When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach the world was hostile to them. It was no different for the early church after Jesus' resurrection. Even though Christianity gained members throughout the empire, the world around Christianity was not usually friendly. In fact, more often than not it was hostile.
In 1 Corinthians Paul mentioned that very few rich people became Christians and James states that rich people blasphemed Jesus. In sending out the disciples, Jesus said that the disciples would be dragged before governors and rulers. With few exceptions the wealthy or powerful were hostile toward the disciples and the early church. 1 John said that all that was in the world was not from God and was temporary.
This context of hostility affected the NT writings and what the NT says about politics and those who prospered on the world. It meant that the church did not consist of politically or economically powerful. And yet today we see that the U.S. Evangelical voting block is the most powerful in the country able to vote in presidents, governors and local leaders; and we see that many U.S. Evangelical churches are generally pretty wealthy - compared to 1st Century, the church today is amazingly wealthy. The 1st Century was incredibly poor in comparison to today, and yet we see preachers preaching a prosperity gospel stating that wealth and positiion is a sign of New Testament godliness.
For us to study the Bible and what it says about politics it is important to understand that the world in which U.S. Evangelicalism lives is radically different than that of the 1st Century church. We have worldly power and wealth, they did not. Furthermore, the NT was written by and to people who had no important earthly position.
Our world would be a promised land to them. We have good amounts and a variety of food 3 times a day (more if we so desire). They did not. We have shelter and virtually no war in our land. This would have been a Solomon like era that dreams are made of.
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