realistic expectations of how we will be received. a. Many people never or rarely share the gospel with others because they are afraid that they will be rejected. b. They are terrified that the person will oppose the gospel message and raise many objections that they are not equipped to answer. c. They are frozen by the very real possibility that they will be despised because they affirm the truth of the Word of God. d. How comforting to know… that you will be rejected, you will be objected to, and you will be despised. e. Wait a minute, that doesn't seem comforting. f. Oh but it is. g. Knowing that something may happen can freeze us completely. Knowing that something will happen removes the fear of the unknown. h. When we know that we will be rejected, despised, and objected to, merely because of the things we say – we can put aside the fear of what might be, and trust the Lord for what will be and obey Him anyway. i. It removes the doubt and uncertainty and allows us to depend on our Lord to sustain us. j. But why is our blameless character not enough to convince people to receive the gospel? 5.) [Slide 18] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The gospel is good news that no one wants until they know and believe the bad news. a. The gospel teaches all men that they are sinners by nature and subject to the judgment of a Holy God who is a Just Judge and will ensure that every single sin against Him is paid in full. b. This is the first word of the gospel. And generally speaking, men do not like anyone telling them that what they love and cherish is worthy of judgment and death. c. The Roman Jews had heard from various parts of the Roman Empire that the Nazarene sect had been causing problems. d. In reality, it was the rejection of the good news of their own Messiah that had stirred them up. e. Because the gospel confronts mankind with their wickedness and declares that the things they love are an abomination to God who is holy – many never make it beyond the bad news of the gospel. f. But even if they do somewhat believe that this is true, the good news is that Jesus has come as their substitute to free them from sin and to righteousness. g. That also is news that natural man has no interest to hear. h. If mankind loves their sin – they certainly don't want anyone freeing them from it to live differently. i. The gospel is good news to those who believe that they are condemned by a Holy God and desire mercy to be forgiven and grace to be made new. j. To everyone else… it is detestable. k. So, my friends, here is a question to consider – is the message that Jesus Christ was made sin so that you might become the righteousness of God – is that good news? l. If it is and for the first time you see it that way… I'd invite you to talk to an Elder and we can show you how you can become the righteousness of God. [Slide 19 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Reformer Myles Coverdale who assisted William Tyndale and many others in translating the bible into English. God of mercy, help us to cling to you and follow your commands. Tame our bodies in honest labor, so we escape the pull of bad habits. Draw our hearts always upward, so we set aside all worldly things and focus only on you. Gracious Father, give us faithful fishers, true and careful in their calling. With the net of your holy word, may they draw us out of the raging sea, so that we with them, and they with us, may enjoy the everlasting banquet. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May your days be like the inscribed cooking pots in the Lord's House, setting them apart as HOLINESS TO THE LORD. As God Himself sanctifies you completely so that your spirit, soul and body be preserved without blame until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until we meet again, go in peace.

2025.10.12 - Biserica Lumina TimișoaraSeria: House of DavidEpisodul 01: Cum elimini uriașii din viața taPredicator: Claudius Sămărtinean

