Paul Of Taurus And The Spread Of Christanity
By Jesus’s resurrection, Jesus only a few hundred Christian followers in Judea. Many Jews were mad that a man executed for treason and blasphemy has been proclaimed the messiah, sent by God to rescue the common men of their sin. Paul of Taurus or Saul as his Jewish Hebrew name, is no exception to this. Paul of Taurus was born in 5 in Taurus in Anatolia, in Asia Minor just north of the Middle East, Paul of Taurus could speak both Greek and Hebrew. Paul of Taurus grew up as a Pharisee and a very conversative Jew and would such until the death of Jesus. Upon the arise of Jesus while living in Jerusalem, Paul tends to hate Christanity as he often went house to house arresting follower of Jesus, sending them to jail or putting them to death. While in Jerusalem, Paul approves the stoning and stones St. Stephen to death in 30. St. Stephen was a deacon of a Jewish Synagogue in Jerusalem and the first known Christian preacher in history who is arrested for blasphemy and denouncing Jewish Authorities. Paul finds out Christanity had spread to Damascus, Syrian Province, Paul starts walking on the Roman Road System to Damascus.
Once travelling to Damascus, Paul then experiences a light from the sky stronger than the sun and a voice saying “Paul, Paul why do you persecute me” which is believed to be from Jesus from heaven. This light had blinded Paul for three days and does not eat for those three days. Three days later, Paul would be baptized by Ananias in Damascus where he regains his vision. Paul then converts to Christanity, becomes a follower of Jesus and becomes reborn as a worshipper of christ. This event, the baptism of Paul is one of the most important events in history, had it not happen, likely Christanity would not be popular.
Paul would then go back to Jerusalem to join the Christian community and where he is seen as a traitor by the Jews because of his conversion. After, he would go west of Judea and Syria and into Arabia, where he would spend years wandering the desert. We would then end up in the very important capital city of Petra of the Arabian Nabataean Empire. Today, many debate whether or not Paul tried to convert the people of Petra to Christanity but it is agreed that Paul would be praying and doing Christain activities openly in Petra and in the desert and King Aretas IV of the Nabataean Empire tried to persecute Paul in Damascus but Paul had escaped. Paul would return to Jerusalem again until he had been forced out by a Jewish riot. Paul then travelled to his birthplace of Taurus in Anatolia, now the Roman province of Cilicia. It is believed that Paul stayed in Taurus for fourteen years. In Jerusalem, Christians believed their religion had similar principles of Judaism seen in the Torah. One example was Christians were forced to be circumcised in Jerusalem. Paul changed Christanity forever by making Christanity universal by speaking about how you did not need to be circumcised to be a follower of Jesus.
Taurus was a very important city to the region of Asia Minor as it was a port city and was for two millenniums. It was at Tauras where many merchants and traders would exchange cultures and religions along with resources. It is known that Judaism would eventually reach the city of Taurus and that is how Paul became Jewish. In those times, Taurus was known to follow a religion called Mithrism, a religion based around an ancient Persian god named Mithraism who many believe healed himself of evil by slaying a sacred bowl. Many followers of Mithraism would wash themselves with the blood inside the sacred bowl, a process very similar to baptism. The count of Mithraism was a cult the represented the death of nature and its resurrection in the spring but people started to believe that if nature can be resurrected, they can be resurrected.
Paul told the people to not worship Pagan Gods such as the Emperor of the Roman Empire and to keep faith and worship God and his son Jesus. Paul doing this makes him a preacher and makes him one of the first missionaries in history. A missionary is someone set to promote Christianity to foreign land. Paul would spread years preaching in Syria and in Cilicia, mainly teaching about death and resurrection, preaching the gospel along with the idea of a universal savior become very powerful with the people.
Around 40, Paul established a church in Antioch and had preached there in 50. This church in Antioch is believed to be the oldest church, although many disagree which church holds that title. Paul mostly preached to people who were known as Gentiles. Gentiles were a group of people who lived in the Middle East and Asia Minor who were not Jewish and many Gentiles did believe in Paganism or a mystery religion such a Mithraism. Paul believed in the next couple of years, Jesus would return to Earth for the final judgement of mankind. Paul then became scared that Jesus would see those who sin around the world so Paul goes on a mission to save as many people from their sins as he can before the Final Judgement. Paul’s goal was to preach all the Gentiles before the Final Judgement. Paul believes that his Gentiles mission will save Judea as it will bring all the Jews in Judea to Christanity. Paul would start his travel through Asia Minor and Greece to spread Christanity and quote “the fragrance that comes from knowing God”.
Paul would leave on his first missionary journey from 44 to 46. On his first journey he leaves from Antioch to the island of Cyprus to Southern Asia Minor back to Antioch. It would be in Pisidian Antioch where Paul would go preach at the Synagogue of the Sabbath where Paul speaks about how Jesus is a descendant of David, speaks about Jesus’s death and resurrection and promised Jesus would bring forgiveness for their sins. The Jews and Gentiles were very impressed and wanted to learn more about Christanity so they invite Paul to speak on the next Sabbath. On the next Sabbath the entire city gathered and with some disrespect from the Jews, Paul decided to focus on converting the Gentiles.
Paul would go to Jerusalem for the Circumcision Debate known as the Council of Jerusalem in 49. At this very debate, the Christians in Jerusalem were very uneasy about Gentiles converting to Christanity. They were uneasy about Gentiles converting to Christanity because they did not believe in God before converting and that only Jews can convert to Christanitity. The Christains in Jerusalem believe in a lot of principles of the Torah which includes circumcision. Like I mentioned Paul is promoting universal Christanitity, saying anyone could be a follower of Jesus no matter if they are uncircumcised. It was here where Paul became the Apostle of the Gentiles and Peter became the Apostle of the Jews.
