St. Paul

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St. Paul, the indefatigable Apostle of the Gentiles, was converted from Judaism on the road to
Damascus. He remained some days in Damascus after his Baptism, and then went to Arabia, possibly
for a year or two to prepare himself for his future missionary activity. Having returned to Damascus, he
stayed there for a time, preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. For this he
incurred the hatred of the Jews and had to flee from the city. He then went to Jerusalem to see Peter
and pay his homage to the head of the Church.
Later he went back to his native Tarsus, where he began to evangelize his own province until called by
Barnabus to Antioch. After one year, on the occasion of a famine, both Barnabus and Paul were sent with
alms to the poor Christiancommunity at Jerusalem. Having fulfilled their mission they returned to
Antioch.
Soon after this, Paul and Barnabus made the first missionary journey, visiting the island of Cypress, then
Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia, all in Asia Minor, and establishing churches at Pisidian Antioch,
Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.
After the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem Paul, accompanied by Silas and later also by Timothy and
Luke, made his second missionary journey, first revisiting the churches previously established by him
in Asia Minor, and then passing through Galatia. At Troas a vision of a Macedonian was had by Paul,
which impressed him as a call from God to evangelize in Macedonia. He accordingly sailed for Europe,
and preached the Gospel in Philippi. Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, and Corinth. Then he returned
to Antioch by way of Ephesus and Jerusalem.
On his third missionary journey, Paul visited nearly the same regions as on the second trip, but
madeEphesus where he remained nearly three years, the center of his missionary activity. He laid plans
also for another missionary journey, intending to leave Jerusalem for Rome and Spain. Persecutions
by theJews hindered him from accomplishing his purpose. After two years of imprisonment at Caesarea
he finally reached Rome, where he was kept another two years in chains.
The Acts of the Apostles gives us no further information on the life of the Apostle. We gather, however,
from the Pastoral Epistles and from tradition that at the end of the two years St. Paul was released from
his Roman imprisonment, and then traveled to Spain, later to the East again, and then back to Rome,
where he was imprisoned a second time and in the year 67, was beheaded.
St. Paul untiring interest in and paternal affection for the churches established by him have given us
fourteen canonical Epistles. It is, however, quite certain that he wrote other letters which are no longer
extant. In his Epistles, St. Paul shows himself to be a profound religious thinker and he has had an
enduring formative influence in the development of Christianity. The centuries only make more apparent
his greatness of mind and spirit. His feast day is June 29th.

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from Wikipedia
Paul the Apostle (Greek: Παῦλος Paulos, c.5 – c. 67), original name Saul of
Tarsus (Greek:Σαῦλος Saulos),
[4]
was a Christian missionary who took the gospel of Christ to the first-
century world.
[5]
He is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age.
[6][7]
In
the mid-30s to the mid-50s, he founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Paul used his status
as both a Jew and a Roman citizen to advantage in his ministry to both Jewish and Roman audiences.
[5]

A native of Tarsus, the capital city in the Roman province of Cilicia,
[2]
Paul wrote that he was
"a Hebrewborn of Hebrews", a Pharisee,
[8]
and one who advanced in Judaism beyond many of his peers.
He zealously persecuted the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth and violently tried to destroy the newly
forming Christian church. Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus radically changed the
course of his life.
[5]

After his conversion, Paul began to preach that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
[9]
His leadership,
influence, and legacy led to the formation of communities dominated by Gentile groups that worshiped
Jesus, adhered to the "Judaic moral code", but relaxed or abandoned the ritual and dietary teachings of
the Law of Moses. He taught that these laws and rituals had either been fulfilled in the life of Christ or
were symbolic precursors of Christ, though the exact relationship between Paul the Apostle and
Judaism is still disputed. Paul taught of the life and works of Jesus Christ and his teaching of a New
Covenant, or "new testament",
[10]
established through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Fourteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament have been attributed to Paul, and
approximately half of the Acts of the Apostles deals with Paul's life and works. However, only seven of
the epistles can be accepted as being entirely authentic. The authorship of Hebrews has the most doubt
cast against it. The other six are believed to have come from followers writing in his name, using material
from Paul's surviving letters and letters written by him that no longer survive.
[5][6][11]

Today, his epistles continue to be deeply rooted in the theology, worship, and pastoral life in the Roman
and Protestant traditions of the West, as well as the Orthodox traditions of the East.
[12]
Among the many
other apostles and missionaries involved in the spread of the Christian faith,
[5]
his influence on Christian
thought and practice has been characterized as being as "profound as it is pervasive".
[12]
Augustine of
Hippo developed Paul's idea that salvation is based on faith and not "works of the law".
[13]
Martin Luther's
interpretation of Paul's writings heavily influenced Luther's doctrine of sola fide. TheBible does not record
Paul's death.
Contents
 1 Sources
 2 Names
 3 Early life
 4 Conversion and mission
o 4.1 Damascus Road
o 4.2 Post-conversion
o 4.3 Early ministry
o 4.4 First missionary journey
o 4.5 Second missionary journey
o 4.6 Third missionary journey
o 4.7 Journey to Rome and beyond
o 4.8 Council of Jerusalem
o 4.9 Incident at Antioch
o 4.10 Visits to Jerusalem in Acts and the epistles
o 4.11 Last visit to Jerusalem and arrest
 5 His final days spent in Rome
 6 Hardships
 7 Writings
o 7.1 Basic message
o 7.2 Authorship
o 7.3 Atonement
o 7.4 Relationship with Judaism
o 7.5 World to come
o 7.6 Role of women
o 7.7 Views on homosexuality
 8 Influence on Christianity
o 8.1 Lord's Supper
o 8.2 Eastern tradition
o 8.3 Western tradition
o 8.4 Modern theology
 9 Church tradition
 10 Literary analysis
o 10.1 Writing styles
o 10.2 Gnosticism
 11 See also
 12 References
o 12.1 Notes
o 12.2 Bibliography
 13 Further reading
 14 External links
Sources[edit source | edit]
Further information: Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles

The Conversion of Saul, a fresco byMichelangelo, 1542-1545.
The main source for information about Paul's life is the material found in his epistles and in the book of
Acts. However, these epistles contain little information about Paul's past. The book of Acts also recounts
Paul's career but leaves several parts of Paul's life out of its narrative, such as his probable but
undocumented execution in Rome.
[14]

Sources outside of the New Testament that mention Paul include:
 Pope Clement I's epistle to the Corinthians (late 1st/early 2nd century)
 Ignatius of Antioch's letter To the Romans (early 2nd century)
 Polycarp's letter to the Philippians (early 2nd century)
 The 2nd century document Martyrdom of Polycarp
Names[edit source | edit]
Although it has been popularly assumed that his name was changed when he converted from Judaism to
Christianity, which happened during his encounter with Christ on the Road to Damascus,
[Acts 9:1-19]
that is
not the case.
[15]
His Jewish name was "Saul" (Hebrew: לואָ ש, Modern Sha'ul Tiberian Šāʼûl ; "asked for, prayed
for, borrowed"), perhaps after the biblical King Saul, a fellow Benjamite and the first king of Israel. The
testimony of the book of Acts is that he inherited Roman citizenship from his father. As a Roman citizen
he also bore the Latin name of "Paul"
[16]
—in biblical Greek: Παῦλος (Paulos),
[17]
and in Latin:
Paulus.
[18][Acts 16:37]