Title: Good News Reviled Text: Acts 28:17-22 FCF: We often struggle making the gospel the only offender of the world. Prop: Because the gospel offends sinful men and our character can hinder the gospel call, we must be blameless in our character. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we will read starting from verse 17 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. By the hospitality and brotherly love provided to him by fellow followers of Christ, Paul has made it safely to Rome. He has been set up with a rented room and is under house arrest being guarded by a Roman soldier. Still, he is afforded a good deal of freedom, and today we will see that he really doesn't waste a lot of time before he sets out to work in the city of Rome. But where will Paul begin the ministry in Rome while he waits to see Caesar? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Oh Heavenly Father, we come to you today with hearts that desire that the whole world hears the good news of Your Son and His sacrifice for His people. We know that no man is without excuse having all the signs of nature around them. Yet we desire to share with them the hope of Christ crucified for sinners. We confess and know that you alone save the hearts of men. We cannot be persuasive enough to convince men to believe. You must give them a new heart to first. Still, we desire to be Your servants in delivering this call to the nations. At times we can live in ways that keep us from doing this. May we be shown by Your Spirit today, Lord, how we can live blamelessly so that we can be granted an audience with those who need to hear. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Richard Own Roberts: “The nature of the gospel is that it divides.” Charles Coleson: “The gospel is good news. But Jesus never said it was easy news.” Oswald Chambers: “There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin.” Since the gospel is this way… we must be sure that we don't provide even more reasons for natural man to turn aside from the gospel. May our offense be from the gospel alone and nothing else. Let me show you how this was Paul's concern… I.) Violating laws of government or using the legal system for vengeance harms the church's gospel witness, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 3] 17 - And it happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, i. So, Paul spends a little time settling in, no doubt getting accustomed to his new living arrangement and getting some specifics of what he can and cannot do. ii. It seems as though he is sequestered to his home and if he is permitted to go out, it would only be for essentials. iii. All the interactions we see in the book of Acts are when people come to Paul. iv. Because of Paul's love for his fellow Jews, and as was his custom in every new city he arrived in, if there were Jews present, he took the gospel to the Jews first. v. Normally he would go to the synagogue, where he would find the leading Jews of the city. However, because he cannot leave his home, he found it necessary to call them to him. vi. It is necessary for us to do a bit of historical background to fill out some of the context for this last segment of the book of Acts. 1. First, in regard to the Jews in Rome. a. In AD 48, Emperor Claudius responded to growing tensions in Rome between Jews and Jewish Christians by expelling all the Jews from Rome. b. When Paul entered Corinth for the first time on his second missionary journey, he met Aquila and Pricilla there. They were said to have been Jewish Christians who were expelled from Rome due to Claudius' edict. c. Before the expulsion there were probably around 40-50 thousand Jews living in Rome. d. Emperor Claudius died in AD 54 but Nero did not reinstate this edict. e. So, for the last 6 years or so, Jews had been steadily making their way back. f. It is estimated that there were around 20,000 Jews living in Rome at this time. g. Because of the recent expulsion though, history seems to indicate that the returning Jews tried to maintain a low profile within the city of Rome. There were at least 5 synagogues but they did not seem to be highly organized and the social status of the Jews living in Rome seemed to be rather low class and probably largely illiterate. h. Nevertheless, The Jews' influence over the Romans was not insignificant. Indeed, many high-profile Romans had converted to Judaism, which would have been quite scandalous for pagans to go from polytheism to monotheism. i. It is believed that Nero's second wife, which he would have been married to at the time of Paul's arrival in Rome, was at very least a Jewish sympathizer if not Jewess herself. 2. We also know that a thriving Christian community exists within the city of Rome. a. We glean this not only from the church existing in Rome for many years but also because of Paul's letter to the Romans indicating a thriving church albeit somewhat theologically imprecise. b. Luke has already shown us the interaction Paul had with some Christians from Rome as he made his way to the city. c. But Luke chooses not to focus on Paul's interaction with the church once he arrives. Instead, he focuses on Paul's desire to go to the Jew first with the gospel message. d. Luke does this in order to show yet another major theme in the book of Acts. Christianity is not a new religion. And no one thought so. Not even the Jews in Rome. More on that in a bit. b. [Slide 4] and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. i. Paul, wisely, tries to get ahead of the issue for which he has been sent to Rome. ii. In a sense, Paul is trying to put a truthful spin on the events that have led him here because he knows that those who have opposed him have not been the kind to value or always tell the truth. iii. So, what does he say? iv. He says first, that he has been a good Jew. He has not done anything against the Jewish people nor has he done anything against the customs of their fathers. v. Is this true? 1. We know that Paul has overtly violated the somewhat cultural law not to eat with gentiles. We also guess that he has himself violated the dietary laws while with Gentiles. 2. He has even advocated in some of his letters that the eating of meat offered to idols is not necessarily or inherently sinful so long it does not cause others to violate their conscience and so long as it is not consumed at the worship feasts for these idols. 3. Again, this goes back to what God has said about the dietary laws in the first place in Acts chapter 10. It is not that these laws are no longer in force. It is that God has purified the unclean animals. Therefore, the list of animals which are unclean is populated by exactly zero animals. 4. We have recently discussed something similar in foundations. When something ritually unclean interacts with God's presence, the ritually unclean thing is made clean. This is another aspect of Christ fulfilling the law of Moses. Ceremonial aspects of the law are completed, fulfilled. The picture they illustrated now has come to full fruition. 5. God making the unclean animals clean, is a signal that God's Kingdom is invading and permeating the world – whether the world wants it to or not. 6. But despite Paul probably not following dietary laws, we have seen him encourage Timothy to be circumcised. He has made great effort to regularly be in Jerusalem for ritual feasts and celebrations. He has even endured purity rites after having spent large amounts of time in gentile lands with gentile people. And he did this specifically to assuage the fears of Jewish Christians that he was teaching that the Jews should stop following the ceremonial aspects of the law of Moses. He wasn't. 7. And that brings us to what most recently happened in Jerusalem. 8. Did Paul do anything against the law of Moses or against the culture of the Jewish Fathers while he was in Jerusalem this past time? 9. The answer to that question is a resounding… NO. 10. They accused him of bringing gentiles into the temple courts, which is not actually in the law of Moses but would have been a tradition dating back to the late second temple era. 11. And, of course, Paul hadn't brought a gentile into the temple courts. vi. This is what Paul is referencing. He obviously cannot mean that he has never done anything to upset the Jewish sensibilities or cultural mores. Because he has definitely done that. vii. But Paul, in the most recent events in Jerusalem, was innocent of even doing that. viii. In spite of his innocence, they still delivered him to the Romans. ix. It is unclear which Romans he is talking about here, but it matters little because at every stage the same thing happened… c. [Slide 5] 18 - And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. i. Now when the Sanhedrin examined Paul – they wanted to find cause to put him to death. ii. In the midst of that trial, Paul pivoted the discussion to center on the resurrection of the dead. A matter that is both core to the gospel and highly disputed among the Sanhedrin between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. iii. But in every stage of Roman imprisonment, Luke dutifully records the testimony of each judge-like-figure to be a declaration of Paul's innocence. At least innocence of anything for which he would be executed. iv. This is what Paul recounts. v. No Roman official saw any evidence of a charge which would lead to his execution. vi. Of course, this begs the question… well then how did you get here? d. [Slide 6] 19 - But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. i. This is a very quick summary of what took over 2 years to play out. ii. Festus saw no grounds to hold him on anything Roman, so he attempted to compromise with the Jews to curry their favor, and have the judgment of Paul take place in Jerusalem. iii. Paul had seen this play out before and did not trust Festus to be just in his dealings with him. iv. So, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar. v. Paul knew it was because of the Jews' insistence that Festus desired to move the trail to Jerusalem. vi. And Paul knew the Jews wanted him dead any way they could because he actually discovered at least one of the two plots to kill him during this time. vii. But Paul assures these Roman Jews that he did not have an accusation against his nation. viii. If a Roman citizen is appealing to Caesar they can do so on a couple of grounds. ix. Either they feel as though the judge has acted unjustly or the ruling is unjust… or that those accusing are doing so unlawfully or with intent to not honor the legal system and harm the prisoner. x. Thus, Paul could bring a countersuit against the Jewish leaders for their sham of a trial. And he would be just to do so. xi. But Paul wants the Roman Jews to know that he did not appeal because he wanted to submit a countersuit. xii. He simply desired to go before Caesar because he did not feel that the justice he deserved would have been granted to him otherwise. e. [Slide 7] 20 - For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” i. Finally, Paul wants to make it very plain why he is here as a prisoner of Rome appealing to Caesar. ii. What exactly was the beef was between him and the Jews in Judea? iii. It is because of the hope of Israel. He was given over to the Romans because of a theological dispute. iv. Specifically, he took the side of the Pharisees, which insisted that there was a hope for Israel in that there would be a future resurrection of all those who were God's people. An eternal kingdom made up of all those who were true Israel. v. Couched in this, of course, is the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah who was the first born from the dead. vi. This seems to be one of Paul's primary strategies to lead into presenting the gospel to Jews. To speak of this theological issue where he takes an established and very popular position in the debate and then expands it to speak of Jesus. vii. We'll see that he will do just that next week when he meets with the Jews again. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Luke begins this final segment in the book of Acts centered around some of the key themes he has been developing since the beginning. Indeed, everything in this text this morning is centered on the expansion of the church. In this first point specifically we see Luke zero in on the reason that Paul is here in Rome under house arrest set to appear before Caesar. It is incredibly important for Paul to clarify to the Jews of Rome why he is really in chains. Indeed, in order for Paul to have an audience with them to preach the gospel, he must clear his name from any hint of wrongdoing from the authorities of the Jews and of the Romans. If Paul is to preach the gospel to them, he cannot be viewed as a criminal. And so, Paul sets out to clarify that he is neither in chains for violating the Mosaic law and the customs of the Jews, nor is he in chains because he had committed some crime worthy of death according to Rome, nor does he plan to seek vengeance upon the Jews by filing a countersuit against them. Instead, Paul insists that he is in chains for the sake of the hope of Isarel. He is in chains because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This becomes our primary point of application today. We must be sure that our character is blameless and holy. Not as a replacement for preaching the gospel… but to keep ourselves from setting up unnecessary hindrances to people hearing the gospel. If we are criminals violating laws of men that do not directly contradict God's Word, or we use the legal system to seek vengeance on others, we should expect the gospel witness of the church to be hindered. So, we must live holy and upright lives, only suffering disdain for the sake of the gospel. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] Being blameless affords us opportunities to give the call of the gospel to unbelievers. Does this mean that if we are blameless they will listen and receive the gospel? Will they even like us or see us as blameless? Let's look at the next two verses as the Roman Jews respond to Paul. II.) Stirring up disputes and social unrest while preaching the gospel cannot be helped, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 10] 21 - And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. i. After Paul explains his side of the story hoping to control the opinion of the Roman Jews, somewhat comically they inform him that this is the first they are hearing about it. ii. In fact, they haven't received any letters from Judea that indicate anything about Paul good or bad. iii. And they certainly haven't seen any brothers from Judea reporting or speaking anything bad about Paul. iv. This is quite comical because it is so anticlimactic. v. Perhaps Paul wasn't laughing. It had been around three years of his life, spent in prisons and shipwrecked, only to find out that the Jews in Judea had not even followed up with the case. vi. Now why might this have been so? vii. The most likely reason is that the Judean Jews had little interest in actually standing before Caesar and attempting to prove that Paul is guilty of a crime worthy of death. 1. If they were having difficulty proving it to local officials, they would certainly have even more difficulty proving it to Nero. 2. Also, this would have required a trip from Judea to Rome in order to accuse the apostle. 3. They were no doubt satisfied that he was no longer in Judea and wouldn't be for the foreseeable future. viii. Another reason they don't pursue it is probably because Festus rules well in the region for the next two years before dying unexpectedly. 1. While Paul travels to and waits in Rome, they enjoyed relative peace and harmony with the local Roman governor. 