Christians - I'm so Confused!?

Question

The man known as Paul, also called the 13th apostle, was originally named Saul. Until he was about 30 years old, Saul was an outspoken critic of the new cult of rebel Jews following the teachings of the Rabbi Yeshua, who we now know of as Jesus. Paul later became the first evangelist.

Saul's anti Christian stance was abruptly reversed when on the road to Damascus, he had a vision. The Bible says he lost his sight for three days, and when he recovered, he was a convert.(Acts, chapter 9)

In Damascus, Saul began to preach, but the locals drove him out of town. He went to Jerusalem and tried to preach there, but Jesus' followers didn't trust him either. He escaped to his home town, Tarsus, in Cilicia, also known as Cesarea.

Anyway, was saul (paul) a prophet of God?

Why should we take his word for anything?

Jesus (Old Skool) followers didn't trust him either?

Was Pauls interpretation of Christianity based on Paganism?

"Ancient religion of the god Mithras?"

Tarsus, on the northern side of the Mediterranean, in what is now Turkey, was a bustling seaport, 2000 years old when Saul arrived in about year 40 C.E. This big, cosmopolitan city was a mixture of many cultures, and the ancient religion of the god Mithras was prominent among them. Shrines and images of Mithras abound there and as far west as the Danube River, and though obscure, a few of the concepts of Mithraism are known to us.

"Spirit of Spirit, if it be your will, give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again - and the sacred spirit may breathe in me."
Prayer to Mithras

Answer 1

dont feel bad all Christians are doomed to confusion.
that was always the intention
so that they would be easy too control and manipulate..

Answer 2

You got everything correct up to the point at which you skidded off the road and talked about paganism and someone named mithras.

Paul indeed was converted on the road to Damascus and then took the gospel message to the gentiles. Of course the disciples didn't (at first) believe him....Paul had been pursuing the death of Christians for quite awhile.

Why should you believe him? Study the bible! Read the books of the new testament and see for yourself the passion with which Paul speaks of Jesus Christ, the gospel of grace, and the humility in which he holds his position, as being called to preach a message he once tried to destroy.

Satan goes after Paul big time...and why shouldn't he? Paul gave us most of the books of what became our new testament. Discrediting Paul's message is high on the enemy's list of things to do...I'm sure.

Answer 3

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, suffered much the same problems that modern day Christians have. A person makes a discovery that God is real, that Christ is the messiah and the way, and professes faith in Christ. His background, life's history, previous weeks activities are held against him and he/she is judged based upon people's perception of them rather than their statements of faith. Paul's conversion was such that a bright light from heaven shown around him then the physical blindness. All of this was God's way of not only getting Saul/Paul's attention but also to legitimize the fact that Saul was chosen to do a mission for God and to also legitimize that Jesus ministry was true and legit. Saul changed his name to Paul and became an apostle to the Gentiles but true it was hard and slow to be accepted by the other apostles due to his prior persecutions and treatment of Christians. This though is the perfect illustration of modern day converts troubles in leaving their past lifestyles and sins behind and having people accept their profession of faith as legit. Also as dedicated a punisher of Christianity as he was he was as dedicated to preaching Christianity once he was revealed by God the truth that Christ ministry was real and that he was the messiah that they were waiting for.

Answer 4

Paul was the apostle to the Gentile nations. His method of evangilization was different than from the Jews who have already known the jewish law and old testament. Therefore, Paul played a crucial if not the most important role in spreading Christianity to the known world> w/out him..Christianity wouldn't have survived. jesus chose Paul for a reason...and that was to convert the pagans> peace.

Answer 5

Saul was Roman as well-
Saul studied under the greatest of the Torah teachers.
He was zealous (not a zealot) for God.
He felt that the "cult" Christians were against the torah and against God.
Saul Love God but to him Jesus was not the savior and there for a blasphemer one that should be put to death, and all his followers.
Saul became Paul after in the Torah he was shown where Jesus was the savior.

Answer 6

You are not a Christian because you are questioning another mans faith and conversion which in turn you are questioning your own belief. You said (Why should we believe anything he says.)remember you can't save yourself only Jesus can. Spend more time reading and try to understand what your reading. Find out what a prophet is. You can do this simply by looking in a dictionary. Then maybe you won't come here asking questions about another mans conversion, rather than putting doupt in peoples minds. Or are you about to throw away the entire New Tesament. Remember you can't turn back the hands of time simply because you don't understand what your reading. Paul was a member of the San Hedren. He was persecuting christians. Jesus appeared to him and asked Saul why do you persecute me. It changed his life, he iimediatly stopped persecution of Christians and became a believer.

Answer 7

Ok, you're very careful with your presentation and I appreciate that. One fact you missed is that Peter was the first evangelist not Paul.

The reason the believers ran him out of town in the beginning was because this was the man that had been seeing to their trials and stoning. They were afraid he was just faking it to get in close with them so that he could identify, charge and arrest them all.

Later on, you'll notice that someone vouched for him and he was accepted as a true believer.

Also, before he converted to Christianity he was a devout Jew. He had no interest in any other religion and viewed Christianity as the fulfillment of the prophecies in his old religion. A continuation of what he'd always been taught. Not new and strange doctrines from other religions but confirmation of his teachings are based in the Old Testament always.

Answer 8

Jesus (Old Skool) followers did not believe him at first because if you remember Saul was one of the ones persecuting the church. After a while they began to trust that he was truly converted.
His interpretation wasn't based on Paganism, but he used paganism to get the people's attention in those areas.

Answer 9

I am truly amazed at the quality of such biblical scholars. Where did you say you studied? However great you are, I would be remiss if I did not share this with you.

1 Cor. 25-31
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Answer 10

Up until I was about 18, I was completely anti-Christian. Then one summer, GOd came to me and changed my life forever.
People back in my hometown didn't believe me. They were like "is this the same druggie, angry chris we all know and love?" Now I am a missionary in Asia. why should people believe what I have to say? People at home think I'm nuts, people in Asia think I'm nuts, but I know that God has called me. So why believe me? or paul?
The bible says to look at the fruit of a prophet. Paul had much fruit in his ministry. Many miracles, many desciples and converts, and gained much wisdom. He remained humble and Christ-like, and God himself rewarded him for it (after being in prison, that is)

My question is, how could you trust Jesus, with all his outrageous claims about being trhe messiah and then question a guy like Paul? where's the logic in that?

Answer 11

The other apostles were scared of him: they thought he was trying to get close to them in order to kill them. It'd be as if Bin Laden all of a sudden went on TV & said, "I love Americans! I want to be one!" We'd think "Yeah, right. And President Bush is going to ban guns."

Saul became Paul. He did change. Most (at least half) of the New Testament is Paul's letters to other groups of Christians.

Peace!