[22:25-28]
It was quite usual for the Jews of that time to have two names, one Hebrew, the
other Latin or Greek.
[16]

In the book of Acts, when he had the vision that led to his conversion on the Road to Damascus, Jesus
called him "Saul, Saul",
[19]
in the Hebrew tongue, Aramaic.
[20]
Later, in a vision to Ananias of Damascus,
"the Lord" referred to him as "Saul, of Tarsus".
[21]
When Ananias came to restore his sight, he called him
"Brother Saul".
[22]

In Acts 13:9, Saul is called Paul for the first time on the island of Cyprus — much later than the time of his
conversion. The author (Luke) indicates the names were interchangeable: "...Saul, who also is called
Paul...". He thereafter refers to him as Paul, apparently Paul's preference since he is called Paul in all
other Bible books where he is mentioned, including those he authored. Adopting his Roman name was
typical of Paul's missionary style. His method was to put people at their ease and to approach them with
his message in a language and style they could relate to.
[15]

Early life[edit source | edit]

Geography relevant to Paul's life, stretching from Jerusalem to Rome.
The two main sources of information by which we have access to the earliest segments of Paul's career are
the Bible's Book of Acts and the autobiographical elements of Paul's letters to the early church
communities. Paul was likely born between the years of 5 BC and 5 AD.
[23]
The Book of Acts implies that
Paul was a Roman citizen by birth, more affirmatively describing his father as such, but some scholars
have taken issue with the evidence presented by the text.
[24][Acts 16:37][Acts 22:25-29]

His was a devout Jewish family in the city of Tarsus—one of the largest trade centers on the
Mediterranean coast.
[25]
It had been in existence several hundred years prior to his birth. It was renowned
for its university, one in which students could receive a superior education. During the time of Alexander
the Great, Tarsus was the most influential city in Asia Minor.
[26]

Stoicism was the dominant philosophy there. In addition to his becoming steeped in Orthodox Pharisaic
Judaism, his early life in Tarsus allowed him to learn "Classic Greek", Greek philosophy, and Koine
Greekwhich was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire, spoken by the common people.
[27]
In his letters,
Paul reflected heavily from his knowledge of Stoic philosophy, using Stoic terms and metaphors to assist
his new Gentile converts in their understanding of the revealed word of God.
[28]

He would also rely heavily on the training he received concerning the law and the prophets, utilizing this
knowledge to convince his Jewish countrymen of the unity of past Old Testament prophecy and covenants
with the fulfilling of these in Jesus Christ.
[27]
His wide spectrum of experiences and education gave the
"Apostle to the Gentiles"
[Rom. 1:5]

[11:13]

[Gal. 2:8]
the tools which he later would use to effectively spread the
Gospel and to establish the church solidly in many
[29]
parts of the Roman Empire.
[27]

Paul referred to himself as being "of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the
Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee".
[Phil. 3:5]

The Bible reveals very little about Paul's family. Paul's nephew, his sister's son, is mentioned inActs 23:16.
Acts also quotes Paul indirectly referring to his father by saying he, Paul, was "a Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee".
[Acts 23:6]
Paul refers to his mother in Romans 16:13 as among those at Rome. InRomans 16:7 he
states that his relatives, Andronicus and Junia, were Christians before he was and were prominent among
the apostles.
The family had a history of religious piety.
[2 Timothy 1:3][30]
Apparently the family lineage had been very
attached to Pharisaic traditions and observances for generations.
[Philippians 3:5-6]
Young Saul learned how to
make the mohair with which tents were made.
[Acts 18:1-3]
Later as a Christian missionary, that trade became
a means of support for him, one that he could practice anywhere. It also was to become an initial
connection with Priscilla and Aquila with whom he would partner in tentmaking
[Acts 18:3]
and later become
very important teammates as fellow missionaries.
[Rom. 16:4]

While he was still fairly young, he was sent to Jerusalem to receive his education at the school
ofGamaliel,
[Acts 22:3]
one of the most noted rabbis in history. The Hillel school was noted for giving their
students a balanced education, likely giving Paul broad exposure to classical literature, philosophy, and
ethics.
[27]
Some of his family may have resided in Jerusalem since later the son of one of his sisters saved
his life there.
[Acts 23:16]
Nothing more is known of his background until he takes an active part in the
martyrdom of Stephen.
[Acts 7:58-60;22:20]
Paul confesses that "beyond measure" he persecuted the church of
God prior to his conversion.
[Gal. 1:13-14]

[Phil. 3:6]

[Acts 8:1-3]

Conversion and mission[edit source | edit]
Main article: Conversion of Paul
Damascus Road[edit source | edit]

Conversion on the Way to Damascus (1601), by Caravaggio
Paul's conversion can be dated to 31–36
[31][32][33]
by his reference to it in one of his letters.
[14]
There are
three accounts of his conversion (Greek: μετάνοια metanoia) in the Acts of the Apostles: Acts 9:1-31, 22:1-
22, and 26:9-24.
It took place on the road to Damascus where he reported to have experienced a vision of the resurrected
Jesus. The account in Acts 9 says that both Saul/Paul and the men that were with him heard the voice
asking, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" (The account in Acts 22:9 says his companions saw the
light, but did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to Saul.) Saul asked, "Who are you,
lord?", to which the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the
city, and you will be told what you must do".
[34]

From that experience he was blinded for three days and had to be led into Damascus by the hand. His
sight was restored byAnanias of Damascus. This extraordinary life-changing experience and revelation
convinced Paul that God indeed had chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah. Luke, the author of Acts of
the Apostles, likely learned of his conversion from Paul, from the church in Jerusalem, or from the church
in Antioch.
[34]

Paul's letters do not refer directly to this experience on the Damascus road. In Galatians 1:16 he writes
that God "was pleased to reveal his son to me". In 1 Corinthians 15:8, in listing the order in which Jesus
appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, Paul says "last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared
to me also".(NASB) These two passages have been interpreted to refer to his road to Damascus conversion
experience which he elsewhere had described as the resurrected Jesus appearing to him, but in none of
his own epistles does he mention that profound epiphany.
Post-conversion[edit source | edit]
At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were
astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this
name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and
more influential and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
— Acts 9:20-22
Paul said that he received the Gospel not from any man, but by "the revelation of Jesus Christ".
[Gal 1:11-
16]
Paul claimed independence from the Jerusalem community
[3]:pp.316–320
(possibly in the Cenacle), but
was just as quick to claim agreement with it on the nature and content of the gospel.
[Gal 1:22-24]

In the opening verses of Romans 1, Paul provides a litany of his own apostolic appointment to preach
among the Gentiles
[Gal. 1:16]
and his post-conversion convictions about the risen Christ.
[6]

 Paul described himself as
o a servant of Christ Jesus
o having experienced an unforeseen, sudden, startling change, due to all-powerful grace—not the fruit
of his reasoning or thoughts.
[Gal. 1:12-15]