2. Traveling to Rome and accusing Paul before Nero could have repercussions that may even include Festus being removed from office. 3. They don't want that. ix. This report is also Luke's way as a storyteller to foreshadow the release of Paul after he meets with Nero. 1. It is difficult to know if Luke writes up to the point he knows or if he writes with the shared knowledge that Paul is released and freed to continue his missionary journeys. 2. But since Luke ends his book saying that Paul spent 2 years in Rome preaching without hindrance – it seems like Luke knows the end of the time in Rome, meaning he knows that Paul was released. 3. This would have been a detail that Theophilus was already well aware of. Perhaps because it had happened very recently, and perhaps because Theophilus was part of Roman legal system which acquitted Paul. 4. So, Luke recording this communication between the Roman Jews and Paul is a subtle way to foreshadow that no Jew from Judea is going to show up for Paul's trial. 5. More than likely this means that Paul will stand before Caesar and plead his case, but the trial will probably be very short. 6. Around AD 62 Nero's tutors had died. He loathed dealing with these appeals in the first place and without his tutors insisting that he perform this duty, he was very slow to deal with the backlog of appeals. History records that he rushed through many of these trials. 7. Paul was probably one of them. x. But the Roman Jews, although not knowing anything bad about Paul, are interested in the hope of Israel he spoke of, but not for the reasons we might think. b. [Slide 11] 22 - But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.” i. It is interesting that they understand what Paul says about the hope of Israel. ii. They know that he is a well-known teacher in this sect of Judaism known as “The Nazarene Sect” or “The Way” or “Christianity”. iii. They connect this hope of the resurrection with what the Nazarene sect taught. In many ways, to the Jews, the Nazarene sect would have seemed like an offshoot of the Pharisee party. iv. Learning this it isn't that hard to understand why there would be a Pharisee party within the church like we saw back in Acts 15. v. And once again, Luke reinforces the concept that Christianity is not a new religion. Even the Jews don't see it as a new religion. They see it as a sect of Judaism. Meaning that it is part of their own religion. Of course, the apostles would argue that it is TRUE Judaism and only those who receive Jesus as their Jewish Messiah remain TRUE Jews. But the point is well taken. vi. But why do they wish to know more about this sect? vii. They obviously have some idea of the resurrection being central to its teaching. But the main thing they've heard about it… is that it is causing problems everywhere. viii. And if they were in Rome before Claudius' edict, they would have witnesses this firsthand. ix. And so, we do find out that the Jews around the empire are talking bad about those who followed what Paul taught… not necessarily about him specifically. x. Having set aside the legal concern that he might be executed at this trial, now Paul will get a chance to preach the gospel to the Jews in Rome. xi. We'll see how that goes next week. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Luke conveys a similar point in verses 21 and 22 as he did in the previous section, only this time from the perspective of the Jews in Rome. They did not know any different of Paul. They had not received letters or any person saying he was a bad person. But they had heard rumblings from all over the empire of the problems that The Nazarene sect had been causing. Having read all of Acts up to this point, we know that they couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, we know that the unbelieving Jews had actually been the cause of all the strife. Primarily because they would not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this, they stirred up crowds, instigated riots, beat and dragged Christians before judges, and pursued Paul and his team from town to town persecuting them and attempting to prevent them from preaching the gospel. Even if we are blameless, the church will still inevitably cause strife and civil unrest. This is all the more reason for us to ensure that our character remains blameless and that only the gospel offends and not our actions too. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC that corrects and informs our beliefs and shapes and guides our lifestyles. Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 13] Today we've seen two truths that flow out of the same thought. The reputation of the church is quite important. When individuals in the church seek out trouble, become lawbreakers themselves, unnecessarily push the boundaries of legality, and/or use the legal system to punish their enemies, this actually hinders the church's ability to share the gospel. And yet, the church's witness to the nations will always cause civil unrest and stir up strife. Why? Because what the church preaches is naturally offensive to the world. So why guard our reputation at all when the message we preach will cause unrest anyway? When it is only the gospel that is offensive it validates and draws attention to its truths and not to us as lawbreakers. So, we must be blameless people. But let me apply this a little more specifically today. 1.) [Slide 14] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that our character can hinder the general call of the gospel. a. Peter and Paul both express in their letters that if you suffer for doing wrong things, there is no reward. You have gotten what you deserve. b. But as Jesus says, if you suffer for my name when you are accused falsely, then you are blessed. c. There is a saying floating around evangelicalism today which says “Preach the gospel and if you must, use words.” d. This represents a tension we must maintain. e. In one sense, the gospel cannot be preached without the Word of God. So, we must use words… always. f. But the point of this saying is well taken and proven by this text. g. The gospel preached without a life lived in blameless character, can severely limit the general call of the gospel. h. The general call is the when the gospel is preached to everyone. This is different than God's effectual call which will be heard by those whom He is drawing to repentance and faith. i. The effectual call is God's job. The General call… is ours. j. And our civilly malevolent behavior can heavily restrict or even eliminate our ability to deliver the general call of the gospel. k. Just as Paul was concerned that the Roman Jews knew that he did nothing to earn the chains he wore, nor did he plan to seek legal vengeance on those who falsely accused him, so too we must concern ourselves with blameless and upright character which becomes the perfect complement to our gospel proclamations. l. At the council of Nicaea, in AD 325 (which incidentally is the most blamed council for all the bad things the Roman Catholic church did. I've heard people say that this is where they decided the books of the bible, this is where they edited the bible to say what they wanted. And many more. But none of that is actually true.) At the real council of Nicaea, and not the one from fantasy, 220 bishops gathered together at the request of Emperor Constantine to define the nature of God and eliminate confusion within the church. m. It is here that Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria brought one of his Elders before the council with whom he could not agree on a particular definition of the divinity of the Son of God. n. Arius argued that Jesus was not fully God and had a beginning, not being eternal. o. He argued so strongly that a bishop known as Nicholas of Myra slapped Arius across the face for his heresy. p. Although never having a history of violence and generally being an example of generosity and giving (yes this is the Nichoas from which the Santa Claus story evolved) Nicholas was immediately stripped of his Bishop status and imprisoned for his actions. He was eventually released and the council did end up condemning Arius' beliefs as heresy, while also clarifying the hypostatic union of Jesus in the writing of the Nicaean Creed q. Still the church universally disapproved of Nicholas' action. r. This serves as a good illustration for us to harmonize this tension. s. I also hate Arianism. And if you are a follower of Christ, you should too. Why? Because Arianism can't save anyone from the judgment of God. t. That's ok, Arianism being declared a heresy means that it has been snuffed out of existence, right? u. No! v. Arianism is still alive and well. w. Modern Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses and many more cling to a form of Arianism today. x. But if I were to set out to stamp out Arianism using every means available to me… if I went around slapping Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses, not only would they not listen to my call for them to repent… but other unbelievers would not listen either because of reprehensible behavior. y. Though I preached the gospel to them… pure truth… my actions would cause others to dismiss all that I had to say as something not worth hearing. z. This illustrates the point quite well. aa. Our character can adversely affect whether or not someone is open to hearing the general call of the gospel. bb. This is why Paul went to great lengths to clear his name. cc. But we must not pendulum swing too far here. 2.) [Slide 15] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the world will accept the gospel if we are loving, kind, and winsome in our proclamation. a. Although poor character can adversely affect whether or not someone hears our gospel proclamation, loving, kind, and winsome character does not guarantee that the world will accept the gospel message. b. All blameless character gives to us is the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. c. It merely gains us an audience. d. If we enter into the ministry of evangelism with the expectation that people will accept the gospel if we are loving and kind, we will be sorely discouraged very quickly into that endeavor. e. Why is that the case? Well, we will get to that in a moment. But before we do… what should we do since our blameless character gives us opportunities to proclaim the gospel? 3.) [Slide 16] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be blameless in character to ensure that the gospel is the only thing causing offense. a. Why do we do this? What is the motive of our having blameless character and being loving, meek, and winsome. b. Because this is what our Lord has commanded and demonstrated to us. c. We don't live with blameless character for the result of winning people to Christ. God alone saves. d. Our blameless character is in service to our Lord and merely to eliminate possible stumbling blocks to being heard. e. We will still be blamed for much and accused falsely. But when we live as blameless people, eventually the world will have to recognize that it is our message itself that is offensive, and not our methods. f. Friends, when the world hates us for our message – we are doing something right… not wrong. g. But if we offend them before we are even able to speak the message, this will not do. h. We must be above reproach and ensure that the only reason someone will not listen to what we have to say, is because of what we are saying. i. But what comfort can we find in this? 4.) [Slide 17] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Knowing that we will cause offense to sinners even with a meek and blameless presentation of the gospel, gives us more realistic expectations of how we will be received. a. Many people never or rarely share the gospel with others because they are afraid that they will be rejected. b. They are terrified that the person will oppose the gospel message and raise many objections that they are not equipped to answer. c. They are frozen by the very real possibility that they will be despised because they affirm the truth of the Word of God. d. How comforting to know… that you will be rejected, you will be objected to, and you will be despised. e. Wait a minute, that doesn't seem comforting. f. Oh but it is. g. Knowing that something may happen can freeze us completely. Knowing that something will happen removes the fear of the unknown. h. When we know that we will be rejected, despised, and objected to, merely because of the things we say – we can put aside the fear of what might be, and trust the Lord for what will be and obey Him anyway. i. It removes the doubt and uncertainty and allows us to depend on our Lord to sustain us. j. But why is our blameless character not enough to convince people to receive the gospel? 5.) [Slide 18] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The gospel is good news that no one wants until they know and believe the bad news. a. The gospel teaches all men that they are sinners by nature and subject to the judgment of a Holy God who is a Just Judge and will ensure that every single sin against Him is paid in full. b. This is the first word of the gospel. And generally speaking, men do not like anyone telling them that what they love and cherish is worthy of judgment and death. c. The Roman Jews had heard from various parts of the Roman Empire that the Nazarene sect had been causing problems. d. In reality, it was the rejection of the good news of their own Messiah that had stirred them up. e. Because the gospel confronts mankind with their wickedness and declares that the things they love are an abomination to God who is holy – many never make it beyond the bad news of the gospel. f. But even if they do somewhat believe that this is true, the good news is that Jesus has come as their substitute to free them from sin and to righteousness. g. That also is news that natural man has no interest to hear. h. If mankind loves their sin – they certainly don't want anyone freeing them from it to live differently. i. The gospel is good news to those who believe that they are condemned by a Holy God and desire mercy to be forgiven and grace to be made new. j. To everyone else… it is detestable. k. So, my friends, here is a question to consider – is the message that Jesus Christ was made sin so that you might become the righteousness of God – is that good news? l. If it is and for the first time you see it that way… I'd invite you to talk to an Elder and we can show you how you can become the righteousness of God. [Slide 19 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Reformer Myles Coverdale who assisted William Tyndale and many others in translating the bible into English. God of mercy, help us to cling to you and follow your commands. Tame our bodies in honest labor, so we escape the pull of bad habits. Draw our hearts always upward, so we set aside all worldly things and focus only on you. Gracious Father, give us faithful fishers, true and careful in their calling. With the net of your holy word, may they draw us out of the raging sea, so that we with them, and they with us, may enjoy the everlasting banquet. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May your days be like the inscribed cooking pots in the Lord's House, setting them apart as HOLINESS TO THE LORD. As God Himself sanctifies you completely so that your spirit, soul and body be preserved without blame until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Claudius' feature film work includes: Look Who's Back, Alone In Berlin, Goodbye Berlin, Frantz, In The Fade, Tar, and more recently In The Lost Lands and The Light. Claudius' television work includes: Babylon Berlin and Chernobyl, for which he won an Emmy.

