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Claudius (Roman Emperor)
Meaning
Claudius was a Roman Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire from 41 AD through 54 AD. And whether he understood it or not, God used him to spread the Gospel message around the world. On the spiritual front Jesus had commanded those who followed him to observe all things which He commanded, and to spread the Gospel message to the ends of the earth. As Christians spread to other city’s conflict would erupt. In Rome Jewish people formed close communities and Jewish life revolved around the synagogue and the Mosaic laws.
In AD 49 Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because their communities were having an intense internal conflict over a man called “Chrestus.” Many think this is a reference to Jesus Christ. Clashes erupted in the Jewish communities in Rome between the Jews who believed in Christ and the Jews who rejected Christ. Because of this edict Paul met fellow tent maker Aquila and his wife Priscilla, who themselves were expelled from Rome. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned several times in the Bible.
In addition, it was during the time of the reign of Emperor Claudius that God sent the prophet Agabus to the Christian church in Antioch. Agabus had a message of an Empire-wide famine. This in turn led to Paul taking up a collection for the persecuted Christian church in Jerusalem, which in turn led to his arrest. And with the Apostle Paul’s arrest, he was sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar himself. And during his transport to Rome, Paul preached the Gospel to the Roman guards who watched over him day and night. And history records that it was the Roman soldiers themselves who did much to spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Gospel of Matthew 28:18-20)
“After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.” (Book of Acts 18:1-3)
“And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.” (Book of Acts 11:27-28)