[1 Cor. 15:10]

o having "seen" Christ as did the other Apostles when Christ "appeared" to him
[1 Cor. 15:8]
as He appeared
to Peter, to James, to the Twelve, after His Resurrection
[1 Cor. 9:1]

o called to be an apostle
o set apart for the gospel of God
 Paul described Jesus as
o having been promised by God beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures
o being the true messiah and the Son of God
o having biological lineage from David ("according to the flesh")
[35]

o having been declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his
resurrection from the dead
o being Jesus Christ our Lord
o the One through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith
for the sake of his name among all the nations, "including you who are called to belong to Jesus
Christ"
 Jesus
o lives in heaven
o is God's Son
o would soon return
[6]

 The Cross
o he had believed death by crucifixion was a shameful sign that signified being cursed by God
o he now believed Jesus' death was a voluntary sacrifice that reconciled sinners with God
[Rom. 5:6-
10]

[Phil. 2:8]

 The Law
o he had believed the law (Jewish Torah) kept people in a right relationship with God
[Gal. 2:16][Gal. 3:12]

o he now believed the law only reveals the extent of people's enslavement to the power of sin—a power
that must be broken by Christ
[Rom. 3:20b]

[7:7-12]

 Gentiles
o he had believed Gentiles were outside the covenant that God made with Israel
o he now believed Gentiles and Jews were united as the people of God in Christ Jesus
[Gal. 3:28]

 Circumcision
o had believed circumcision was the rite through which males became part of Israel, an exclusive
community of God's chosen people
[Phil. 3:3-5]

o he now believed that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but that the new
creation is what counts in the sight of God,
[Gal. 6:15]
and that this new creation is a work of Christ in the
life of a believer, making them part of the church, an inclusive community of Jews and Gentiles
reconciled with God through faith
[Rom. 6:4]

 Persecution
o had believed his violent persecution of the church to be an indication of his zeal for his religion
[Phil. 3:6]

o he now believed Jewish hostility toward the church was sinful opposition that would incur God's
wrath
[1 Thess. 2:14-16]

[5]:p.236
He believed he was halted by Christ when his fury was at its height.
[Acts 9:1-
2]
It was "through zeal" that he persecuted the Church,
[Philippians 3:6]
and he obtained mercy because he
had "acted ignorantly in unbelief".
[1 Tim. 1:13][30]

 The Last Days
o had believed God's messiah would put an end to the old age of evil and initiate a new age of
righteousness
o he now believed this would happen in stages that had begun with the resurrection of Jesus, but the
old age would continue until Jesus returns
[Rom. 16:25]

[1 Cor. 10:11]

[Gal. 1:4]

[5]:p.236

Paul's writings give some insight into his thinking regarding his relationship with Judaism. He is strongly
critical both theologically and empirically of claims of moral or lineal superiority
[Rom. 2:16-26]
of Jews while
conversely strongly sustaining the notion of a special place for the Children of Israel.
[9-11]

What is remarkable about such a conversion is the changes in the thinking that had to take place. He had
to change his concept of who the messiah was, particularly what he had perceived as the absurdity of
accepting a crucified messiah. Perhaps more challenging was changing his conception of the ethnic
superiority of the Jewish people. There are debates as to whether Paul understood himself as
commissioned to take the gospel to the Gentiles at the moment of his conversion.
[36]

Early ministry[edit source | edit]

The house believed to be of Ananias of Damascus in Damascus.

Bab Kisan, believed to be where Paul escaped from persecution in Damascus.
After his conversion, Paul went to Damascus, where Acts states he was healed of his blindness
and baptized byAnanias of Damascus.
[37]
Paul says that it was in Damascus that he barely escaped
death.
[2 Cor. 11:32]
Paul also says that he then went first to Arabia, and then came back to
Damascus.
[Gal. 1:17][38]
Paul's trip to Arabia is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, and some suppose
he actually traveled to Mt. Sinai for meditations in the desert.
[39][40][41]
He describes in Galatians how three
years after his conversion he went to Jerusalem. There he met James and stayed with Simon Peter for 15
days.
[Gal. 1:13-24]
Afterwards, Paul proclaims that Mount Sinai is located in Arabia.
[Gal. 4:24-25]

Paul asserted that he received the Gospel not from an apostle, but directly by the revelation of Jesus
Christ.
[Gal. 1:11-12]
Paul claimed almost total independence from the Jerusalem community
[3]:pp.316–320
and yet
appeared eager to bring material support to Jerusalem from the various budding Gentile churches that he
planted. In his writings, Paul persistently used the persecutions he claimed to have endured, in terms of
physical beatings and verbal assaults, to claim proximity and union with Jesus and as a validation of his
teaching.
Paul's narrative in Galatians states that 14 years after his conversion he went again to Jerusalem.
[Gal. 2:1-
10]
It is not completely known what happened during these 'unknown years', but both Acts and Galatians
provide some partial details.
[42]
At the end of this time,Barnabas went to find Paul and brought him back
to Antioch.
[Acts 11:26]

When a famine occurred in Judea, around 45–46,
[43]
Paul and Barnabas journeyed to Jerusalem to deliver
financial support from the Antioch community.
[44]
According to Acts, Antioch had become an alternative
center for Christians following the dispersion of the believers after the death of Stephen. It was in Antioch
that the followers of Jesus were first called "Christians".
[Acts 11:26]

First missionary journey[edit source | edit]
The author of the Acts arranges Paul's travels into three separate journeys. The first journey,
[Acts 13-14]
led
initially by Barnabas,
[45]
takes Paul from Antioch to Cyprus then southern Asia Minor (Anatolia), and back
to Antioch. In Cyprus, Paul rebukes and blinds Elymas the magician
[Acts 13:8-12]
who was criticizing their
teachings. From this point on, Paul is described as the leader of the group.
[46]

They sail to Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas go
on to Pisidian Antioch. On Sabbath they go to the synagogue. The leaders invite them to speak. Paul
reviews Israelite history from life in Egypt to King David. He introduces Jesus as a descendant of David
brought to Israel by God. He said that his team came to town to bring the message of salvation. He
recounts the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. He quotes from the Septuagint
[47]
to assert that Jesus
was the promised Christos who brought them forgiveness for their sins. Both the Jews and the 'God-
fearing' Gentiles invited them to talk more next Sabbath. At that time almost the whole city gathered. This
upset some influential Jews who spoke against them. Paul used the occasion to announce a change in his
mission which from then on would be to the Gentiles.
[Acts 13:13-48]

Antioch served as a major Christian center for Paul's evangelizing.
[3]

Second missionary journey[edit source | edit]

Saint Paul delivering the Areopagus sermon in Athens, by Raphael, 1515. This sermon addressed early
issues inChristology.
[48][49]