******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Edward Watts is presently the Vassiliadis Professor of Byzantine Greek History at the University of California, San Diego. His research interests center on the intellectual and religious history of the Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire. He is the author of several books on ancient history, including Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny, and The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea. His latest book is The Romans: A 2,000-Year History. In this episode, we focus on The Romans. We start by discussing who the Romans were, the origins of the Roman state, the Roman Revolution, the counterrevolution, how the Republic was established, and how Rome expanded. We also talk about the rivalry between Rome and Carthage, the Punic Wars, the formation of the Roman Empire, and the reigns of Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Trajan, and Hadrian. We discuss how Rome was made Christian, what brought about the end of the Roman West, the Byzantines and the empire in the East, the Holy Roman Empire, and medieval Rome. Finally, we talk about how and when the death of the Roman state occurred, and the factors behind the longevity of Rome.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, HUGO B., JAMES, JORDAN MANSFIELD, CHARLOTTE ALLEN, PETER STOYKO, DAVID TONNER, LEE BECK, PATRICK DALTON-HOLMES, NICK KRASNEY, AND RACHEL ZAK!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, PER KRAULIS, AND JOSHUA WOOD!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!

She was the handmaid (according to the Great Horologion) or adopted daughter (according to the Prologue) of an eminent Roman citizen named Claudius, during the reign of Diocletian. She was betrayed as a Christian to the governor Dometian, before whom she fearlessly confessed her faith. After she had endured many cruel tortures, the governor sent some dissolute youths to rape her. Having prayed to be spared this dishonor, she was permitted to give up her soul to God.

