Theirs Is The Kingdom Read online

  TIMELINE OF ROMAN EMPERORS

  27 BC—98 AD

  • 27 BC-14 AD

  AUGUSTUS CAESAR

  • 14 AD-37 AD

  TIBERIUS

  • 38 AD-40 AD

  CALIGULA

  • 41 AD-53 AD

  CLAUDIUS

  • 54 AD-68 AD

  NERO

  • 68 AD

  IULIUS VINDEX

  • 68 AD

  CLODIUS MACER

  • 68 AD-69 AD

  GALBA

  • 69 AD

  NYMPHIDIUS SABINUS

  • 69 AD

  OTHO

  • 69 AD

  VITELLIUS

  • 69 AD-79 AD

  VESPASIAN

  • 79 AD-81 AD

  TITUS

  • 81 AD-96 AD

  DOMITIAN

  • 97 AD-98 AD

  NERVA

  LIFE OF PAUL

  from his conversion in 34 AD to 64 AD

  34-35 Paul is converted—Acts 9:1-19

  37-38 Visits Jerusalem—Acts 9:26-29

  48 Second visit to Jerusalem—Acts 11:27-30

  48-50 First missionary journey (Cyprus, Galatia) Writes Galatians—Acts 13-14

  50 The Council at Jerusalem—Acts 15

  51-53 Second missionary journey (Galatia, Macedonia, Greece) Writes I & II Thessalonians—Acts 16:1-18:22

  54-57 Third missionary journey (Greece, Macedonia) Writes I & II Corinthians, Romans—Acts 18-23-21:14

  58-60 Arrest in Jerusalem; Tried & imprisoned in Caesarea—Acts 21:15-26:32

  60-63 Paul in Rome Writes Philemon, Colosssians, Ephesians, Philipians

  64 Final imprisonment and death Writes I Timothy, Titus, II Timothy

  ROMAN FAMILY CONNECTIONS

  Relations Explained

  EMPEROR CLAUDIUS

  Claudius was married four times.

  He married Urganilla.

  They had no children.

  He married Aelia, a marriage in name only.

  He married Messalina when she was 14 and he was 57.

  They had two children: Britannicus and Octavia.

  He married Agrippina who brought into their marriage Nero, her son from a former marriage.

  EMPEROR NERO

  Nero married Octavia.

  They had no children.

  He married Poppea, but had her put to death when she was with child.

  CARADOC/CARACTACUS

  Caradoc (Caractacus) married ergain.

  They had four children: Cynon, Linus, Ergain, and Gladys (Claudia).

  PRISCILLA

  Priscilla married Aaron.

  They had two children: Saul (Paul) and Rebekah.

  Priscilla was widowed and then married Quintus Cornelia Pudens.

  They had one son: Rufus Pudens Pudentia.

  RUFUS PUDENS PUDENTIA

  Rufus Pudens married Gladys (Claudia).

  They had four children: Timotheus, Novatus, Praxedes, and Pudentiana.

  IN PRAISE OF THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM: A FICTIONALIZED HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

  Roberta Damon skillfully blends historical facts and her interpretation of these facts in Theirs is the Kingdom. The result is an absorbing story of early Christian believers.

  H. Leon McBeth, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Church History, Retired, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

  This historical novel reminds us of remarkable chapters in early Christian history. It spotlights the heroic exploits of the early Christian men and women whose faith and sacrifice made possible what we have in Christ. Theirs is the Kingdom is a wonderful book.

  Peter James Flamming, PhD, Pastor emeritus, First Baptist Church, Richmond, VA

  The year was 43 A.D., only two years after Cllaudius was installed as emperor by the army that masterminded the assassination of the insane Caligula. A century earlier, Caesar attempted to conquer Britain. If Claudius could accomplish what the greatest Roman general had onliy tried, he would be assured of greatness, approval, and support. During the struggle for power and domination by Claudius, early Christians followed their Lord in every dimension of life and discipleship. Roberta M. Damon’s novel about that era carries readeers on the tides of history and faith, experiende and hope. Follow Caractacus and his family from the royal palace in Wales to Rome. See his daughter, Gladys, as she stands with her father before the emperor. Witness the romance between a senatoir and a princess and their welcome to the Apostle Paul into their villa on the Esquiline Hill. Theirs is the Kingdom is their story.

  Carolyn Hott Spencer, High School Latin Teacher

  In the spirit of Colleen McCullough’s The First Man in Rome, here is a book that will captivate all lovers of historical fiction. Theirs is the Kingdom is a well told story that opens up the tumultuous world of the first century—the power of Roman politics, the intrigues of British royalty, and the improbabilities surrounding the beginning of the Christian movement. Roberta Damon has given us a book that informs even as it entertains.