Paul leaves for his second missionary journey from Jerusalem, in late Autumn 49,
[50]
after the meeting of
theCouncil of Jerusalem where the circumcision question was debated. On their trip around the
Mediterranean sea, Paul and his companion Barnabas stopped in Antioch where they had a sharp
argument about taking John Mark with them on their trips. The book of Acts said that John Mark had left
them in a previous trip and gone home. Unable to resolve the dispute, Paul and Barnabas decided to
separate; Barnabas took John Mark with him, while Silasjoined Paul.
Paul and Silas initially visited Tarsus (Paul's birthplace),Derbe and Lystra. In Lystra, they met Timothy, a
disciple who was spoken well of, and decided to take him with them. The Church kept growing, adding
believers, and strengthening in faith daily.
[Acts 16:5]

In Philippi, Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a servant girl, whose masters were then unhappy about
the loss of income her soothsaying provided. (Acts 16:16–24) They turned the city against the
missionaries, and Paul and Silas were put in jail. After a miraculous earthquake, the gates of the prison
fell apart and Paul and Silas could have escaped but remained; this event led to the conversion of the
jailor.(Acts 16:25–40) They continued traveling, going by Berea and then to Athens where Paul preached
to the Jews and God-fearing Greeks in the synagogue and to the Greek intellectuals in theAreopagus.
Around 50–52, Paul spent 18 months in Corinth.
[14]
The reference in Acts to Proconsul Gallio helps
ascertain this date (cf. Gallio inscription).
[14]
In Corinth, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla who became faithful
believers and helped Paul through his other missionary journeys. The couple followed Paul and his
companions to Ephesus, and stayed there to start one of the strongest and most faithful churches at that
time. In 52, the missionaries sailed to Caesarea to greet the Church there and then traveled north to
Antioch where they stayed for about a year before leaving again on their third missionary journey.
[51]

Third missionary journey[edit source | edit]
Paul began his third missionary journey by traveling all around the region of Galatia and Phrygia to
strengthen, teach and rebuke the believers. Paul then traveled to Ephesus, an important center of early
Christianity, and stayed there for almost three years. He performed numerous miracles, healing people
and casting out demons, and he apparently organized missionary activity in other regions.
[52]
Paul left
Ephesus after an attack from a local silversmith resulted in a pro-Artemis riot involving most of the
city.
[14]
During his stay in Ephesus, Paul wrote four letters to the church in Corinth admonishing them for
their pagan behavior.
[34]

Paul went through Macedonia into Achaea and made ready to continue on to Syria, but he changed his
plans and traveled back through Macedonia because of Jews who had made a plot against him. At this
time (56–57), it is likely that Paul visited Corinth for three months.
[14]
In Romans 15:19 Paul wrote that he
visited Illyricum, but he may have meant what would now be called Illyria Graeca,
[53]
which lay in the
northern part of modern Albania, but was at that time a division of the Roman province of Macedonia.
[54]

Paul and his companions visited other cities on their way back to Jerusalem such as Philippi, Troas,
Miletus, Rhodes, and Tyre. Paul finished his trip with a stop in Caesarea where he and his companions
stayed with Philip the Evangelist before finally arriving at Jerusalem.
[55]

[Acts 21:8-10]

[21:15]

Journey to Rome and beyond[edit source | edit]
After Paul's arrival in Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey, he became involved in a
serious conflict with some "Asian Jews" (most likely from Roman Asia). The conflict eventually led to
Paul's arrest and imprisonment in Caesarea for two years. Finally, Paul and his companions sailed for
Rome where Paul was to stand trial for his alleged crimes. Acts states that Paul preached in Rome for two
years from his rented home while awaiting trial. It does not state what happened after this time, but some
sources claim that Paul was freed by Nero and continued to preach in Rome, even though that seems
unlikely based on Nero's historical cruelty to Early Christians. It is possible that Paul also traveled to other
countries like Spain and Britain.
[56]
See His final days spent in Rome section below.
Among the writings of the early Christians, Clement of Rome said that Paul was "Herald (of the Gospel of
Christ) in the West", and that "he had gone to the extremity of the west".
[57][58]
Chrysostom indicated that
Paul preached in Spain: "For after he had been in Rome, he returned to Spain, but whether he came
thence again into these parts, we know not".
[59]
Cyril of Jerusalem said that Paul, "fully preached the
Gospel, and instructed even imperial Rome, and carried the earnestness of his preaching as far as Spain,
undergoing conflicts innumerable, and performing Signs and wonders".
[60]
The Muratorian
fragmentmentions "the departure of Paul from the city [of Rome] [5a] (39) when he journeyed to
Spain".
[61]

Council of Jerusalem[edit source | edit]
Main article: Council of Jerusalem
See also: Circumcision controversy in early Christianity
Most scholars agree that a vital meeting between Paul and the Jerusalem church took place some time in
the years 48 to 50,
[14]
described in Acts 15:2 and usually seen as the same event mentioned by Paul
inGalatians 2:1.
[14]
The key question raised was whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised.
[62]
At
this meeting, Paul claims in his letter to the Galatians that Peter, James, and John accepted Paul's mission
to the Gentiles.
Jerusalem meetings are mentioned in Acts, in Paul's letters, and some appear in both.
[63]
For example, the
Jerusalem visit for famine relief
[Acts 11:27-30]
apparently corresponds to the "first visit" (to Cephas and James
only).
[Gal. 1:18-20][63]
F. F. Bruce suggested that the "fourteen years" could be from Paul's conversion rather
than from his first visit to Jerusalem.
[64]

Incident at Antioch[edit source | edit]
Main article: Incident at Antioch
Despite the agreement achieved at the Council of Jerusalem, as understood by Paul, Paul recounts how he
later publicly confronted Peter in a dispute sometimes called the "Incident at Antioch", over Peter's
reluctance to share a meal with Gentile Christians in Antioch because they did not strictly adhere to
Jewish customs.
[65]

Writing later of the incident, Paul recounts, "I opposed [Peter] to his face, because he was clearly in the
wrong", and says he told Peter, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it,
then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?"
[Gal. 2:11-14]
Paul also mentions that even Barnabas,
his traveling companion and fellow apostle until that time, sided with Peter.
[66]

The final outcome of the incident remains uncertain. The Catholic Encyclopedia
[67]
suggests that Paul won
the argument, because "Paul's account of the incident leaves no doubt that Peter saw the justice of the
rebuke". L. Michael White's From Jesus to Christianity draws the opposite conclusion: "The blowup with
Peter was a total failure of political bravado, and Paul soon left Antioch as persona non grata, never again
to return".
[68]

The primary source account of the Incident at Antioch is Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Visits to Jerusalem in Acts and the epistles[edit
source | edit]
This table is adapted from White, From Jesus to Christianity.
[63]
Note that the matching of Paul's travels
in the Acts and the travels in his Epistles is done for the reader's convenience and is not approved of by all
scholars.
Last visit to Jerusalem and arrest[edit source | edit]
Paul arrived in Jerusalem on his fifth and final visit to Jerusalem
[Acts 21:17ff]
in 57 with a collection of money
for the community there.
[14]
Acts reports that he was warmly received. But Acts goes on to recount how
Paul was warned by James and the elders that he was gaining a reputation for being against the Law,
"teaching all the Jews living among the gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise
their children or observe the customs".
[Acts 21:21]
Paul underwent a purification ritual in order to give the
Jews no grounds to bring accusations against him for not following their law. Paul caused a stir when he
appeared at the Temple, and he escaped being killed by the crowd by voluntarily being taken into Roman
custody. When a plot to kill Paul on his way to an appearance before the Jews was discovered, he was
transported by night to Caesarea. He was held as a prisoner there for two years, until a new governor
reopened his case in 59. When the governor suggested that he be sent back to Jerusalem for further trial,
Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen to "appeal unto Caesar".
[14]