Acts 18:1-23 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal.17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this. 18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.   Key Words: Reason, Persuade, Testify, Believe, Teach, Word, Vow, Strengthen Keystone Verse: And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” (Acts 18:9-10)   Download Bulletin

The letter of Romans strengthened the ancient church, brought reformation to the dark ages, has brought hope for 2000 years, and can change your life!Pastor Joel continues Part 3 of his message series in Romans, “Bold Faith That Lives.” He challenges us with what it looks like “Living Under Authority”, including our government authority. We'll look at four postures: submission, recognition, support, and honor. Let's listen in…This is a special four part series that will span the year of 2025. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:• N.T. Wright Jesus and the Powers, Daniel Darling In Defense of Christian Patriotism, and other recommended reading for this series• Martin Luther King Jr.; Caligula; Claudius; Nero• Nik Ripken The Insanity of God• Download the free study guide, complete transcript, and show notes here.• Scripture References: Romans 13, verses 1-7• Find out more about Covenant Church at ⁠covenantexperience.com

How did the First World War bring down Europe's great dynasties, and how did the BBC retell that story on screen? In this episode of Oh What a Lovely Podcast, we look at Fall of Eagles, the 1974 BBC drama that charts the decline of the Romanovs, Hohenzollerns, and Habsburgs. Across 13 episodes, the series follows the personal rivalries, dynastic struggles, and political failures that led to the collapse of three empires during the Great War. Created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge, the show boasted an impressive cast and scripts from writers such as Jack Pulman (I, Claudius) and Troy Kennedy Martin (The Italian Job). Critics praised its scope and performances, even if it sometimes focused more on palace drama than wider historical forces. Join Angus, Jessica, and Chris as they discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and legacy of this ambitious attempt to dramatise the road to 1914 and the end of Empire. Links: The Fall of Empires, BBC (1973) I, Claudius, BBC (1976) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) The Sweeny (1975-78) The Italian Job (1969) Oh! What a lovely war (1969) Blackadder Goes Forth, BBC (1989) Britain's Great War, BBC (2014) Adrian Gregory, The Last Great War (2008) Alan Clark, Lions Led By Donkeys (1961) Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987) Television Heaven