  Carey C. Newman, PhD, Director of Baylor University Press

  Copyright © 2018 by Roberta M. Damon. All rights reserved.

  Published by HigherLife Development Services, Inc.

  PO Box 623307

  Oviedo, Florida 32762

  (407) 563-4806

  www.ahigherlife.com

  Print: 978-1-7325026-1-1

  Ebook: 978-1-7325026-4-2

  This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

  Printed in the United States of America

  This book was originally published in 2004 by Greystone Press, Gladys S. Lewis, editor and publisher.

  DEDICATION

  To those martyred in the cause of Christ…

  Theirs is the kingdom.

  “Blessed are those which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

  Jesus of Nazareth

  Matthew 5:10

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Heartfelt thanks to:

  Carolyn Plampin, dear old friend and missionary colleague, who discovered Claudia and gave me the idea

  Dr. Gladys Lewis, my heart friend and partner in crime, who birthed this baby

  Dr. David Thomas who kept me supplied with background material and who advises lovingly and wisely

  Dr. Peter James Flamming, pastor of First Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia, who trusted me enough to put me on his staff (oh, happy years) and asked what it is I do that makes God smile

  Carolyn Hott Spencer, Latin teacher and travel guide who knows what to see in Rome and how to get there

  Ralph Starling, my dear friend and colleague, who measured the Mamertine prison for me

  Martha Cloe, Patti Asby and Elizabeth Spencer, my delightful fellow travelers in Rome

  Sister Pearl Lopez of The Church of Saint Pudentiana who promised to show me the first century house under the church if I brought an emergency lamp to scare away the snakes

  Mario Antonucci at Saint Pudentiana’s who let us photograph his photographs

  Tiffin Mabee and others on staff at the William Smith Morgan library at Union Theological Seminary Richmond

  Sandra Higgins at the library of the International Mission Board in Richmond

  The staff at Viriginia Commonwealth University Library The staff at Boatwright Library at the University of Richmond

  The helpful and encouraging volunteers who run the library at First Baptist Church in Richmond

>   I do love all librarians!

  Unending gratitude for all those who listened:

  Dr. Wilbur Lewis, whom I love and admire, reviewed the obstetrical chapters and made suggestions

  Jay Christie, sweetest spirit I know, in his hospital room

  Douglas Johnson, a most sensitive and tender friend

  Phil Mitchell, gifted church musician who helped me with worship in the early church and put his head on his desk while I read aloud the part about Paul’s execution

  Joyce Chrismon, a patient and attentive friend

  Marie Davis, a soul sister, who brings joy to my heart

  Dr. Ron Dubois who told me years ago that I ought to write a book

  Don and Mary McBride, my beloved brother and sister-in-law, who let me read to them

  Suzanane Shonnard who told me about a splendid thing

  Deborah Edgar who cried as I read to her from the manuscript (always a good sign)

  Margaret Taylor who went with me to the mountain

  Jerrie Lohr, my friend and favorite English teacher

  My friends in the Builder’s Class who kept asking, “When will it be published?”

  Earlene Jesse and her wonderful women of the Women’s Missionary Union of Virginia who have given me a platform

  And most of all, my deepest gratitude to Bill Damon, my husband and technical guru, who is happy when I write

  PREFACE

  When the emperor Claudius ordered his legions to invade Britain in 43 AD, the young Rufus Pudens went to war as aide to General Aulus Plautius. Their most formidable foe was the King of Siluria (Wales), Caradoc, called Caractacus by the Romans. A scant four years before the Roman invasion, as a result of persecution, preachers from Jerusalem, Eubulus and Joseph of Arimathea among them, went to Britain preaching a new gospel. Members of the British royal family embraced Christianity as a result of that preaching.

  For seven years Caradoc held off the Roman armies. Never conquered, but most foully betrayed by a kinswoman, he and all his family were carried captive into Rome. There, he stood before the Roman Senate to plead for his life. No woman had ever stood before that tribunal, but Caradoc’s daughter, Gladys, just sixteen, bravely stood beside her father as he addressed the Senate. After granting Caradoc clemency, Claudius adopted young Gladys and gave her the name Claudia after himself, thus sealing an alliance between Britain and Rome.

  The family was housed for the seven years of Caradoc’s sentence at the grand villa of Senator Rufus Pudens Pudentia. His home became known as the Paladium Britanicum and later The Apostolorum. It became the house church of the gentiles in Rome. There Paul, half brother to Rufus Pudens, lived at times with his family. When Paul was imprisoned, the family ministered to him. When he was executed, they followed with him to the block and claimed his body which they interred in the family tombs.