His final days spent in Rome[edit source | edit]

Saint Paul arrested, early 1900s Bible illustration

The Beheading of Saint Paul. Painting by Enrique Simonet in 1887.
Acts recounts that on the way to Rome for his appeal as a Roman citizen to Caesar, Paul was shipwrecked
on "Melita" (Malta),
[Acts 28:1]
where he was met by Publius
[Acts 28:7]
and the islanders who showed him
"unusual kindness".
[Acts 28:2]
He arrived in Rome c. 60 and spent another two years under house arrest
(beyond his two years in prison in Caesarea).
[14][Acts 28:16]

Irenaeus of Lyons in the 2nd century believed that Peter and Paul had been the founders of the church in
Rome and had appointed Linus as succeeding bishop.
[72]
Paul was not a bishop of Rome, nor did he bring
Christianity to Rome since there were already Christians in Rome when he arrived there.
[Acts 28:14-15]
Also,
Paul wrote his letter to the church at Rome before he had visited Rome.
[Romans 1:1,7,11-13;15:23-29]
However, Paul
would have played an important role in the life of the early church at Rome.
[73]

Neither the Bible nor other sources say how or when Paul died, but Ignatius, probably around 110, writes
that Paul was martyred.
[74]
Christian tradition holds that Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of
Nero around the mid-60s at Tre Fontane Abbey (English: Three Fountains Abbey).
[75]
By comparison,
tradition states that Peter, who was not a Roman citizen, was given the more painful death of
being crucified upside-down.
[76]

In June 2009, Pope Benedict announced excavation results concerning the tomb of Paul at the Basilica of
Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The sarcophagus was not opened but was examined by means of a probe,
which revealed pieces of incense, purple and blue linen, and small bone fragments. The bone was
radiocarbon dated to the 1st or 2nd century. According to the Vatican, these findings are consistent with
the traditional claim that the tomb is Paul's.
[77]
The sarcophagus was inscribed in Latin saying, "Paul
apostle martyr".
[78]

Hardships[edit source | edit]
In 2 Corinthians 11:20-32 Paul provided a sampling of some of his adversities as a missionary. In
comparing his experiences to those of some of the "most eminent apostles", he wrote that he:
 worked much harder
 was in prison more frequently
 was flogged more severely
 had been exposed to death again and again (five times he received from the Jews the forty lashes minus
one, three times was beaten with rods, once he was pelted with stones)
 was shipwrecked three times, spending a night and a day in the open sea
 was constantly on the move
 had been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his fellow Jews, in danger from
Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false
believers
 had labored and toiled and had often gone without sleep
 had known hunger and thirst and had often gone without food
 had been cold and naked
 to escape arrest by the governor of Damascus, he was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall
and got away
He concluded: "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the
churches".
[Cor.%2011:28;&version=NIV; 2 Cor. 11:28]

Writings[edit source | edit]
Main article: Pauline Epistles
Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 bear Paul's name; 7 of these are widely considered authentic
and Paul's own, while the authorship of the other six is disputed.
[79][80][81]
The undisputed letters are
considered the most important sources since they contain what everyone agrees to be Paul's own
statements about his life and thoughts. Theologian Mark Powell writes that Paul directed these 7 letters to
specific occasions at particular churches. As an example, if the Corinthian church had not experienced
problems concerning its celebration of the Lord's Supper,
[1 Cor. 11:17-34]
today we would not know that Paul
even believed in that observance or had any opinions about it one way or the other. He asks if we might be
ignorant of other matters simply because no crises arose that promoted Paul to comment on them.
[5]:p.234

Although approximately half of the Book of Acts deals with Paul's life and works, the Book of Acts does
not refer to Paul writing letters. Historians believe that the author of Acts did not have access to any
ofPaul's letters. One piece of evidence suggesting this is that Acts never directly quotes from the Pauline
epistles. Discrepancies between the Pauline epistles and Acts would further support the conclusion that
the author of Acts did not have access to those epistles when composing Acts.
[82][83]

In Paul's writings, he provides the first written account of what it is to be a Christian and thus a
description of Christian spirituality. His letters have been characterized as being the most influential
books of the New Testament after the Gospels of Matthew and John.
[6]

Paul...only occasionally had the opportunity to revisit his churches. He tried to keep up his converts'
spirit, answer their questions, and resolve their problems by letter and by sending one or more of his
assistants (especially Timothy and Titus). Paul's letters reveal a remarkable human being: dedicated,
compassionate, emotional, sometimes harsh and angry, clever and quick-witted, supple in argumentation,
and above all possessing a soaring, passionate commitment to God, Jesus Christ, and his own mission.
Fortunately, after his death one of his followers collected some of the letters, edited them very slightly,
and published them. They constitute one of history's most remarkable personal contributions to religious
thought and practice.
[6]

Basic message[edit source | edit]
E.P. Sanders finds three major emphases in Paul's writings:
[6]

 His strongest emphasis was on the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ. He preached that
one's faith in Jesus assures that person a share in Jesus' life (salvation). He saw Jesus' death as being
for the believers' benefit, not a defeat. Jesus died so that believers' sins will be purged.
 The resurrection of Jesus was of primary importance to Paul as may be seen in his first letter to the
Thessalonians
[1 Thes. 1:9-10]
which is the earliest surviving account of conversion to the Christian
movement.
 The resurrection brought the promise of salvation to believers. Paul taught that those who died in
Christ would be raised when Christ returned, while those still alive would be "caught up in the clouds
together with them to meet the Lord in the air".
[1 Thes. 4:14-18]

Sanders concludes that Paul's writings reveal what he calls the essence of the Christian message:
1. God sent his Son.
2. The Son was crucified for the benefit of humanity.
3. After being dead three days, the Son was raised from the dead defeating death.
4. The Son would soon return.
5. Those who belonged to the Son would live with him forever.
6. Followers are to live by the highest moral standard—"May your spirit and soul and body be kept
sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ".
[1 Thes. 5:23]

Authorship[edit source | edit]

Paul Writing His Epistles, painting probably by Valentin de Boulogne, 17th century.
Main article: Authorship of the Pauline Epistles
Seven of the 13 books that are attributed to Paul –Romans, 1st Corinthians, 2nd
Corinthians, Galatians,Philippians, 1st Thessalonians and Philemon – are almost universally accepted as
being entirely authentic (dictated by Paul himself).
[6][79][80][81]
They are considered the best source of
information on Paul's life and especially his thought.
[6]