     Concerning the permission of divorce, Jesus said the Pharisees, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way” (Matt 19:8). God's permissive will can be observed on a national level, as Paul said, “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways” (Acts 14:16). This explains much of the poor behavior we see among the nations as we study world history. Though God desires righteousness among the nations (Prov 14:34), He allows them to pursue their own values and priorities. Yet He never relinquishes His sovereignty, and in time, He will hold every nation accountable for its actions (Ps 9:17; Rev 20:12-13).      God is always righteous and directs people to righteous living. However, God is no bully, as He does not force people to obey Him. When people turn negative to God, He permits them to pursue their sinful ways, though they are not free to choose the consequences of their actions. One who plays with fire will eventually get burned. Concerning those who “suppress God's truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), three times it is written that He “gave them over” to “the lusts of their hearts” (Rom 1:24), and “to degrading passions” (Rom 1:26), and “to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Rom 1:28). Once God permits a person to operate by his/her sinful passions, they are given a measure of freedom to live as they want. These are described as “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful” (Rom 1:29-31).      Fourth, there is God's overruling will, which refers to those occasions when He hinders His creatures from acting contrary to His sovereign purposes. Throughout Scripture we observe God intervening in the actions of fallen angels and people. After God permitted Adam and Eve to disobey Him, He then drove them from the Garden of Eden and overruled their ability to go back in and eat from the tree of life (Gen 3:22-24). After Abraham lied to Abimelech and told him that Sarah was his sister, Abimelech took her as his wife. However, in order to protect Sarah, God intervened and told Abimelech, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married” (Gen 20:3). Abimelech pleaded with God and claimed his innocence (Gen 20:4-5). God, being just, told Abimelech, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore, I did not let you touch her” (Gen 20:6). Jacob served his uncle Laban for twenty years, but during that time his uncle had mistreated him, and by the end, he saw his uncle “was not friendly toward him as formerly” (Gen 31:2). Realizing it was time for Jacob to leave his uncle, he told his two wives, Rachel and Leah, “your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me” (Gen 31:7). During the tribulation, there will be hostile unbelievers who will try to flee from God's wrath by seeking death. But God prevents them from this escape, as John writes, “in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them” (Rev 9:6).      When Satan wanted to attack Job, God granted him permission, saying, “Behold, all that he has is in your power” (Job 1:12a). But then God restrained Satan, saying, “do not put forth your hand on him” (Job 1:12b). When Satan came back a second time, God granted him permission to attack Job's body, saying, “he is in your power” (Job 2:6a), but then told him to “spare his life” (Job 2:6b). When Job's wife advised him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9), he responded, saying, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10). During the seven-year tribulation, demons are released from an angelic prison and “power was given them” to hurt unbelievers (Rev 9:3). However, they were restrained, as God told them, “not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months” (Rev 9:4-5a). Satan is currently active in the world (1 Pet 5:8; 1 John 5:19) and will be during the tribulation. However, God intervenes at the end of the tribulation and has Satan arrested and “bound him for a thousand years” (Rev 20:2). God's arresting angel “threw Satan into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time” (Rev 20:3).      Fifth, there is God's providential will, which refers to the outworking of His sovereign will in such a way that He creates circumstances that direct our lives and destiny. Believers who understand this will make their human plans contingent on God's sovereign plans (1 Ch 13:2; Acts 18:21; Jam 4:15). As God's people, we know the Lord and His will for our lives because His written Word informs and guides us. The Bible is our divine pedagogical guide. In addition to Scripture, God directs us providentially as He controls the circumstances of our lives to His desired end. However, only the believer with a thorough knowledge of God's Word can properly interpret his/her circumstances and know what God is doing. Interpreting circumstances, or divine impressions on the heart, is never as clear as knowing God's Word. Charles Clough states: "There is a mystical element to Christianity in how the Lord leads you; and He impresses upon you different things. But you can never elevate that mystical part of your Christian life and make it equal to the revelation of Scripture, because the revelation of Scripture is the measuring stick so you can tell the difference between Christ in the heart and heart burn. How you do that is whether it fits the Scripture."[1] God's providence is His continual care over the creation He brought into existence. God continues to create and control circumstances in order to direct history according to His predetermined plan, all for His glory and the benefit of His people. People live in the flow of history, and are moved by the circumstances God controls. J. I. Packer states: "Providence is normally defined in Christian theology as the unceasing activity of the Creator whereby, in overflowing bounty and goodwill (Psa 145:9 cf. Mt 5:45–48), he upholds his creatures in ordered existence (Acts 17:28; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3), guides and governs all events, circumstances and free acts of angels and men (cf. Psa 107; Job 1:12; 2:6; Gen 45:5–8), and directs everything to its appointed goal, for his own glory (cf. Eph 1:9–12)."[2]      God is holy and never creates evil, however, He can and does control those who do. Satan, and those who follow him, are ultimately under God's sovereign control, and even their evil plans and actions are used for His good purposes. For example, Joseph was mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery and taken to Egypt where he suffered greatly. Yet, later in his life, Joseph interpreted their behavior from the divine perspective, telling his brothers, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen 45:5). And Joseph repeated himself a second time, saying, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen 45:7-8a). And later, he told them a third time, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Gen 50:20). It was God's providence that drove Saul to chase after his father's donkeys, and then be led to the prophet Samuel and anointed king of Israel (1 Sam 9-10). It was God's providence that directed Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, so the baby Jesus would be born at the appointed time and place (Mic 5:2; Luke 2:4-6; Gal 4:4). Later, Joseph and Mary were compelled to go to Egypt, in order to preserve the baby Savior (Matt 2:13-15). It was God's providence that forced Aquila and Priscilla out of Rome by the emperor Claudius' decree, only to meet the apostle Paul in Corinth and join him in Christian ministry (Acts 18:1-3; Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19). It was God's providence that put the Lord Jesus on the cross to be crucified by the hands of godless men. Peter, charging Israelites in Jerusalem concerning Jesus's death, said, “This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). And after being persecuted by the leaders in Jerusalem, Peter and John, along with others, said to God, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). In these verses we see people behaving sinfully, whether Joseph's brothers, or human rulers who abuse their power; yet God used their sinful choices to bring about a greater good. Because God is righteous, all His actions are just (Psa 119:137). Because He is loving (1 John 4:8), He directs all things for the benefit of His people. Because He is good (Psa 34:8; 100:5), He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).      Concerning Christian ministry, God providentially opens and closes doors of service. Throughout the New Testament, an “open door” refers to a divinely orchestrated opportunity for sharing the gospel and engaging in Christian ministry (Acts 14:25-27). On one occasion the Lord closed an opportunity for ministry (Acts 16:6-7), but then opened another (Acts 16:9-10). An “open door” for ministry can have opposition (1 Cor 16:7-9), does not remove everyday concerns about life (2 Cor 2:12-13), should be sought with prayer (Col 4:2-3), and once opened cannot be shut by people (Rev 3:8). As God's people, we do not create occasions for Christian ministry; we simply accept those provided for us by the Lord (Eph 2:10).    In summary, knowing and doing God's will is largely a matter of knowing His Word and walking in it. Those who are positive to God will desire His Word in order to obey it. From Scripture we know about the Lord Himself, His sovereign control over His creation, what He desires of us, His permission of sin, as well as His directing history providentially to the return and reign of Christ. Where Scripture is silent, we may try to ascertain His will through the circumstances of our life, but such understanding must always be subordinate to the clear revelation of Scripture. Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.   [1] Charles Clough, Lesson 21 - Moral Relativism; Justification & Procedures for Holy War, (2010, 17th minute). https://www.bibleframeworkapplied.org/multi-lesson-series/deuteronomy [2] J. I. Packer, “Providence” in New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 979-80.

After the last three weeks with Dante, we jump to another three-week series with Shakespeare and NINE plays!Shakespeare can be daunting, so I offer a few thoughts on how to approach him: Watch a movie FIRSTGet a good edition (hello, Folger Shakespeare Library)Keep a one-line-per-scene summary as you readEnjoy!! It will get easier and the plays are so very worthwhile.Hamlet dazzles with layered characters and razor-sharp language. Prince Hamlet wrestles with grief, revenge, and perhaps madness, while Claudius broods over the cost of his own sin. My own final note: “Everyone dies except Horatio.”Macbeth feels darker and almost Greek. The witches act as oracles, but Macbeth isn't their puppet—he chooses evil. Lady Macbeth is more accelerant than mastermind, and the play pulses with ominous energy.King Lear hit me hardest. Lear is not villainous, just weary and reckless, longing to lay down his burdens—yet no one gets that choice. Dividing his kingdom invites betrayal from his elder daughters and the scheming Edmund, while steadfast Cordelia stands tragically apart. The repeated “nothing” captures the emptiness of abdicated duty.Together they reveal Shakespeare's trademarks: sudden madness, clever disguises, and language that still crackles, showing three kinds of downfall—the victim (Hamlet), the villain (Macbeth), and the feckless ruler (Lear).LINKTed Gioia/The Honest Broker's 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)My Hamlet Movie ChoiceMy MacBeth Movie ChoiceMy King Lear Movie Choice (Not actually that good but I still think about it)CONNECTThe complete list of Crack the Book Episodes: https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2rTo read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/ LISTENSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bdApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321 Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

