Was Chrestus Jesus?
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 3:27 pm
Suetonius writes about a disturbance in Rome instigated by someone called Chrestus ("Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome," Claudius 25), and while I suppose this could refer to someone besides Jesus (which would be fine with me, if so), I'm inclined to think it is Jesus.
Acts 18:1-2 mentions this expulsion and two Christians who were affected by it who are also mentioned in Rom. 16:3-4.
Given the presence of Christians in Rome at the time of the expulsion and the existence of extremist Christians who instigated a disturbance in Jerusalem according to Acts 21:27-35, it seems plausible to me that Christians of this sort could have also caused a disturbance in Rome.
And since Jesus wasn't in Jerusalem or even alive at the time of this disturbance, his presence would not have been necessary for Christians to cause a similar disturbance in Rome.
So for me the choices are that Chrestus refers to Jesus (who, according to Paul in Rom. 1:8 was known "all over the world" and according to Acts had extremist followers and whose followers were known to Suetonius as per Nero 16), or someone else who is otherwise unknown.
Acts 18:1-2 mentions this expulsion and two Christians who were affected by it who are also mentioned in Rom. 16:3-4.
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who have risked their lives for me.
Given the presence of Christians in Rome at the time of the expulsion and the existence of extremist Christians who instigated a disturbance in Jerusalem according to Acts 21:27-35, it seems plausible to me that Christians of this sort could have also caused a disturbance in Rome.
When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regimentc received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul ...
Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
And since Jesus wasn't in Jerusalem or even alive at the time of this disturbance, his presence would not have been necessary for Christians to cause a similar disturbance in Rome.
So for me the choices are that Chrestus refers to Jesus (who, according to Paul in Rom. 1:8 was known "all over the world" and according to Acts had extremist followers and whose followers were known to Suetonius as per Nero 16), or someone else who is otherwise unknown.