Paul Of Tarsus A Christian Perspective Essay - 1149 Words

Paul of Tarsus was not one of the original twelve apostles, but apparently he had an epiphany while traveling to Damascus and became a Christian. Even more than that, Paul founded many of the tenets of Christianity and transformed it into a universal religion. Because of Paul, Christianity wasn t limited to Judaism, but became a Greco-Roman religion, open to all. He made Jesus divine, born of a Virgin, descended from the House of David, laid the basis for Original Sin, redefined the definition of chosen people to mean those who accept Jesus as Savior and put forth the idea of transubstantiation. Note that the Gospels were written after Paul s conversion and his own writings. It was important that Paul was a Roman citizen; he was able to travel about the Empire freely. Paul argued that the message, the good news should not be limited to Jews, but that Jesus of Nazareth came to save all mankind and his death atoned for the sins of all humans and makes possible their salvation (another Pauline concept). After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Christians spread throughout the Mediterranean, taking their religion with them. Since they believe that Judgment Day was any day now, it was important to convert as many people as possible so they could be saved. Christianity was an urban movement. Rural areas tend to be very conservative and traditional. Every major urban center in the Empire had some sort of Christian community. At first, these Christian communitiesShow MoreRelatedThe Life And Writings Of Paul Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesThe life and writings of Paul Paul the Apostle, also known as Saul of Tarsus, is one of the most important figures in the New Testament. 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