#LONDINIUM90AD: MICHAEL VLAHOS. FRIENDS OF HISTORY DEBATING SOCIETY. @MICHALIS_VLAHOS HEADLINE: From Dalmatia to Poland: Frontier Tensions, Roman Legacy, and the Danger of Miscalculation The discussion opens with Gaius (John Batchelor) in Londinium speaking to Germanicus (Michael Vlahos), who is in Dalmatia (the Dalmatian coast, modern Croatia), a frontier area of the former Roman Empire. Germanicus observes that this region, Ragusa, maintained its Roman continuity through the Middle Ages and was critical as it connected Italy and the Western Empire to Greece and the Eastern Empire. They reflect on Roman figures such as Augustus and Drusus(Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus), who fought in Germania. Drusus's son, Claudius, became a highly effective emperor who brought the empire to its maximal state, establishing Londinium. The conversation shifts to modern frontier tensions: the Russian probing of the Polish border using drones and warplanes, leading to NATO intervention and British assistance. Drawing on films like The Bedford Incident, they worry about accidental catastrophe due to miscalculation. Germanicus warns that tiny NATO states like the Baltics, driven by paranoia and insecurity, are acting "spasmodically and irresponsibly" and that the United Kingdom is acting like a "rogue state" aggressively pushing for conflict, creating a dangerous situation that could plunge Russia and the West into general war. 41 AD. CLAUDIUS BEGS

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday unsealed federal charges against British teenager Thalha Jubair, who prosecutors accuse of being involved in at least 120 cyberattacks, including the U.S. Courts system, and the extortion of dozens of U.S. companies.  In other news, Every now and then, researchers at the biggest tech companies drop a bombshell. There was the time Google said its latest quantum chip indicated multiple universes exist. Or when Anthropic gave its AI agent Claudius a snack vending machine to run and it went amok, calling security on people, and insisting it was human. This week, it was OpenAI's turn to raise our collective eyebrows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Javier Wallace, Executive Producer, Emmy-nominated Producer & Editor Funmi Ogunro and Dr. Claiborne discuss "CB: Power to the Player" A documentary about Claudius "C.B." Claiborne, Duke University's first Black basketball player. "CB: Power to the Player," which chronicles the life and activism of Dr. Claiborne. The film premiered in August 2025 at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.

Der Bayerische Bodensee ist ein Gebiet der Superlative: Hier liegen die südlichsten, höchstgelegenen und regenreichsten Weinberge Deutschlands. Claudius Haug bewirtschaftet in dieser einzigartigen Landschaft einen Familienbetrieb, der Wein- und Obstanbau vereint, seit vielen Jahren ökologisch arbeitet und einen hohen Anteil pilzwiderstandsfähiger Rebsorten pflegt. Wir sprechen über die besonderen klimatischen Bedingungen zwischen See und Alpen, die Chancen und Herausforderungen des Bio-Anbaus in einer Region mit hohen Niederschlägen, die Dynamik einer engagierten Winzergemeinschaft – und verkosten zwei Weine, die den Charakter des Bodensees ins Glas bringen.

Altars, Not Platforms The Ministry of the Ordinary 8.3.25 God isn't asking you to be famous, he's asking you to be faithful. God isn't calling you to build a platform, he's calling you to surrender. Acts 18:1-3 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Acts 18:18-19 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Acts 18:24-26 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. God's kingdom moves forward when ordinary, everyday people surrender what they have to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:13 When they (the Jewish rulers, elders, & teachers of the law) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Philippians 3:7-11 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 (New Revised American Dream Version) I want to know Christ – yes, but not so much that it interrupts my current life or plans. I want to participate in the sufferings of Christ, but I would like those sufferings to be limited to things I can fully manage and comprehend. And yes, I would like to become like Christ in his death, but I would prefer to experience resurrection without crucifixion if possible. Perhaps the greatest deception of our generation is the belief that we can experience deep purpose and lasting joy without sacrifice and dying to ourselves first.

Featuring Matt Anderson and Ben De Bono In this episode, we review “I, Claudius” by Robert Graves, and then we discuss which books we will be reading next from The Book Poster. VOTE FOR AN...

Featuring Matt Anderson and Ben De Bono In this episode, we review “I, Claudius” by Robert Graves, and then we discuss which books we will be reading next from The Book Poster. VOTE FOR AN...

What if, instead of just watching Hamlet, you could step inside the prince's mind? A revelatory new audio production reimagines Shakespeare's iconic tragedy as a first-person experience told through Hamlet's POV. We only hear the scenes in which he appears—every soliloquy becomes an inner monologue, every whisper a voice in our ears. With stunning binaural sound design by Tony Award–winner Mikhail Fiksel and an intimate, close-mic performance by Daniel Kyri (“Chicago Fire”) as the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet is transformed into a deeply personal journey through grief, paranoia, memory, and resolve. The six-episode podcast of Hamlet is produced by Make-Believe Association, an audio storytelling group based in Chicago. The production, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, includes performances by John Douglas Thompson as Claudius (and the Ghost), Sharon Washington as Gertrude, and Jacob Ming-Trent as Polonius. In this episode, director Jeremy McCarter shares how technology unlocked new layers of intimacy and urgency in Shakespeare's play—and why, more than 400 years later, Hamlet's questions still resonate. >>>Listen to Hamlet at hamlet.fm or wherever you listen to podcasts. Headphones heighten the experience! From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published July 29, 2025. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the executive producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. We had help with web production from Paola García Acuña. Leonor Fernandez edits our transcripts. Final mixing services are provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc. Jeremy McCarter founded Make-Believe Association in 2017 after five years on the artistic staff of the Public Theater in New York. For the company, he adapted The Lost Books of the Odyssey; co-wrote City on Fire: Chicago Race Riot 1919 (with Natalie Moore); co-created and co-wrote the acclaimed epic Lake Song (Tribeca Festival Audio Premiere, winner of three Signal Awards), and adapted and directed the audacious new take on Hamlet. His books include Young Radicals; Hamilton: The Revolution (with Lin-Manuel Miranda); and Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen (with Jon M. Chu). He has written about culture and politics for New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He is the literary executor of the novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder.

Our friend Gina Berry is back for part two of our Ancient Rome discussion! Last time, we discussed women's roles in the era. Now, it's time to learn how Empress Livia worked within those confines to live a legendary life. Did she really murder as many people as I, Claudius (and other portrayals) made it seem? We investigate! Support CHIRLA to help immigrants and refugees in the US — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Preorder info for Ann's upcoming book, Rebel of the Regency!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RSVP for the Vulgar History in-person meet-up in Toronto!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠common.era.com/vulgar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠commonera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.com/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (best for US shipping) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.redbubble.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (better for international shipping) — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Vulgar History on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textActs 18:1-6After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”Support the show

In the last chapter of Romans there is a long list of names. They probably don't mean much to most us, but they are actually the whole point of this letter. When combined with an understanding of how Claudius kicked the Jews out of Rome, these names help us understand the cultural context of Romans. […]

