Capernaum: Blessings and Curses

mindlight

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While attempting to prepare for a sermon I realised that the sermon context appears to be the location of a great deal of Jesus activity. This got me fascinated about the town and keen to understand it better and especially in the historical context of Jesus's ministry. The historical town of Capernaum was in Gaillee ruled by Herod Antipas at the time of Jesus. Simon Peter and the brothers James and John were from just down the road across the border in Bethsaida in the Tetrarchy of Phillip. I guess the border controls were quite fluid at that time. Both towns were dominated by the fishing industry. There are various accounts of interactions with the local authorities.

a) AUTHORITIES

i) ROMANS
There was a Roman Centurion, presumably now a mercenary in the employ of Herod Antipas although possibly an envoy in one of his major towns. He gave money to help build the local synagogue, where Jesus often taught, and was highly regarded by the local people. When his servant got sick and paralyzed Jesus healed him with a word of faith. This man's faith was praised.

ii) ROYALS
There was a Royal Official, most likely related to the rule of Herod Antipas who was married with a son. When the son got sick he journeyed to Cana and Jesus healed his son from there again with a word of faith. Since it was Herod Antipas who put John the Baptist, Jesus's cousin to death in the fortress of Machaerus on the East Side of the Jordan South from Galilee having a royal official in his camp probably made Capernaum a safer base of operations than other parts of Galilee.

So the gentile elements of the town seemed quite believing and respectful of Jesus.

iii) TAX COLLECTORS

But then there are the local tax collectors who this case were collecting the Temple tax. Jesus paid with a 4 drachma coin found in the mouth of a fish that Peter fished.Matthew the tax collector and traditional writer of the first gospel lived in Capernaum and was converted there.

b) PEOPLE

Jesus taught in the synagogue and all around the local area using Capernaum as a base of operations. This seems to have been the fulfilment of a prophecy from Isaiah relating to the area of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”


Teachings in the synagogue included: - I AM the Bread of Life, he also cast out a demon in that place

There were innumerable miracles including that of the paralysed man

But despite all these blessings showered on Capernaum and the fact that many of his disciples had homes there or in the area, Jesus had harsh words to say about the area

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Historical Questions:

1) Why was there a Roman Centurion in a town dominated by Herod Antipas
2) Why was there a Royal Official there, this was not Herod's capital?
3) Since the Kingdom of Herod Antipas was separated by the Decapolis I wonder how relations were with the 10 cities.
4) There is a church over the original home of Peter in the area which seems to have been one of the earliest found places of worship with archaeological evidence of that going back to first century. How reliable is this evidence , is this house in the right place?
5) Is there any historical evidence of a curse on the place in the generation after Jesus.
6) How do Jews regard the prophecy in Isaiah (quoted above) which points to the Messiahs ministry coming from this place
7) Do you think the fact that the Roman who built the synagogue and a local royal official were friends of Jesus gave him the opportunities to preach there despite opposition from unbelieving local rabbis and Jews. Do we have any evidence of tension between the people and authorities over him preaching there?

Theological questions:

1) Can a place be both blessed and cursed?

Anyway interested in your feedback
 
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Dave L

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1) Can a place be both blessed and cursed? I think the Church at times brings God's blessing on all, in a spill-over effect. So my answer is Yes. Some call it "Common Grace" but I don't think this is the case. It's more a situation as found in the Old Testament where God prospered the wicked who kept the land for the Church who were and are too few in number to perform the task themselves.
 
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GreekOrthodox

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IRT #2 - The Roman Centurion could have been retired from active military service after his 20 years but the locals would still have known him as a leader in the legions. I work in a military area and even retired folks still might be called Sarge or Chief by former comrades.

Church of the house of Peter: The Church of the House of Peter

Archeological investigations carried out over a 70-year period (at the beginning of the 20th century) by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (Jerusalem) revealed an octagonal mid-5th-century ecclesiastical structure built around an earlier one-room dwelling dated to the 1st century CE.

It is very likely that this was built over Peter's residence or at least what someone early on believed to be it. Pilgrimage sites are pretty common for a lot of religions. It might have been that Peter or some of the apostles would come back to their original homes periodically to visit friends and extended family during the time of Acts. We only get these quick snapshots from Acts, so its possible that they returned to the Galilean region to get away from Jerusalem for some quiet time. So as time went on, some of the local Christians would know about "that" house.
 