After the Council of Jerusalem, Paul began his Second Journey in from 49 to 52. On his second journey, Paul visited his hometown of Taurus, Derbe and Lystra. In Lystra Paul meets Timothy who would come along for the journey with Paul and Paul’s friend Silas and Luke. The plan was for Paul to preach throughout Southwest Asia Minor, until Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia begging Paul to go help the people of Macedonia. Paul along with Luke, Timothy and Silas then left to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel there and the number of followers of Christanity increased. It is in Philippi where Luke splits up with Paul and would not continue for the rest of the journey. It was in the city of Philippi where Paul, Timothy and Silas get arrested after Paul baptised a servant girl. Paul and his assistants were accused for provoking abnormalities. An earthquake then hits the prison, breaking the gates, setting free Paul and his assistants. When Paul is set free, he does not escape right away, instead he goes around the prison talking about Jesus. After leaving the prison, Paul continues his journey to Berea then to the capital of the province of Macedonia, Athens.
In Athens, Paul preached at the synagogue in Athens and to Greek Intelicals at Areopagus. He then started to travel to Corinth. Paul would spend eighteen months in Corinth from 50 to 52. Corinth was a city known for its protestitution and nightlife, dubbed the Amsterdam of the first century CE. Corinth was a city where married woman would sell themselves for sex to young boys most of who were virgins. Jesus saw those who are prostitutes and those who lost their virginity before marriage as sinners and outcasts of society. In Corinth Paul became friends with missionaries Akylas and Priscilla who would join Paul on his mission. In Corinth, Paul would of course Preach in Corinth to the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue every Saturday. Many of the Jews do not believe Jesus is the messiah. The Jews in Corinth all united together against Paul and arresting him sending him to court where he would be accused for illegally trying to convert people to follow his preaching. It would be soon after where Paul along with Akylas, Priscilla, Timothy and Silas would leave Corinth and Europe as he had travelled to Epheuse, where it split with his assistants and Paul would travel back to Judea where he would finish his Second Journey by addresses the church there then travelled back to Antioch to rest.
Paul would stay nine months in Antioch, from fall of 52 to summer of 53. Peter the Apostle of the Jews would come and visit Antioch during the Holy Day season. It is at the feast where Peter is fine eating amongst the uncircumcised Gentiles converts. Many Christians from Jerusalem come to this feast, many believing that all Christians must be circumcised for to receive salvation. It was in Antioch where there was division between the Jewish and Gentile converts.
Paul began his third journey, from 53 to 58, the longest journey of them all. He had begun in 53 by revisiting churches he had set up from the last two journeys in the Roman Province of Galatia in Central Anatolia. He then travels to Phrygia to strengthen the Christian movement. From 54 to 57, Paul would go back to Ephesus and he stays there for about three years. While there Paul witnesses twelve believers who were baptised but not given God’s Spirit. Paul and Jesus’s apostles would baptism them. One day, a couple Sons of Jewish priests arrive in Ephesus. These Jewish priests are travelling around and pretending to remove the demons. It is clear to see that these Jewish priests think the idea of Jesus and Christian preachers and ministers removing demon out of someone is clearly fake and they are pretending to remove demons out of someone to show that the power of Jesus is fake and that Jesus is not the messiah chosen by god. They witness Paul in Ephesus removing demons out of people and they tried to mirror Paul.
When attempting to remove the Demons out of someone, they would then learn that those who assume they have the power of God will have Jesus deny them the access of God’s power. In 57, a small businessman named Demetrius would made a profit selling replicas of the Pagan God Diana would eventually lose money due to Paul telling the people to stop supporting fake gods. A riot then breaks out between Pagan merchants such as Demetrius and Paul and the rioters seize two of Paul's assistants. The riot is calmed down by the City Clerk soon after the riot. Paul would eventually leave Epheses after the riots to travels back to Corinths. It is in Corinth where Paul would reunite with Luke and Paul would stay in Corinth for three months where many believe he wrote the Letter To The Romans. From 57 to 58, Paul travelled all over Macedonia Province to the Achaea Province. When in Macedonia, he visits cities such as Phillipi, Troas, Mileteus, Rhodes and Tyre along with Luke and other assistants. After preaching throughout Macedonia, Paul left Tyre by boat to Caesarea in Judea where he is welcomed by Philip the Evangelist. It is there where Profit Agabus of Judea visits Phillip’s house and warns Paul he will be captured. Soon after, Paul and his assistants travel to Jerusalem by mid 58.
Paul arrives in Jerusalem around the time of the Feast of Pentecost. In Jerusalem, Paul went to the temple. It is at the temple where Jews from Jerusalem begin to bash on Paul, yelling at him and starting a riot. The mob captured Paul, beating him and keep doing such until the Roman centurion arrived and arrested Paul bringing him to a military residence. Paul then asked the soldiers to let him talk to the people and the centurion allow. Paul speaks to the mob and the mob calls for death. Paul is about to get whipped by the Roman centurions, Paul then speaks up saying that he is a Roman citizen. They immediately stop the whipping when Paul shows the centurions the proof that he is a Roman citizen. As a Roman citizen, Paul had the right to trial so the Roman Centurions released him and brought him fourth to the Sanhedren. Paul was arrested for causing the riot and being a public disturbance. His defence to the Sanhedren was weak and it was decided that Paul will be brought to Caesarea will he will be given a court case where the Governor of Judea will be present and will give Paul his punishment.
