Christianity today has more than 2.1 billion adherents worldwide and is well established as a religious belief system universal monotheist which has developed from life, death. and the resurrection (c. 32 AD) of Jesus Christ. However, because Jesus was Jewish, the beginnings of Christianity revolved around Jesus adapting the strict rules of Judaism to focus on loving human relationships. This meant that Jesus' followers for the first 100 years after his death were a very small sect of Judaism and that Jesus' message was limited only to Jewish adherents. However, one man, Paul of Tarsus, is today considered the ancestor of Christianity and the “13th Apostle”. He developed the doctrine that would transform Christianity from a small sect of Judaism into a global faith open to all. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Through analysis of Paul's life, his travels, and his sources such as his Letters in the Bible, one can see the significant impact this figure had in the development of Christianity - such as questioning the status of Jews as "God's chosen", the development of Christian communities around the Roman Empire and the posing of foundations in theology. Paul was born in Tarsus, in what is now Türkiye, 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 times, prompted Paul to be a persecutor of the "disciples of Jesus", or followers of " the Way”, which were increasing. . As he writes in Philppians 3:4-6, “…following the law of the Pharisees, in my zeal to persecute the church.” The persecution of a disciple of Jesus, Stephen, happened before Paul's eyes in Jerusalem and as he watched the man be stoned to death, he decided to expand his persecution to other cities , mainly in Damascus. Paul left around 34 CE, but on the road to Damascus he had a vision that would symbolize the turning point in the development of Christianity as we know it today. As Paul writes in Acts 22:6, “I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me…I am Jesus of Nazareth.” » Paul was blinded and taken to Damascus, where he became certain that his vision of Jesus symbolized his call to spread the gospel. His sight was restored by a disciple named Ananias and he was baptized as a disciple of Jesus. This conversion, or metanoia, that Paul experienced allowed him to believe that he had received a divine mission in his epiphany to go and 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 get to know the people, and then begin to speak both of the experiences he had in coming to know Christ and of the teachings of Jesus. The magnitude of the change that Paul brought to the small "Jesus sect" was considerable: he held that salvation was for all and challenged the Jewish notion of being "God's elect." This marked a radical departure from rabbinic Judaism as it began to convert Gentiles into followers of Jesus. Paul established many Christian communities around the Roman Empire, such as in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and Philippi. Paul was a highly motivated and enthusiastic man, which allowed him to travel widely and preach convincingly, converting Jews and Gentiles alike; he was also able tomake thanks to his establishment as a Jew and a Roman citizen. These characteristics gave Paul great influence in spreading his views both in Roman cities and in Jewish synagogues. Paul was also against those who made money from their religious beliefs and practices, as his opposition to the exorcism of a Philippian slave girl makes clear. Paul undertook three major journeys during his life - in 44, 48 and 55CE which geographically spread Christianity across the huge Roman Empire - modern countries such as Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and Italy, cities known as Antioch, Philippi, Corinth, Thessalonica, Rome and as stated in Acts 15:41, “Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Unlike other small sects which died out, the followers of Jesus grew stronger and prospered in a number of places under Paul's influence, unlike the small community in Jerusalem under Peter's establishment which did not did not believe in the conversion of the Gentiles. Opposed to the beliefs of Peter and others, Paul was a proponent of including Gentiles in the Church rather than expecting them to first convert to Judaism. This conflict of beliefs between Peter and Paul resulted in a confrontation, as Paul writes in Galatians 2:11-14: “I opposed him to his face, because he was condemned…he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated, fearing the party of circumcision. » Reminiscent of the behavior and actions of Jesus, Paul's determination led him to cause trouble on his missionary journeys. After his third journey, Paul was accused of teaching against Jewish law in Rome and was physically assaulted and imprisoned by the Romans. It is generally accepted that he was martyred around 65 CE. Throughout his life, Paul wrote numerous letters to the churches and individuals he had converted during his travels. There are 13 letters written by Paul that laid the foundation for much of Christian belief and practice that are still referred to today and used as guidelines for modern Christian adherents. One of the most important themes in Paul's writings is "agape," or selfless love, as described in his first letter to the Corinthians, 13: "Love is patient and kind... love is eternal”, etc. Paul emphasizes that without With this view of life and love, humanity is without essence and goodness. Paul's other letters also ask for God's support in overcoming the difficulties of the new sect, as well as in expanding the teaching of Jesus in a variety of different contexts. His writings were intended to support, help, encourage and inspire the early followers of Jesus to flourish in Christian communities and spread the message of peace and love. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Through his behavior and writings, Paul exemplified the way a Christian should live his life, inspiring new followers about the possibility of experiencing “metanoia” and repenting of previous actions. The obvious fact that Paul not only changed his beliefs but also his behavior goes to the very essence of religious adherence and has retained its importance in the lives of contemporary Christians. Paul's teachings had a significant impact on the development of Christianity and continue to have an extraordinarily significant impact today. The change brought about by his teachings and the effect they had on the course of Christianity is immense. Works Cited Bockmuehl, MNA (1997). The memory of Pierre and the death of.