  Rufus Pudens and Claudia married and had four children. Their two daughters, Praxedes and Pudentiana, grew up to do God’s work—recovering and burying remains of many martyred Christians. They were ultimately martyred along with other members of their family. Claudia, alone, died a natural death. Christians around the world owe a debt of gratitude to those early believers.

  Theirs is the Kingdom is a fictionalized account of the story of the British royal family, their captivity, and their becoming a part of the first gentile Christian church in Rome. The book is set against a dual background: court life in Rome during one of the most turbulent periods of history, and the life and writings of Paul, the great apostle to the gentiles.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Time Line of Roman Emperors

  Life of Paul

  Roman family connections

  Endorsements

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Preface

  The Legend

  The Ballad of the Savior Wife

  “Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Chrisus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, as arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed.”

  Tacitus, Annals, lib. v, pp. 43–51

  “Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus and Claudia, and all the brethren.”

  II Timothy 4:21

  “Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.”

  Romans 16:13

  “The cradle of the ancient British Church was a royal one; herein being distinguished from all other churches, for it proceeded from the daughter of the British king, Caractacus, Claudia Rufina, a royal virgin, the same who was afterward the wife of Aulus Rufus Pudens, the Roman senator, and the mother of a family of saints and martyrs.”

  Moncaeus Atrebas, In Syntagma, p. 38 as quoted in St. Paul in Britain by Richard Morgan

  “Ecclesia Britannica ab incanabulis Regia et Apostolica.”

  “The British Church was from its cradle Apostolical and Royal.”

  As quoted in Andrew Gray, The Origin and Early History of Christianity in Britain, p. 38

  THE LEGEND

  “The triquetra is an ancient symbol dating back at least five thousand years. Many cultures and religions consider the number three holy or divine.”

  Barbara Walker

  Before anyone thought of recording time, when life was short and the world was dangerous, people had just begun to live in families. Women planted and men hunted, but some men worked with metals.

  An artisan, Aethelwredd by name, was, upon a day, returning to his keep. He saw movement in the grass. He stopped, listened, and then, laughing, ran toward his child whose hair glinted gold and red in the setting sun. The child startled. She took one step toward the running man, arms upflung in welcome. At that moment, they both saw the coiled serpent. As quick as lighening flash, Aethelwredd picked up the child and flung her aside. At the same instant, the fangs of the serpent found their mark in Aethelwredd’s heel. The man was felled. His leg numbed as the venom worked its paralyzing evil. He cried out for help, his voice joining the screams of the terrified child.

  Hildreth came with rock in hand. She crushed the head of the serpent, ground his head under her heel and cut him in two parts. One part she flung to the setting sun. One part she flung into the tall grass. She cut with flint the flesh of Aethelwredd. She squeezed the wound til blood flowed free. Putting her mouth to his heel, she sucked blood and venom. She spit out vile poison. She tied a cord around Aethelwredd’s leg and swung the child to her shoulders. She carried the child on her back while she dragged Aethelwredd to the keep. Day and night she kept her vigil. Aethelwredd lived.

  In gratitude he fashioned for her a talisman—a circle of gold. Within it he placed three oblong shapes. “One for me. One for you. One for the child. The circle is the keep wherein we dwell secure.”

  Note: This legend was lost until 2003 when “The Ballad of the Savior Wife” was discovered
and translated by Old English scholar Marianne Booker.

  THE BALLAD OF THE SAVIOR WIFE

  O sing the might of Aethelwredd

  Who saved the child from serpent fangs.

  The fangs found flesh of Aethelwredd.

  Deep plunged the fangs, the death blow dealt.

  O sing the might of Aethelwredd

  Who dying cried a curse on curse.

  O sing the greater might of she

  Who heard his cries and running came

  To crush the head of serpent coiled

  And cut the flesh of Aethelwredd.

  O sing of greater might of she

  Who sucked the blood and venom mixed.

  She saved the life of Aethelwredd

  And gathered up her child and he

  Who saved the child from evil fate.

  O sing praise of Aethelwredd,

  The child, the wife of strength and might.

  O sing his praise who fashioned fair

  The amulet of golden light.

  Sing praises to the savior wife

  Who wears the talisman of gold,

  A circle fastening up the ones

  Who dwell secure within the fold.*

  *A better translation for “fold” would be “keep.” Keep, n. The strongest and most secure place in the castle; often used as a place of residence, esp. during a siege.

  NARRATORS

  Bran–Father of Caradoc; former King of Siluria; arch Druid; sometimes called Bran, the blessed

  Caradoc (Caractacus)–King of Siluria; father to Cynon, Linus, Ergain and Gladys Claudia