Four of the letters (Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) are widely considered pseudepigraphical, while
the authorship of the other two is subject to debate.
[79]
Colossians, and 2nd Thessalonians are thought by
some to be "Deutero-Pauline" meaning they may have been written by Paul's followers after his death.
Similarly, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, and Titus may be "Trito-Pauline" meaning they may have been
written by members of the Pauline school a generation after his death. According to their theories, these
disputed letters may have come from followers writing in Paul's name, often using material from his
surviving letters. These scribes also may have had access to letters written by Paul that no longer
survive.
[6]

Paul's letters were largely written to churches which he had visited; he was a great traveler,
visitingCyprus, Asia Minor (modern Turkey), mainland Greece, Crete, and Rome. His letters are full of
expositions of what Christians should believe and how they should live. His most explicit references to the
life of Jesus are of the Last Supper
[1 Cor. 11:17-34]
and the crucifixion and resurrection.
[1 Cor. 15]

He provides few references to Jesus' teachings,
[1 Cor. 7:10-11]

[9:14]
leading some theologians to question how
consistent was his account of the faith with that of the four canonical Gospels, the Book of Acts, and
the Epistle of James.
The authenticity of Colossians has been questioned on the grounds that it contains an otherwise
unparalleled description (among his writings) of Jesus as "the image of the invisible God", a Christology
found elsewhere only in John's gospel.
[84]
However, the personal notes in the letter connect it to
Philemon, unquestionably the work of Paul. Internal evidence shows close connection with Philippians.
[85]

Ephesians is a letter that is very similar to Colossians, but is almost entirely lacking in personal
reminiscences. Its style is unique. It lacks the emphasis on the cross to be found in other Pauline writings,
reference to the Second Coming is missing, and Christian marriage is exalted in a way which contrasts
with the reference in 1 Cor. 7:8-9. Finally, according to R.E. Brown, it exalts the Church in a way
suggestive of a second generation of Christians, 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets'
now past.
[86]
The defenders of its Pauline authorship argue that it was intended to be read by a number of
different churches and that it marks the final stage of the development of Paul's thinking. It has to be
noted, too, that the moral portion of the Epistle, consisting of the last two chapters, has the closest affinity
with similar portions of other Epistles, while the whole admirably fits in with the known details of Paul's
life, and throws considerable light upon them.
[85]


Russian Orthodox icon of the Apostle Paul, 18th century
(Iconostasis ofTransfiguration Church,Kizhi Monastery, Karelia,Russia)

Saint Paul, Byzantine ivory relief, 6th – early 7th century (Musée de Cluny)
Three main reasons have been advanced by those who question Paul's authorship of 1 Timothy,
2 Timothy, and Titus—also known as thePastoral Epistles.
 First, they claim there is a difference in these letters' vocabulary, style, and theology from Paul's
acknowledged writings. Defenders of the authenticity note that they were probably written in the name
and with the authority of the Apostle by one of his companions, to whom he distinctly explained what
had to be written, or to whom he gave a written summary of the points to be developed, and that when
the letters were finished, Paul read them through, approved them, and signed them.
[85]

 Second, some believe there is a difficulty in fitting them into Paul's biography as we have it.
[87]
They,
like Colossians and Ephesians, were written from prison but suppose Paul's release and travel
thereafter.
[85]

 Third, 2 Thessalonians, like Colossians, is questioned by some on stylistic grounds, with some noting,
among other peculiarities, a dependence on 1 Thessalonians—yet a distinctiveness in language from the
Pauline corpus. This, again, is explainable by the possibility that Paul requested one of his companions
to write the letter for him under his dictation.
[85]

Atonement[edit source | edit]
Main article: Atonement in Christianity
Paul wrote down much of the theology of atonement.
[88]
Paul taught that Christians are redeemed from
the Law (see Supersessionism) and from sin by Jesus' death and resurrection.
[88]
His death was an
expiation as well as a propitiation, and by Christ's blood peace is made between God and
man.
[88]
By baptism, a Christian shares in Jesus' death and in his victory over death, gaining as a free gift a
new, justified status of sonship.
[88]

Relationship with Judaism[edit source |edit]
Main article: Paul the Apostle and Judaism
Some scholars
[who?]
see Paul (or Saul) as completely in line with 1st-century Judaism (a Pharisee and
student of Gamaliel as presented by Acts), others see him as opposed to 1st-century Judaism
(notablyMarcionism), while the majority see him as somewhere in between these two extremes, opposed
to "Ritual Laws" (for example thecircumcision controversy in early Christianity) but in full agreement on
"Divine Law". These views of Paul are paralleled by the views of Biblical law in Christianity.
Paul's theology of the gospel accelerated the separation of the messianic sect of Christians from Judaism,
a development contrary to Paul's own intent.
[14]
He wrote that faith in Christ was alone decisive in
salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike, making the schism between the followers of Christ and mainstream
Jews inevitable and permanent.
[14]
He argued that Gentile converts did not need to become Jews, get
circumcised, follow Jewish dietary restrictions, or otherwise observe Mosaic laws to be
saved.
[14]
Nevertheless, in Romans he insisted on the positive value of the Law, as a moral guide.
E.P. Sanders' publications
[89]
have since been taken up by Professor James Dunn who coined the phrase
"The New Perspective on Paul".
[90]
N.T. Wright,
[91]
the Anglican Bishop of Durham, notes a difference in
emphasis between Galatians and Romans, the latter being much more positive about the continuing
covenant between God and his ancient people than the former. Wright also contends that performing
Christian works is not insignificant but rather proof of having attained the redemption of Jesus Christ by
grace (free gift received by faith).
[Rom. 2:13ff]
He concludes that Paul distinguishes between performing
Christian works which are signs of ethnic identity and others which are a sign of obedience to Christ.
[91]

World to come[edit source | edit]
See also: Christian eschatology, Second Coming, End times, and World to Come
According to Ehrman, Paul believed that Jesus would return within his lifetime.
[92]
He states that Paul
expected that Christians who had died in the mean time would be resurrected to share in God's kingdom,
and he believed that the saved would be transformed, assuming supernatural bodies.
[92]

Paul's teaching about the end of the world is expressed most clearly in his letters to the Christians at
Thessalonica. Heavily persecuted, it appears that they had written asking him first about those who had
died already, and, secondly, when they should expect the end. He assures them that the dead will rise
first and be followed by those left alive.
[1 Thes. 4:16ff]
This suggests an imminence of the end but he is
unspecific about times and seasons, and encourages his hearers to expect a delay.
[93]
The form of the end
will be a battle between Jesus and the man of lawlessness
[2 Thess. 2:3][30]
whose conclusion is the triumph of
Christ.
Role of women[edit source | edit]
Main article: Paul the Apostle and women
See also: 1 Timothy 2:12 ("I suffer not a woman")
The second chapter of the first letter to Timothy—one of the six disputed letters—is used by many
churches to deny women a vote in church affairs, reject women from serving as teachers of adult Bible
classes, prevent them from serving as missionaries, and generally disenfranchise women from the duties
and privileges of church leadership.
[94]

