Paul's Identity: Paul was born in Tarsus (Cilicia, modern-day Turkey) between 5 BCE and 5 CE. He was likely educated in Greek rhetoric and was a Roman citizen, a rare and significant status at the time. His original name was Saul, named after King Saul from the Tribe of Benjamin, to which Paul also claimed lineage.
From Persecutor to Apostle: By his own account, Paul was a zealous Pharisee who persecuted followers of Jesus until he experienced a spiritual conversion with the Risen Christ, transforming him into an adherent and apostle.
Sources of Paul's Life:
Paul's Own Writings: The most reliable and contemporary source, though not a biography, offering limited but direct details about his life and agenda. Authentic letters include 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, 2 Corinthians, and Romans.
Luke/Acts: Written by an anonymous Christian around 80-110 CE, it makes Paul the central focus of the latter half of Acts. While it provides a narrative, its historical accuracy regarding Paul is questioned due to contradictions with Paul's own writings.
Pseudepigrapha: Other letters in Paul's name (e.g., Ephesians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus) are generally considered inauthentic by scholars due to anachronisms. Other apocryphal books like the Acts of Paul and Thecla also exist.
Contradictions between Acts and Paul's Writings:
Conversion Timeline: Acts states Paul immediately visited Jerusalem after conversion; Paul's letters claim he went to Arabia for three years first.
Jesus' Quotations: The famous "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" from Acts is absent in Paul's own accounts of his conversion.
Speeches in Acts: The speeches attributed to Paul in Acts contain non-Pauline themes and do not quote his authentic letters, suggesting the author of Acts did not have access to them or view them as authoritative.
The "We Passages" in Acts: Sections where the narrative shifts from third-person to "we" (e.g., Acts 16). Some interpret this as evidence of the author being a companion of Paul, but there's no scholarly consensus, and contradictions between Acts and Paul's letters remain a problem for this hypothesis.
Paul's Ministry and Conflicts:
Independent Ministry: Paul asserts his apostleship was directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father, not ordained by other apostles. He initially had little contact with the original 12 apostles.
Jerusalem Council (c. 49 CE): Paul went to Jerusalem to address concerns from "false believers" (likely from James's church) who questioned his teaching against Torah observance for Gentile converts. Paul claimed a positive outcome, recognizing his mission to the Gentiles.
Conflict with Peter in Antioch: Despite the supposed agreement, Paul publicly opposed Peter for withdrawing from eating with Gentiles when "certain men came from James," leading to Paul's companion Barnabas leaving him and Paul abandoning his churches in Syria and Cilicia to found new ones further west.
Condemnation of Torah Observance: This conflict solidified Paul's belief that "if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing."
Apostles in Early Christianity:
More than Twelve: The term "apostolos" (one who is sent) applied to many, not just the 12 disciples of Jesus.
Mendicant Lifestyle: Apostles were expected to travel in pairs, beg for sustenance, renounce property, and live on charity.
Spiritual Healers and Preachers: They were believed to have authority over spirits, cast out demons, heal the sick, and preach repentance and the gospel.
Inclusivity: Both men and women (e.g., Junia, Thecla in later tradition) served as apostles, sometimes in male-female pairings.
Challenges: The Didache, an early Christian text, highlights issues with false prophets/apostles who asked for money or did not practice what they preached.
Competing Theologies (Pauline vs. Jacobite/Jerusalem Church):
Pauline: Salvation by faith, not by works of the law ("Man is justified by faith and not by works"). Emphasized a "high Christology" (Jesus as fully divine).
Jacobite (James's Church): Adherence to the whole Jewish law was critical ("Man is justified by works and not by faith alone"). Believed Paul's teaching was a "license for immorality." Reflected in the Epistle of James and Matthew.
Paul's Final Effort and Fate:
Collection for Jerusalem: Paul initiated a large collection from his churches in Macedonia and Greece for the "poor of Jerusalem" (James's church), hoping for reconciliation.
Journey to Rome: Paul planned to deliver the collection personally and then travel to Spain to plant new churches, hoping the Roman Christian community would fund his mission.
Arrest in Jerusalem: According to Acts, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem after attempting purification rites in the temple, accused of bringing Greeks into the holy place.
Execution: Acts ends abruptly, but tradition states Paul was martyred outside Rome.
.Why Paul's Churches Won:
Surviving Writings: Paul's letters became authoritative and had lasting influence, shaping later Christian theology.
High Christology: His early formulation of Jesus as fully divine became a dominant doctrine.
Gentile Conversion: His emphasis on lowering the barrier to entry (no need for Jewish law observance) led to an explosion in Christian growth among non-Jews.
Decline of Jacobite Church: The execution of James and the destruction of Jerusalem led to the decline of the Jerusalem-centered, Torah-observant Christian communities, while Paul's Greek-speaking Gentile churches flourished.