THE APOSTLE PAUL
Whatever tales may have spun out of the antiquity of time, Jesus was not the initiator of Christianity as we know it. The division between Jews and Christians did not begin with the death of Christ. Indeed, many of his teachings have been lost forever for none of his disciples ever wrote a single word down. Although this religion, established solidly upon this man, does not even regard Jesus in most of the New Testament (Collier). The man behind the curtain, the usurper, and divider was an Apostle who never met Christ. In fact, he twisted and filled his letters to the Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians with thoughts and quotes from Jesus that filled his own idea of what form Christianity should take. The Apostle Paul was that man. Argued among scholars and historians, the actual division between Christianity and Judaism took place at different periods throughout history. However, at the roots of Christianity, there are two key players: Paul and Jesus Christ (Collier). Whether or not the separation took place with the existence of one and the words of another conflict reigns. Christians regard Jesus as the initiator of their religion. His life and death speak for itself, fashioned in the foundations of Christianity. Paul is regarded as the profuse linguist of the Word. He was the scholar who interpreted the meaning of Jesus ' life and furthermore, clarified how his death was integral to salvation (Collier).
The foundations
Many years have passed since this person was alive but he is still the most influential figure for the lives of many today. He is an apostle who has the most letters in the Bible and teaches the audience a great truth about the Lord. The Apostle Paul lived a horrific life since he preached the word of God and because of it he was punished, imprisoned, and on occasion he barely escaped death. Even though this would happen to him often, it never discouraged him or brought him to a halt in serving the Lord and stop preaching. The Apostle Paul knew that it would all be worth it and even stated that for him to live is Christ and to die is to gain. By looking at his life there is a huge ironic concept; Paul was a persecutor of the church, he went into homes searching for Christians so that he can put them in prison.
Analyse the contribution that Paul of Tarsus had on the development and expression of Christianity.
The earliest recorded text teaching Christianity has its roots buried deep within Judaism. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, created a new ideology of worship. The Messiah is the savior for all people and of all sins. Paul carried the message of the Messiah to the Gentiles. His missionary journeys and establishment of churches enabled the spreading of the message throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity grew in acceptance; those that believed in the Messiah separated and began to worship on their own. This marked the beginning of the split of Judaism and Christianity.
Jesus is the center of Christianity, but without Paul, Christianity would never exist. Paul organized Jesus’s disciples after Jesus’s death. Paul introduced Christianity to Non-Jewish people. He was extremely talented at converting others. The New Testament is largely based off Paul’s teachings. Paul also shaped the way Christianity thinks, he was the man who took a small cult and shaped it so that it would become a world religion; Paul was the most important figure to the growth of Christianity, even more than Jesus of Nazareth.
Christianity over the course of history has a vast influence on individuals, society and the way believers conduct themselves. It provides morals, practices and ethics that every Christian attempts to live by. Throughout the many denominations in the Christian church, Paul of Tarsus had a significant influence on the faith. His contribution to the development and expression of Christianity is immense and can be seen to stem from his writing and missionary journeys which have implemented his ideas and interpretations onto the development of Christianity. After Jesus, Paul was arguably the most significant figure in Christianity as his teachings form a significant part of the New Testament. Like may other Pharisees of that time in history, Paul sought to suppress the early Christian movement. He accused early Christians of blaspheming against God and breaking Mosaic Law. However, Paul had a life-changing experience when he had a vision of Jesus, and he spent the remainder of his life as a missionary for the early church. Centuries after his ministry, his teachings still influence Christian theology.
As long as Paul could remember he had his giant glasses on and was told he couldn’t see without them. But even though Paul can see fine without them. Paul, unfortunately, deals with this on a day to day basis. We discover who Paul is and how significant events changed him. Paul also experiences switching schools. We see how Paul sees the world and his perspective on certain events.
Christianity grew out of Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It is centered on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who those who are called Christians believe to be the son of God and the savior of mankind. Nazareth at the time of Jesus’ birth (around 4 BCE) was Roman-occupied Palestine, a Jewish province of the Roman Empire. And with his birth, the beginnings of Christianity. According to the Gospels, Jesus began a public ministry sometime in his late twenties. He was one of many Jewish preachers of the time who viewed themselves as prophets. He called twelve men to be his disciples, and together they traveled around Palestine, preaching about the
The New Perspective on Paul is a view which reexamines the first century context in which Paul wrote and thus certain messages he conveys in his Epistles. It challenges the traditional views on various doctrines drawn from Paul’s writings during the Reformation, suggesting the Reformers were incorrect in their interpretations. While the New Perspective on Paul is certainly thought provoking and even brings up some good points regarding historical context, the Church should treat it with caution and not regard it as a replacement for the traditional views of justification, righteousness, or salvation.
People have thought wrongly about the Jewish religion back in Jesus’ time. We all thought Judaism was a legalistic religion. However, this is not the case. This is what started a new way of thinking about justification and Paul. This leads us to the New Perspective on Paul. In this paper, we will discuss where the New Perspective on Paul came from, what it is exactly as well as my personal thoughts on this subject. It all started in 1977 when E.P. Sanders wrote a book about this topic. Others come along and add their ideas to this new idea. Soon it became known to the world as NPP.
Answering God’s call to proclaim Christ, Paul and Barnabas left the church at Antioch in Syria. At first, their method of evangelism was to preach in the town synagogues. But when many of the Jews rejected Christ, the missionaries recognized God’s call of witnessing to the Gentiles.
The first written accounts or evidence of diversity in early Christianity can be found in Paul’s first letters from about 50-62 CE. His letters explain that there were Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire before there were written Gospels and provide a look into the life of early Christian communities. Furthermore, first letters were written to non-Jewish congregations and advocated for Christian’s total freedom from the bondage of Mosaic Law (Harris, 2014; Borg, 2012). In the Gospel of Matthew, the opposite is proposed in that converted Jews should continue obedience to the Mosaic Law. There are also other documents decades after Jesus’ life that tell of his significance in their historical context.
It seems strange that so little is known biographically about one of the most important figures in Christian history, but this only serves to add to the mystery and grandeur surrounding the Apostle Paul of Tarsus. Much, however, is known of the time after his conversion to Christ and what he did to contribute to Christianity in this period, and it is this that leaves a greater legacy than the simple facts of his life. The contributions that he made towards the cause of Christ and the spreading and formation of Christianity are what he is perennially remembered for.
Christianity is one of the oldest religions. It began in Roman Palestine when Judaism was the political religion of the Roman State. The first major event of Christianity was the birth of it all, the birth of Jesus. During Jesus’s time, Judaism was characterize by strict monotheism. So, when a man comes forth claiming He is the God and essentially the son of God, the Christian movement first began. He was inevitably crucified due to treasons of claiming He was God. However, He had twelve disciples that followed Him. After Jesus’s death, they scattered about and taught the word of God. This lead to the growth of Jesus followers, who were soon called Christians.
St Paul of Tarsus is a significant figure in Christianity due to his major contributions of writings and letters which form a significant amount of the New Testament. St Paul is considered to be the forefather of Christianity after Jesus. Paul had a major impact on these spread of Christianity through his mission journeys, contributing to the religious traditions and helping expand Jesus’ original teachings. The reason behind Paul being a significant person in Christianity is because he contributed to the development of Christianity.
Ephesian 6:10-20 states Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.