Yes — Rome allowed Jewish religious practices because it viewed Judaism as an ancient religion, unlike Christianity which was new.
Les Feldick says Rome's pagan respect for antiquity was the key. The Romans protected Jewish temple worship and guaranteed the safe arrival of tithes and offerings from across the empire, and they let Jewish authorities handle their own religious matters. Christianity, however, was new and claimed a King above Rome, so Rome tried to stamp it out. Scripture shows the latitude Jewish leaders had in Acts 7 and Acts 26, though it does not give Rome's motive.
Acts 7:57-58 — This stoning of Stephen shows the Jewish authorities exercising deadly force in a religious matter, which Les says Rome allowed only because it was a Jewish situation.
Acts 26:10 — Paul's testimony shows that he had authority under the chief priests to imprison and vote against Jewish believers, illustrating the latitude Rome gave the Jewish religion.
The Book of Acts records several instances in which Jewish religious leaders acted with authority under Roman rule. When Stephen was killed, the Jewish leaders cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, ran upon him with one accord, cast him out of the city, and stoned him (Acts 7:57-58). There is no record that Roman authorities interfered or punished the participants. Paul himself later testified that he once thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus, and he did them in Jerusalem — shutting up many of the saints in prison with authority from the chief priests and giving his voice against them when they were put to death (Acts 26:9-10). The Bible does not explain why Rome permitted these actions; it simply reports them. For the rationale, Les Feldick turns to Roman respect for antiquity.
Les Feldick's explanation is that Rome, though pagan, respected any religion that was ancient. Judaism qualified because it reached back into antiquity; Rome saw it as established before Rome itself. For that reason, Rome 'put up with' the Jewish religion, allowed temple worship, and, as Les says, guaranteed safe arrival of the tithes and offerings that Jews sent to Jerusalem from throughout the empire. Rome even let the Jews handle their own religious system, so that Jewish authorities could imprison and even kill Jewish believers without Rome intervening — something Rome would never have allowed against Gentiles. Christianity was the opposite: it was new, it claimed a King above Rome, and Rome tried to stamp it out. This contrast explains why Paul could walk into Rome's capital even as persecution of Christians began, and why the Jews could kill Stephen while Rome looked the other way.
Les gives several practical ways Rome showed tolerance. Jewish believers continued to maintain temple worship and legalism, and huge sums of tithes and offerings came from the far ends of the Roman Empire to the temple; Rome never intercepted a dime but guarded the offerings' safe arrival. Les also says the Roman Empire gave Jewish religious people their freedom for the most part, even though Jews sometimes gave Rome problems and Rome could come down harshly on them. The Jewish leaders were even permitted to kill their own in religious matters, which Rome would never have allowed against a Gentile.
Christianity was not ancient in Rome's eyes, so it did not receive the same tolerance. Les says that as soon as Christianity made itself known, Rome did everything it could to stamp it out. He lists two reasons: it was relatively new, and it claimed a King with power above Rome. That enraged the Romans, in contrast to their hands-off treatment of the ancient Jewish religion.
The New Testament shows the practical effect of Rome's hands-off policy. Stephen was stoned by the Jewish authorities without Roman interference (Acts 7:57-58). Paul describes having received authority from the chief priests to imprison Jewish believers and says he gave his voice against them when they were put to death (Acts 26:10). These passages show the religious autonomy Rome allowed the Jews, although the Bible does not supply Rome's explicit motive.
Jewish Authority Under Chief Priests
Les shows that Jewish believers kept temple worship and legalism, and Paul later admitted he imprisoned and voted for the death of Jewish believers — underscoring the religious authority Rome allowed.
Rome's Respect for Ancient Religion
Les directly states that Rome, though pagan, respected any ancient religion and therefore put up with Judaism, while it tried to stamp out Christianity once it appeared.
Roman Protection of Temple Offerings
Les notes that Rome guaranteed safe passage for Jews' tithes and offerings to the temple, protected the Jewish religion, yet persecuted Christianity because it was new and claimed a king above Rome.
Temple Offerings Guaranteed Safe
Les says Roman authorities guaranteed the safe arrival of offerings to the temple, showing Rome had no problem with Judaism but tried to stamp out Christianity.
Jewish Freedom in the Empire
Les says the Roman Empire gave Jewish religious people their freedom for the most part, even though it sometimes dealt with them harshly.
Jews Allowed to Handle Their Own
Les says Rome let Jews handle their own religious system; a Jew would never have gotten away with stoning a Gentile, but Jewish leaders were permitted to kill their own in the name of religion.
What Does "Only Begotten Son of God" Really Mean?
All right, now again let's go back to Romans 11, where we were in our last program for just a second. Unfortunately, it didn't always remain that way. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after Christianity began to permeate the Roman Empire, that instead of causing the Jew to envy, it caused the Jew to hate him.
Paul's Gospel of Grace: From Acts to Romans Explained
Not the heads of the Christian community, probably down in the catacombs already, but instead he still has that heart for Israel. And so he calls for the chief of the Jews, and when they were come together, he said of them, men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, that is Israel, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of t…
Acts 7:57-58: Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
Shows the Jewish authorities executing Stephen without Roman interference, illustrating the latitude Rome gave the Jewish religion.
Acts 26:9-10: I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
Paul's own account of using Jewish authority to imprison and condemn believers shows the religious autonomy Rome permitted.
Les says the Jews gave Rome problems and Rome sometimes came down on them rather harshly. But for the most part, the Roman Empire gave Jewish religious people their freedom.
Les explains that Rome let the Jews pretty much handle their own religious system. A Jew would never have gotten away with stoning a Gentile, but the Jewish leaders were permitted to kill their own in the name of their religion, and Rome did nothing.
Rome considered Christianity new. It also claimed a King with power above Rome, which infuriated Romans. Les says Rome did everything it could to stamp out Christianity while continuing to protect the ancient Jewish religion.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul's Gospel Is Different From Peter's — Acts 9 & Galatians 1