Sunday, March 19, 2017

"for all the evils which Herod had done" - Significance of the Split of the Roman Empire

Tokyo Bay



Significance of the Split of the Roman Empire

One of the factors for the fall of the Western Roman Empire, many scholars admit, is the split of the Roman Empire into the Western and Eastern ones in 395.

As a result of this split of the Empire, Christianity was also divided into the Rome-centric Christianity and the Eastern Orthodox Church.  The two church systems developed almost independently to date.  So, their status of being independent from each other of today is a historical proof on how Christianity was influenced by the split of the empire.

If the Christian church system had not been divided into Rome-based one and Constantinople-based one, Christianity should have been more powerful and influential.  The integrated Christian church might have contributed more to security of the whole Roman Empire.  If so, the Western Empire should not have fallen 80 year after the split in 476.

Indeed, in the later centuries the Vatican could not prevent may wars and the Eastern Orthodox Church could not, either.

In my opinion, God rather wanted Christianity to be integrated with Judaism.  Instead, it split into two.  So, God allowed the emergence of Islam in the 7th century when the Eastern Orthodox Church changed its official language from Latin to Greek.

So, the split of the Roman Empire must be more important than the fall of the Western Empire.




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Luk 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
Luk 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.