Luke, lover of God;
To Antipas and Rufinus, noblemen and civic benefactors;
Greetings.
Stachys has arrived to a busy household. We are preparing a feast and expect many local Christians to join us in rejoicing before God. So I must be brief. To add to our joy, we have received news that Calpurnius arrived safely in Caesarea after a six-day journey by ship. He is probably in Jerusalem even as I write this.
Clearly, your engagement with my monograph on Jesus honors me greatly. I am in your debt. Nonetheless, having read quickly through your two digests, I feel constrained to write with urgent advice. It is imperative that you seek out the Christians who gather in the house of Antonius. Your experiences in the house of Kalandion [see digest 2 below] are not representative of all Christian gatherings. A full investigation of the matter requires your attendance at the gathering of Christians in Antonius’s house. They would be eager to meet with you, and you could send them my greetings. They regularly discuss what they know of Jesus and would welcome the chance to hear my monograph about him. In fact, some from among their number are seeking to live their lives on the basis of Jesus’s own lifestyle, so you could inquire of them about your concerns. A few among their number, such as Antonius and his wife, Mania, are wellborn, so you would have peers among their gathering.
I will respond to your digests as time permits. I expect to be able to send my responses with Stachys when he next visits us.
Stachys has endeared himself with Calpurnius’s household. He is welcome here always, even when most of Calpurnius’s household is engrossed in celebratory preparation.
May the father of our Lord Jesus Christ be gracious to you.