2007-02-26 03:20:48 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Paul never knew Jesus, but effectively invented Christianity.
2007-02-26 03:27:56 · answer #1 · answered by October 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think you must mean, Why are his writings the earliest in the NT? As mentioned by others, it is clear that the 12 had a teaching and proclomation role immediately after the resurection.
Paul was a trained rabbi skilled in Greek, Hebrew and the thought forms of the day. He was a natural writer and God revealed to him the structure of Christian theology which he laid down in his letters.
I think his letter to the Galatians is considered to be his first letter written somewhere around 50 A.D.
Check out a good reference book on the NT to get an idea of how people have tried to order the events of the time. It's not always clear who did what or wrote what when but there is some general agreement about the general order of things.
Looking at chronologies of the NT can be a little confusing as different scholars start with different presuppositions. Some take the clues in the text at face value while others have more confidence in their own ability to construct a theology based on their reading of "primitive" theology vs "advanced" theology which in their scheme must have been written later. For instance, it was often claimed that the Gospel of John must have been written in the late 2nd century because of the developed theology. Then they found a fragmnet of John way down in Egypt reliably dated by the writing style at 125 AD.
Probably told you more than you want to know.
Basically, Paul started writing before anybody else realized that there was a need to write these things down.
Daniel
btw, I had a Damascus Road experience myself. You can read about it in my blog.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-dl367qc1eqi_JbuVOX94Orh9LsLnjP48JQ--;_ylt=Ank3qcwaOXxlC_G4fzwxxk6kAOJ3?cq=1
2007-02-26 17:07:58 · answer #2 · answered by Daniel B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He wasn't. Jesus' disciples were out preaching long before and during Paul's ministry. Paul had a special calling and ministry and we know a lot about his ministry - but there are many many others who spread the good news whose names did not make it into the book of Acts.
2007-02-26 11:27:25 · answer #3 · answered by happy pilgrim 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are debates in some groups about the missing years of Paul that it was some were between 3 and 13 years before he started his ministry!
And that he dictated some of his letters because though he gained his sight back after his encounter with the Messiah and his brightness that he Paul still did not recover fully from that blindness. That is why in one of his letters he say's i write to you in my own hand.
2007-02-26 11:37:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should read Acts. Peter,and the other apostles were out preaching the Gospel, there were groups in Jerusalem and other places that was doing just that. Paul is important because he was the apostle to the gentiles. He took the Gospel to Greece, and Rome.
2007-02-26 11:26:24 · answer #5 · answered by great gig in the sky 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How could he be out "before Jesus' own disciples" if he was one of them?
lol Well, at least your avatar seems appropriate...
2007-02-26 11:25:08 · answer #6 · answered by Open Heart Searchery 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sho-Nuff I don't know where you get your information but it's not the Bible. Jesus sent the disciples out numerous times.
2007-02-26 11:26:55 · answer #7 · answered by Jan P 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cause St Paul had an early warning radar system that let him know Jesus was on the way
2007-02-26 11:23:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Need to read your Bible !!!!!!!
Peter was out preaching way before Paul
2007-02-26 11:24:03 · answer #9 · answered by williamzo 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have your facts confused. Read the book of Acts.
2007-02-26 11:36:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