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and
sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness
with sobriety.
—1 Timothy 2:9-15
The KJV translation of this passage taken literally says that women in the churches are to have no
leadership roles vis-à-vis men.
[95]
Whether it also forbids women from teaching children and women is
dubious as even those Catholic churches that prohibit female priests permit female abbesses to teach and
exercise authority over other females.
Fuller Seminary theologian J. R. Daniel Kirk
[96]
finds evidence in Paul's letters of a much more inclusive
view of women. He writes that Romans 16 is a tremendously important witness to the important role of
women in the early church. Paul praises Phoebe for her work as a deaconess and Junia who is described
by Paul in Scripture as being respected among the Apostles.
[Romans 16:7]
It is Kirk's observation that recent
studies have led many scholars to conclude that the passage in 1 Corinthians 14 ordering women to "be
silent" during worship was a later addition, apparently by a different author, and not part of Paul's
original letter to the Corinthians.
Other scholars, such as Giancarlo Biguzzi, believe that Paul's restriction on women speaking in
1 Corinthians 14 is genuine to Paul but applies to a particular case where there were local problems of
women—who were not allowed in that culture to become educated—asking questions or chatting during
worship services. He does not believe it to be a general prohibition on any woman speaking in worship
settings since in 1 Corinthians Paul affirms the right (responsibility) of women to prophesy.
[1 Cor. 11][97]

Biblical prophecy is more than "fore-telling": two-thirds of its inscripturated form involves "forth-telling",
that is, setting the truth, justice, mercy, and righteousness of God against the backdrop of every form of
denial of the same. Thus, to speak prophetically was to speak boldly against every form of moral, ethical,
political, economic, and religious disenfranchisement observed in a culture that was intent on building its
own pyramid of values vis-a-vis God's established system of truth and ethics.
[98]

Clearly there were women prophets in the highly patriarchal times throughout the Old Testament.
[98]
The
most common term for prophet in the Old Testament is nabi [ayib"n] in the masculine form, and
nab""a(h) [h'ayibn] in the Hebrew feminine form, is used six times of women who performed the same
task of receiving and proclaiming the message given by God. These women include Miriam, Aaron and
Moses' sister,
[Exod 15:20]
Deborah,
[Judges 4:4]
the prophet Isaiah's wife,
[Isa. 8:3]
and Huldah, the one who
interpreted the Book of the Law discovered in the temple during the days of Josiah.
[2 Kings 22:14][2 Chron.
34:22]
There were false prophetesses just as there were false prophets. The prophetess Noadiah was among
those who tried to intimidate Nehemiah.
[Neh 6:14]
Apparently they held equal rank in prophesying right
along with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elisha, Aaron, and Samuel.
[98]

Kirk's third example of a more inclusive view is Galatians 3:28:
There is neither...
...Jew nor Greek,
...slave nor free,
...male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
— Galatians 3:28 (ital. added)
In pronouncing an end within the church to the divisions which are common in the world around it, he
concludes by highlighting the fact that "...there were New Testament women who taught and had
authority in the early churches, that this teaching and authority was sanctioned by Paul, and that Paul
himself offers a theological paradigm within which overcoming the subjugation of women is an
anticipated outcome".
[99]

Classicist Evelyn Stagg and theologian Frank Stagg believe that Paul was attempting to "Christianize" the
societal household or domestic codes that significantly oppressed women and empowered men as the
head of the household. The Staggs present a serious study of what has been termed the New Testament
domestic code, also known as the Haustafel.
[100]
The two main passages that explain these "household
duties" are Paul's letters to the Ephesians 5:22-6:5 and to the Colossians 3:18-4:1. An underlying
Household Code is also reflected in four additional Pauline letters and 1 Peter: 1 Timothy 2:1ff., 8ff.; 3:1ff.,
8ff.; 5:17ff.; 6:1f.; Titus 2:1-10 and 1 Peter 2:13-3:9. Biblical scholars have typically treated theHaustafel in
Ephesians as a resource in the debate over the role of women in ministry and in the home.
[101]

Margaret MacDonald argues that the Haustafel, particularly as it appears in Ephesians, was aimed at
―reducing the tension between community members and outsiders.‖
[102]

E.P. Sanders has labeled the Apostle's remark in 1 Cor. 14:34-36 about women not making any sound
during worship as "Paul's intemperate outburst that women should be silent in the churches".
[89]
Women,
in fact, played a very significant part in Paul's missionary endeavors:
 He became a partner in ministry with the couple Priscilla and Aquila who are specifically named seven
times in the New Testament—always by their couple name and never individually. Of the seven times
they are named in the New Testament, Priscilla's name appears first in five of those instances,
suggesting to some scholars that she was the head of the family unit.
[103]
They lived, worked, and
traveled with the Apostle Paul, becoming his honored, much-loved friends and coworkers in Christ
Jesus.
[104]
In Romans 16:3-4, thought to have been written in 56 or 57, Paul sends his greetings to
Priscilla and Aquila and proclaims that both of them "risked their necks" to save Paul's life.
 Chloe was an important member of the church in Corinth
[1 Cor. 1:11]

 Phoebe was a "deacon" and a "benefactor" of Paul and others
[Rom. 16:1-2]

 Romans 16 names eight other women active in the Christian movement, including Junia ("prominent
among the apostles"), Mary ("who has worked very hard among you"), and Julia
 Women were frequently among the major supporters of the new Christian movement
[6]

Views on homosexuality[edit source | edit]
See also: Homosexuality in the New Testament
There are three passages in Paul's epistles that condemn homosexuality: Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians
6:9-10, and 1 Timothy 1:8-11
[30]

Influence on Christianity[edit source | edit]
Main article: Pauline Christianity
Paul's influence on Christian thinking arguably has been more significant than any other New Testament
author.
[6][13]
Paul declared that faith in Christ made the Torah unnecessary for salvation, exalted the
Christian church as the body of Christ, and depicted the world outside the Church as under judgment.
[14]

Lord's Supper[edit source | edit]
Paul's writings include the earliest reference to the "Lord's Supper",
[105]
a rite traditionally identified as
the Christian communion or Eucharist.
Eastern tradition[edit source | edit]
In the East, church fathers attributed the element of election in Romans 9 to divine foreknowledge.
[14]
The
themes of predestination found in Western Christianity do not appear in Eastern theology.
Western tradition[edit source | edit]
Augustine's foundational work on the gospel as a gift (grace), on morality as life in the Spirit, on
predestination, and on original sin all derives from Paul, especially Romans.
[14]

In the Reformation, Martin Luther expressed Paul's doctrine of faith most strongly as justification by faith
alone.
[14]
John Calvin developed Augustine's predestination into double predestination.
[14]

Modern theology[edit source | edit]
In his commentary The Epistle to the Romans (Ger. Der Römerbrief; particularly in the thoroughly re-
written second edition of 1922) Karl Barth argued that the God who is revealed in the cross of Jesus
challenges and overthrows any attempt to ally God with human cultures, achievements, or possessions.
Some theologians believe this work to be the most important theological treatise since Friedrich
Schleiermacher's On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers.
As in the Eastern tradition in general, Western humanists interpret the reference to election in Romans 9
as reflecting divine foreknowledge.
[14]

Church tradition[edit source | edit]

