In the Fullness of Time

In Galatians 4.4, this morning where Paul says that God brought forth his Son in the fullness of time. I learned somewhere (can't remember) four aspects of the fullness of time. First, was the Pax Romana, the Roman peace which allowed one to travel from east of Israel, all the way to Britain without crossing any national boundaries. Roads were well constructed and travel was (relatively) easy. Second was Koine Greek and Greek culture had spread from Greece all the way to Egypt and into India, so one could travel and communicate throughout all that territory using one language and have a decent understanding of culture. Third was the decline of belief in "the gods." The rise of Greek philosophy had begun to tear away at the foundations of polytheism, so the world was ready for something else. Fourth was the Jewish dispersion throughout the empire of Rome so that one could travel into any sized village and find a synagogue where there were Jews who were looking for a deliverer.

The point is that God had well prepared the world for the message of Jesus Christ, son of God, Saviour, to spread rapidly.