Welcome to five minutes in church history hosted by Dr Stephen Nichols, where we take a little

break from the present to go exploring the past. Travel back in time as we look at the people,

events, and even the places that have shaped the story of Christianity.

This is our story, our family history. Let's get started.

Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history. On this

episode we are having our friend back with us again Dr Guy Waters.

Dr Waters welcome. Thank you Dr Nichols.

Dr Waters is a professor of New Testament at Reform Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.

He's written a number of wonderful books, and he is a New Testament scholar and has spent much time in the first century.

So I thought it would be helpful for us to take a peek into the first century.

This is the century in which Christ was born and lived and carried out his public

ministry. This is the century of the

New Testament and as we move out of the pages of the New Testament we are setting the

stage for the early church. This is a very important century for us.

What do we need to know about it?

Well, a few things about the first century.

We talk about the 20th century beginning in 1914, World War II, and the first century AD really began in 31 BC at the Battle

of Actium, which ended decades of struggle, civil war, and upheaval within what became the Roman Empire.

Augustus triumphed over Antony and Cleopatra.

And that ushered in what has come to be known as the Pax Romana.

It was a period of stability, order, economic activity,

and it allowed the Apostle Paul and many others in the church to travel freely under

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