I’m excited because THE SISTERS OF CORINTH finally releases tomorrow–on the 21st!
For The Sisters of Corinth, the second book in the Emissaries series, I wanted to begin with a Cinderella-type proposition: after much primping and preparation, two step-sisters are invited to a banquet where one will be chosen to marry the governor’s handsome son.
But the Emissaries series deals with first-century believers in the towns where Paul established churches, and Corinth was not exactly an enchanted kingdom. It was the Vegas of the Roman Empire, a place where wealthy Romans could attend the theater, gamble, invest gold and silver, and satisfy all their desires. What happened in Corinth, apparently, stayed in Corinth.
Back to my sisters: one is a young believer in Yeshua, the other is thoroughly Roman and a devotee of Aphrodite, goddess of love and desire. One wants to please God; the other wants to please herself. One doesn’t want to marry the prince—er, the governor’s son, the other is determined to marry him. So guess which girl he chooses? Of course! Conflict is the heart of story.
After writing The Jerusalem Road series, set in Judea and Jerusalem during the time of Christ, I was itching to tell the stories of the Gentiles who came to Christ in the first century. The Jews who followed Jesus knew about moral living and pleasing God. But the believing Gentiles of the Roman Empire did not know the first thing about what Adonai requires, and they were surrounded by pagans who lived to please themselves.
Just as we are. As I wrote the three novels in the Emissaries series, I kept finding parallels between ancient Rome and our own culture: Disposable children. The worship of pleasure. The ambitious pursuit of wealth. Political corruption. Bloody spectacle passing as entertainment.
The first century believers caused a stir when they boldly stood for righteousness, and today’s Christians are facing the same choice: are we willing to become slaves to Christ? To submit every area of our lives to His authority?
The Romans understood slavery—their society would have collapsed without it. The idea of willingly becoming a slave, even to a God, was foreign to them, but thousands of Romans eagerly followed Adonai and His Son, often paying the ultimate price for their love of God.
In learning about those first-century Christians, I’ve become convicted by their courage. So many times I’ve wanted to remain silent on social media when I know I need to speak out and stand for Truth. For righteousness. For God.
I hope this book—and the others in the series—will resonate with contemporary readers and remind us that being a slave to Jesus has never been easy.
Have you ever been fascinated by ancient Rome? I hope you’ll check out these stories of baby believers who struggled to stand as Christians in a thoroughly anti-Christian society.
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