Continuing in parallel with the lectionary (Matthew's Gospel), we came to the point of confrontation between Pharisees and Jesus, who is healing the lame man's hands On The Sabbath. The discussion came up: why are the (schooled/achievement-based expertise) Pharisees so reactionary (hereditary Saducces were learned and held religious special status, but they are not reported in confrontation with Jesus in the same way that Pharisees do)? The solution seems to be that the Pharisees were a relatively recent group at the time of Jesus' life. They rose much in reaction to the encroachment of economic and cultural dominance of the Romans. So while the heyday for classical Greece was around 400 B.C.E. for the Romans the rise to prowess began with the Punic wars in the 200s BCE. That's when the Palestine (Levant) encroachments began and the Pharisee tradition arose.
Next question: when did a universal church rise up (compared to the ancient, primitive house-churches that Paul tends over with their diverse contexts and cultural baggage)?
Answer: it arose in coincidence with Constantine III declaring the empire to support and follow Christianity. Since Rome was the cultural capital, it was natural to expect prominence equally among religions: the biggest and best also would be in Rome. And yet forever --primitive times and since then to now today (include E/W schism, reformation "separated bretheren), there has been discord and disagreement, as well as variance in interpreting the scriptures.
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