Aloha mai kakou, Please enjoy this broadcast of new Hawaiian music, most of which you have probably never heard before. Click here to support the show: Hawaiian Concert Guide Tip Jar Likolehua's Song Kamaka Kukona Kahenewai'olu Pa Mai Ana Ka Makani Christy Leina'ala Lassiter Kona Cowgirl Kupa Landing Christy Leina'ala Lassiter Kona Cowgirl Ka Ua Paʻūpili Kalani Pe'a Kuini Ka Naʻi Aupuni (feat. Jake Shimabukuro & Kamehameha Schools Maui Hawaiian Ensemble) Kalani Pe'a Kuini Mama Louisa Apokolani Goin Home Similau The Waitiki 7 New Sounds Of Exotica Flower Humming The Waitiki 7 New Sounds Of Exotica Ka Makani `Ula`ula Keola Beamer Soliloquy - Ka Leo O Loko Pua Lililehua Keola Beamer Soliloquy - Ka Leo O Loko

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Meta's reported $100 million offers to AI engineers 2) If those reports are false, who planted the rumor? 3) Why talent might be all that matters in AI right now 4) Will Meta's bet work? 5) Anthropic's project vend 6) If AI can't stock a fridge, will it take your job? 7) Claudius' identity crisis 8) ChatGPT's hilarious Wealthfront hallucination 9) The Legend of Soham 10) Happy July 4th! --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here's 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com

Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 377The Saint of the day is First Martyrs of the Church of RomeFirst Martyrs of the Church of Rome's Story There were Christians in Rome within a dozen or so years after the death of Jesus, though they were not the converts of the “Apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 15:20). Paul had not yet visited them at the time he wrote his great letter in 57-58 A.D. There was a large Jewish population in Rome. Probably as a result of controversy between Jews and Jewish Christians, the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome in 49-50 A.D. Suetonius the historian says that the expulsion was due to disturbances in the city “caused by the certain Chrestus” [Christ]. Perhaps many came back after Claudius' death in 54 A.D. Paul's letter was addressed to a Church with members from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. In July of 64 A.D., more than half of Rome was destroyed by fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death because of their “hatred of the human race.” Peter and Paul were probably among the victims. Threatened by an army revolt and condemned to death by the senate, Nero committed suicide in 68 A.D. at the age of 31. Reflection Wherever the Good News of Jesus was preached, it met the same opposition as Jesus did, and many of those who began to follow him shared his suffering and death. But no human force could stop the power of the Spirit unleashed upon the world. The blood of martyrs has always been, and will always be, the seed of Christians. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

This week, we examine Trump's pathological relationship with Fox News and how his morning TV viewing sessions led directly to bombing Iran. We trace the disturbing line from Fox pundits praising Israeli strikes to Trump launching his own attacks—strikes that Rolling Stone reports were "based on vibes" rather than intelligence.We explore how a president who spent years tweeting that Obama would "play the Iran card" has now done exactly that himself, abandoning his "no foreign wars" promise the moment cable news suggested he needed to "get more involved." It's the story of how America's foreign policy became must-see TV, and how Republicans reprogram themselves to cheer whatever Dear Leader does next."The president was closely monitoring Fox News, which was airing wall-to-wall praise of Israel's military operation and featuring guests urging Mr. Trump to get more involved." —The New York [Effing] TimesWe close by discussing the 1976 BBC production "I, Claudius" and its plot's uncanny similarities to Washington, D.C. today.   Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance.Stay in Touch! Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.comWebsite: proleftpod.comSupport via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpodMail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791Support the show

"When the Emperor Diocletian summoned him and threatened him with torture, he offered sacrifice to idols and was, because of this, rewarded by the Emperor with a costly garment. But Marcellinus repented bitterly and began to weep both day and night for his rejection of Christ, even as the Apostle Peter had before him. A synod of bishops was held at that time in Campania, and the Pope dressed himself in sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on his head, and, going before the Synod, confessed his sin and asked them to judge him. The fathers said: 'Let him judge himself.' Then he said: 'I strip myself of the sacerdotal rank of which I am not worthy; and, further, let my body not be buried after my death, but let it be thrown to the dogs.' Having said this, he pronounced a curse on any who should dare to bury him. He then went to the Emperor Diocletian and, casting the precious garment in front of him, confessed his faith in Christ and cursed the idols. The enraged Emperor ordered that he be tortured and killed outside the city, together with three other men: Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus. The bodies of these three were buried at once, but the Pope's body lay there for thirty-six days. Then St Peter appeared to Marcellus, the new Pope, and told him to bury Marcellinus' body, saying: 'Whoso humbleth himself shall be exalted.' " (Prologue)

Lucilian spent most of his life as a pagan priest. In advanced old age, he learned the truth of the Christian faith and was baptized. The conversion of so public a figure quickly attracted attention, and Lucilian was brought to trial in Nicomedia. After enduring many tortures he was imprisoned with four young Christians, scarcely older than children: Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius. When they were brouht before Silvanos the governor, all five confessed their faith and were sentenced to death and cast into a fiery furnace. When they miraculously emerged unharmed, they were taken to Byzantium, where the four young men were beheaded and Lucillian was crucified. A maiden named Paula openly carried away the martyrs' bodies and buried them. For this she in turn was tortured and, refusing to renounce her faith in Christ, beheaded. This was in the reign of the Emperor Aurelian. A church was built in their honor in Constantinople.

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme by Paco Rabanne (1973) + Herbert Wise's I, Claudius (1976) with Christian Martens 5/39/25 S7E36 To hear the complete continuing story of The Perfume Nationalist please subscribe on Patreon.

From Gladiator to Rome Total War to I, Claudius, today the Cohortēs praetōriae are one of the most distinctive military units of Imperial Rome. It was their job to protect the Roman Emperor and his household, a task for which they hold a somewhat ‘chequered' record (especially when we focus in on the Praetorian Prefects). But what do we know about this unit's origins? How did this powerful force become protectors of the Emperor and his household? What other functions did they serve? And how did they differ from the standard Roman legions in their structure?To talk through the rise of the Praetorian Guard, with a specific focus on the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, Tristan caught up with historian Lindsay Powell at Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex. Lindsay is the author of several books about the Early Roman Imperial Period. His latest book, Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome, is out now.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.All music from Epidemic SoundsSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.This episode first aired in October 2021.

Lasting from the ninth century BC right up until Roman conquest in the first century BC, the Etruscans were a powerful ancient civilisation who inhabited Etruria in ancient Italy, and rubbed shoulders with the other iconic ancient cultures of their day. Often painted as a mysterious people whose culture has now largely vanished from view, researcher Lucy Shipley instead presents us with a very different picture. Speaking to Emily Briffett, she delves into the archaeological and written records to bring us closer to this fascinating civilisation – and uncover why it captivated the likes of the Medici, DH Lawrence and the Roman emperor Claudius. (Ad) Lucy Shipley is the author of The Etruscans: Lost Civilizations (Reaktion Books, 2017). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Etruscans-Lost-civilizations-Lucy-Shipley/dp/1780238320/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices