Character Help
This is an in-depth view into how you can create your character, and any information needed to do so.
The first thing you need to do is name your character. This will be influenced by a number of things, like gender and nationality. As far as gender goes, you can choose one of two possibilities - male or female. The idea of women aiding the church is biblical, but they can also expect a little hostility. This might make the game much more interesting. As far as nationality goes, you can be Hebrew, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Syrian, or one of any nation around at the time. I don't expect to see too many Indians and Chinese, or Aztecs, or English, or Zulu, or whatever, but you have quite a bit of choice. Do a little research if you want something flashy.
The common Hellenistic mode for naming people at the time was by a name and their nearest male relative, and/or their name and their city of origin. Thus, Jesus was called "Jesus, son of Joseph", or, he was "Jesus of Nazereth," or a combination of the two. Likewise, the apostle Paul was "Paul of Tarsus." This counted for both Hebrews and Greeks, and for many other nations that were once a part of Alexander's empire.
The typical Roman name consisted of three proper nouns, the Praenomen, Nomen, and Cognomen. For more information on available names and forms, go to http://www.novaroma.org/via_romana/names.html .
After you've determined who your character is, you should decide where they came from, not only location-wise, but history-wise as well. They should have a mother and a father. Siblings are quite common in an age where the average family had far more than today's 2.4 children. Also, you should have a history, like what events transpired in your life, and how you became a christian, and what's happened since then. You might have had a career, or a spouse. Be creative. Be historical. Enjoy yourself.
Next, we'll discuss the topic of spiritual gifts. Some of the more showy ones, such as tongues and healings, were still somewhat common, or at least more common than they are today. Here's the comprehensive list that we have at the moment for you:
Exhortation - the gift of encouraging, comforting, consoling, and counseling those in need and helping them grow closer to God.
Giving - the gift of giving freely of things you have with no thought of safety or reward.
Leadership - the gift of guiding and directing a body of believers, getting them motivated to reach goals.
Mercy - the gift of empathy, feeling the suffering of others, and being able to comfort them with deeds of love.
Prophecy - the gift of relaying the message and will of the Lord to his people.
Service - the gift of recognizing any job needed in the church and performing it, no matter what the job is, how great or small.
Teaching - the gift of instructing others and communicating difficult ideas simply for those who need to hear them, encouraging spiritual growth.
Administration - the gift of planning and organizing important tasks and supervising those carrying them out.
Apostle - the gift of carrying the Word of God to new locations, providing leadership over church bodies and maintaining authority over spiritual matters pertaining to the church.
Discernment - the gift of determining the truth or error to a statement or doctrine, judging it to be from God, satan, or man.
Faith - the gift of unshakable confidence in the Lord's power to do his will to the good of all.
Healing - the gift of being used as a vessel by God to heal people physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
Helps - the gift of rendering support or assistance to others in the body so as to free them up for ministry.
Knowledge - the gift of gathering information and analyzing data about the Word of God, and the firm desire to do so.
Miracles - the gift of performing supernatural feats in front of witnesses to prove the power of God.
Tongues - the gift of speaking in an unlearned language to edify the body of Christ as a whole or a foreigner in particular.
Interpretation of Tongues - the gift of translating the message of one who speaks in tongues.
Wisdom - the gift of applying knowledge of life to give practical and true advice on certain issues or on living in general.
Evangelism - the gift of having a love of and devotion to the sharing of the Word of God to those who have never heard it before.
Pastor - the gift of bearing the responsibility for protecting, guiding, and spiritually feeding a group of believers.
Celibacy - the gift of happily remaining single, and the ability to keep ones sexual impulses under control, to serve the Lord without distraction.
Hospitality - the gift of welcoming brothers or total strangers into ones home or church, making them feel comfortable and needed.
Martyrdom - the gift of total, unshakable desire to die for professing Christ.
Missionary - the gift of being able and willing to minister to a totally different culture.
Voluntary Poverty - the gift of willingly living a totally impoverished lifestyle to serve and aid those who need it.
I hope these help you in constructing your character!
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