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Miggs

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It is an interesting question you pose. I believe it is people that get blessed or cursed and Jesus was referring to people in those passages. Any righteous in Chorazin or Bethsaida would not feel the judgement as God would purge the righteous before judgement. He has a history of doing that (think Lot).

When the men of Sodom surrounded Lot's house it was ALL of the men of the city both young and old. Genesis 19:4.

This is a big reason why I believe in the pre-Trib rapture as well. Purge the righteous before the tribulation.
 
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Quid est Veritas?

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1: The Bible never states it was a Roman centurion, just a centurion - in fact, using the Greek equivalent of the term Hekatonarchos. Seeing that Herod Antipas ruled a client state, it is unlikely this would be from a Roman unit in the area. However, it was not uncommon to mimic Roman organisation, as the Romans were by far the most effective army. It might be one of Antipas' own. On the other hand, it might be a Centurio Regionarius or Supernumerarius, the former a sort of local military judge and the latter a centurion with special assignments. Not unlike modern armies that send observers or trainers to allies, it is not impossible that we are dealing with the same here. As to him being retired, this is doubtful: Centurions were given land in Roman colonies and often became ceremonial lictors after retirement, so a centurion retiring to a client kingdom rather than a Roman colony is doubtful.

2: Royal officials can be expected in any part of a kingdom where the king has business. Capitols were less important than today in olden times, as kings often moved around through their kingdoms.

3: Relations were good, as there were strong commercial ties between the league and Galilee, and when Antipas went to war with Aretas of the Nabataeans, Josephus does not mention any issue. They did function as more or less independant city-states, so it might differ from one to other, but the Romans would not have allowed much instability or conflict here without annexing them (as happened to Archelaus' Judaea). That they didn't, means it was probably harmonious.

4: Probably about as reliable as any site based on a post-Constantine identification. Certainly houses and sites existed from the 1st century, but determining if they were the right old houses is one you must either defer to tradition or remain sceptical.

7: I can't see how having well-connected friends couldn't be a positive to being able to preach.

Theologic:
1: Nazirites were seen as both blessed and cursed, and so was Jerusalem cursed while being the site of the Temple. Then 'cursed is He who hangs from a tree', as is the scapegoat also cursed and sent out, while the unblemished Lamb is holy - so Jesus too, in a sense. Or Peter both told to feed the lambs, but cursed as a Satan before. Cursed and Holy seem to me to be often together.
 
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mindlight

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1: The Bible never states it was a Roman centurion, just a centurion - in fact, using the Greek equivalent of the term Hekatonarchos. Seeing that Herod Antipas ruled a client state, it is unlikely this would be from a Roman unit in the area. However, it was not uncommon to mimic Roman organisation, as the Romans were by far the most effective army. It might be one of Antipas' own. On the other hand, it might be a Centurio Regionarius or Supernumerarius, the former a sort of local military judge and the latter a centurion with special assignments. Not unlike modern armies that send observers or trainers to allies, it is not impossible that we are dealing with the same here. As to him being retired, this is doubtful: Centurions were given land in Roman colonies and often became ceremonial lictors after retirement, so a centurion retiring to a client kingdom rather than a Roman colony is doubtful.

Herod Antipas's army was mainly made up of gentile conscripts as Jews were exempt from conscription. So the centurion was probably a gentile and could have been a Roman mercenary who had finished his 16 years in the legion, but lacking a family, had no desire to retire in a Roman colony and maybe was wealthy enough not to worry about the land grant or had sold his own grant to a friend. He could have met a woman from Capernaum, or have been attracted by the salary offered by Herod Antipas or have been a junior officer - an Optio in the Legions but here offered a real command. Romans would have been attractive as commanders given that they had already served in the best army in the world of the time. Either way it seems he already had some wealth as he contributed to the building of the synagogue there. I also like the Supernumerarius idea of a centurion on special assignment , there to ensure the client kingdom behaved , to maintain links or as a special military advisor of some sort. The Via Maris was in some ways a strategic highway and alternative to the routes nearer the sea. So it is not impossible that he was a Roman but he need not have been, the bible leaves it open and history is not conclusive enough to close down the option.
 
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