Analyze the impact of Paul of Tarsus and his contribution to the development of Christianity.

Christianity today has over 2.1 billion adherents throughout the world and is well established as the universal, monotheistic religious belief system that has developed since the life, death and resurrection (around 32 AD) of Jesus Christ. However, as Jesus was a Jew, the beginnings of Christianity revolved around the fact that Jesus had adapted the strict rules of Judaism to focus on loving human relationships. This meant that the followers of Jesus for the first 100 years after his death were merely a very small sect of Judaism and the message of Jesus was confined only to Jewish adherents. One man, however, Paul of Tarsus, is today considered to be the forefather of Christianity and the “13th Apostle”. He developed the doctrine that would turn Christianity from a small sect of Judaism into a worldwide faith that was open to all. Through analysis of Paul’s life, his journeys and sources such as his Letters in the Bible, one can see the significant impact this figure has made in the development of Christianity- such as challenging the status of Jews as “God’s chosen ones”, developing Christian communities around the Roman Empire and laying foundations in theology.

Paul was born in Tarsus, modern-day Turkey as Saul and worked as a tent-maker. Significantly, he had the privilege of being a Roman citizen and a Jewish Pharisee, which due to the context of the time influenced Paul to be a persecutor of the “followers of Jesus”, or followers of “the Way” that were on the increase. As he writes in Philippians 3.4-6, “…following the law of the Pharisees, in my zeal a persecutor of the church.” The persecution of one follower of Jesus, Stephen, occurred in front of Paul’s eyes in Jerusalem and as he watched the man being stoned to death he decided to extend his persecution to other cities- primarily Damascus.

Paul set out around 34CE, but on the road to Damascus he experienced a vision that would symbolize the turning pivot in the development of Christianity, as it is known today. As written in by Paul in Acts 22.6, “I fell to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me...I am Jesus of Nazareth.” Paul was blinded and led to Damascus, where he became certain that his vision of Jesus symbolized his calling to spread the Gospel. His sight was restored by a disciple called Ananias and he was baptized as a follower of Jesus. This conversion, or metanoia that Paul experienced enabled him to believe that he had been given a divine mission in his epiphany to go to preach the word of God and the salvation brought by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul’s practice was to enter a town, seek employment there, gradually getting to know people and then start talking about both the experiences he had in coming to know Christ and teachings of Jesus.

The extent of the change Paul implemented on the small “Jesus-sect” was extensive- he argued that salvation was for all, and challenged the Jewish notion of being “God’s chosen ones.” This saw a dramatic shift from Rabbinic Judaism as he began to convert gentiles to followers of Jesus. Paul established many Christian communities around the Roman Empire, such as in Corinth, Galatia and Ephesus and Philippi. Paul was a very driven and enthusiastic man, which enabled him to travel extensively and preach persuasively, converting Jews and gentiles; he was also able to do this because of his establishment as a Jew and as a Roman citizen. These characteristics gave Paul great influence in spreading his opinions in both Roman cities and Jewish synagogues. Paul was also against those who made money through beliefs and religious practices, most clearly demonstrated in his opposition of the exorcism of a Philippian slave girl.

Paul undertook three extensive journeys in his lifetime- in 44,48 and 55 CE that geographically spread Christianity across the massive Roman Empire- modern day countries