Statue of Saint Paul in Damascus
Various Christian writers have suggested more details about Paul's life.
1 Clement, a letter written by the Roman bishop Clement of Rome, around the year 90 reports this about
Paul:
[106]

"By reason of jealousy and strife Paul by his example pointed out the prize of patient endurance. After that
he had been seven times in bonds, had been driven into exile, had been stoned, had preached in the East
and in the West, he won the noble renown which was the reward of his faith, having taught righteousness
unto the whole world and having reached the farthest bounds of the West; and when he had borne his
testimony before the rulers, so he departed from the world and went unto the holy place, having been
found a notable pattern of patient endurance".
Commenting on this passage, Raymond Brown writes that while it "does not explicitly say" that Paul was
martyred in Rome, "such a martyrdom is the most reasonable interpretation".
[107]

Eusebius of Caesarea, who wrote in the 4th century, states that Paul was beheaded in the reign of
theRoman Emperor Nero. This event has been dated either to the year 64, when Rome was devastated by
a fire, or a few years later, to 67. According to one tradition, the San Paolo alle Tre Fontane church marks
the spot of Paul's execution. A Roman Catholic liturgical solemnity of Peter and Paul, celebrated on June
29, commemorates his martyrdom, and now reflects a tradition that Peter and Paul died on the same day
(and possibly the same year).
[108]
The Roman liturgical calendar for the following day now remembers all
Christians martyred in these early persecutions; formerly, June 30 was the feast day for St.
Paul.
[109]
Persons or religious orders with special affinity for St. Paul can still celebrate their patron or
founder on June 30.
[110]

The apocryphal Acts of Paul and the apocryphal Acts of Peter suggest that Paul survived Rome and
traveled further west. Some think that Paul could have revisited Greece and Asia Minor after his trip to
Spain, and might then have been arrested in Troas, and taken to Rome and executed.
[2 Tim. 4:13][30]
A
tradition holds that Paul was interred with Saint Peter ad Catacumbas by the via Appia until moved to
what is now the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History,
writes that Pope Vitalian in 665 gave Paul's relics (including a cross made from his prison chains) from
the crypts of Lucina to King Oswy of Northumbria, northern Britain. Paul is considered the patron saint
of London.
The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul is celebrated on January 25.
[111]

Literary analysis[edit source | edit]
See also: Pauline Christianity and Jesuism
Writing styles[edit source | edit]
British Jewish scholar Hyam Maccoby contended that the Paul as described in the book of Acts and the
view of Paul gleaned from his own writings are very different people. Some difficulties have been noted in
the account of his life. Paul as described in the Book of Acts is much more interested in factual history,
less in theology; ideas such as justification by faith are absent as are references to the Spirit, according to
Maccoby. He also pointed out that there are no references to John the Baptist in the Pauline Epistles,
although Paul mentions him several times in the book of Acts.
Others have objected that the language of the speeches is too Lukan in style to reflect anyone else's words.
Moreover, George Shillington writes that the author of Acts most likely created the speeches accordingly
and they bear his literary and theological marks.
[112]
Conversely, Howard Marshall writes that the
speeches were not entirely the inventions of the author and while they may not be accurate word-for-
word, the author nevertheless records the general idea of them.
[113]


A statue of Paul holding a scroll (symbolising the Scriptures) and the sword (symbolising his martyrdom)
F. C. Baur (1792–1860), professor of theology at Tübingen in Germany, the first scholar to critique Acts
and the Pauline Epistles, and founder of the Tübingen School of theology, argued that Paul, as the
"Apostle to the Gentiles", was in violent opposition to the original 12 Apostles. Baur considers the Acts of
the Apostles were late and unreliable. This debate has continued ever since, with Adolf Deissmann (1866–
1937) andRichard Reitzenstein (1861–1931) emphasising Paul's Greek inheritance and Albert
Schweitzer stressing his dependence on Judaism.
Gnosticism[edit source | edit]
A significant first century impact on Christianity was the development of Gnosticism, a mystery religion,
which among other things, rejected the god of the Jews as the Father of Jesus. Gnostics assert that the
former is a lesser, creative being and stands in contrast to the supreme deity as taught by Jesus.
[114][115]
It
was a religious movement that appealed to many of its time. Mark Powell says it became the bane of many
prominent church leaders as they sought to defend, what they believed to be the orthodox faith, from what
they labeled the "gnostic heresy". He compares the difficulty in describing it to trying to describe what is
meant today by "new age" religion or thinking.
[5]:pp.39-41

Some
[who?]
believe the Apostle Paul attacked Gnosticism in Colossians. Many subsequent Church Fathers
and councils attacked the Gnostics.
[citation needed]
Yet, according to Powell, throughout the second, third, and
fourth centuries Gnostic versions of Christianity constituted the primary alternatives to what is usually
thought of as "mainstream" Christianity.
[citation needed]

Elaine Pagels, professor of religion at Princeton University and an authority on Gnosticism, declined to
judge (in her book The Gnostic Paul) whether Paul was actually a Gnostic.
[116]
Instead, she concentrated
on how the Gnostics interpreted Paul's letters and how evidence from gnostic sources may challenge the
assumption that Paul wrote his letters to combat "gnostic opponents" and to repudiate their claims to
secret wisdom.
[117]

Maccoby theorized that Paul synthesized Judaism, Gnosticism, and mysticism to create Christianity as a
cosmic savior religion. According to Maccoby, Paul's Pharisaism was his own invention, though actually
he was probably associated with the Sadducees. Maccoby attributed the origins of
Christianantisemitism to Paul and claims that Paul's view of women, though inconsistent, reflects his
Gnosticism in its misogynist aspects.
[118]

Professor Robert Eisenman of California State University, Long Beach argues that Paul was a member of
the family of Herod the Great.
[119]
Eisenman makes a connection between Paul and an individual
identified by Josephus as "Saulus", a "kinsman of Agrippa".
[120]
Another oft-cited element of the case for
Paul as a member of Herod's family is found in Romans 16:11 where Paul writes, "Greet Herodion, my
kinsman".
According to Timo Eskola, early Christian theology and discourse was influenced by the
JewishMerkabah tradition.
[121]
Similarly, Alan Segal and Daniel Boyarin regard Paul's accounts of his
conversion experience and his ascent to the heavens as the earliest first person accounts we have of a
Merkabah mystic in Jewish or Christian literature. Conversely, Timothy Churchill has argued that Paul's
Damascus road encounter does not fit the pattern of Merkabah.
[122]

Among the critics of Paul the Apostle was Thomas Jefferson, a Deist, who wrote that Paul was the "first
corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus."
[123]
Christian anarchists, such as Leo Tolstoy
[124]
and Ammon
Hennacy,
[125]
take a similar view.
F.F. Powell argues that Paul, in his epistles, made use of many of the ideas of the Greek philosopherPlato,
sometimes even using the same metaphors and language.
[126]
For example, in Phaedrus, Plato
has Socrates saying that the heavenly ideals are perceived as though "through a glass dimly",
[127]
closely
mirroring Paul's language in 1 Corinthians 13.

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