Over the next few years, he travelled to Damascus and later Jerusalem. St Paul threw himself into missionary work. St Paul successfully argued that Gentiles (non-Jews) could be converted directly to Christianity and didn’t need to become Jews first. Before St Paul, followers of Jesus Christ were still associated with Judaism. St Paul’s teachings helped move the early sect of Judaism into the separate religion of Christianity. St Paul also negated the idea that Jews were a special people, due to their lineage from Abraham. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. St Paul taught that faith in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save sinners was the essence of Christianity. St Paul taught that old religious rites, such as circumcision were no longer necessary. St Paul became involved in doctrinal disputes amongst the early followers of Christ. St Paul explained that he was a servant of Jesus Christ and his unexpected conversion to ardent Christian was due to the Grace of God and not reason or intellect. After his vision and healing, he proclaimed the divinity of Jesus Christ and dedicated his life to spreading the Christian message. He heard the voice of Jesus Christ, asking Saul, “why persecutest thou me?” Saul replied, “Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”įor three days after the vision, he remained blind and undertook a fast He later healed of his blindness by a Christian – Ananias of Damascus. However, on the road to Damascus, he reported to being blinded by a vision of Jesus Christ. He couldn’t assimilate that with how a Messiah would be treated.Ĭonversion of St Paul – Michelangelo BuonarrotiĪround 31-36 AD, St Paul relates how he became converted from a persecutor of Christians to a devout follower. One reason St Paul was so critical of the new sect which followed Jesus Christ was the fact he was appalled that Jesus died a ‘criminal’s death’ on the cross. This included taking part in the stoning of Stephen, a Christian. He admitted to participating “beyond measure” in the persecution of Christians. In his daily life, he was a tent maker.ĭuring his early life, St Paul was a Pharisee – a group of Jewish people who administered the law. In addition to learning religious scriptures, he also studied Greek philosophers and was well acquainted with the Stoic philosophers, who advocated a virtuous acceptance of life as a path to happiness. He grew up in Jerusalem and was brought up by Gamaliel, a leading authority in the Jewish religious establishment (Sanhedrin). He was also born a Roman Citizen in Tarsus, Cilicia, South Turkey. St Paul, also known as Saul, ethnically was Jewish, coming from a devout Jewish family. However, on the road to Damascus, he underwent a conversion and became a committed Christian himself. St Paul was both Jewish and a Roman citizen in his early life, he took part in the persecution of Christians. In particular, St Paul emphasised the role that salvation is based on faith and not religious customs. His writings and epistles form a key section of the New Testament St Paul helped to codify and unify the direction of the emerging religion of Christianity. St Paul was an influential figure in the early development of Christianity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |