Without Paul would christianity had ever become more than an interesting Jewish sect?

Answer 1

Considering how well Christianity went over with the Jews, if it hadn't been for Paul converting gentiles to the religion, Christianity probably would have gone belly up within its first 100 years or so.

So, it wouldn't have been an interesting Jewish sect, it would have been a long forgotten, short lived, extremely small Jewish sect. Probably no one today would even know it existed, let alone find it interesting.

Answer 2

And this question is important, why? Paul/Saul went out like a Baptist Preacher and tried to save the world from itself. His only reason to get the gentiles to become Christians was to get the Romans out of the Middle East. Rome had ruled there so long and demanded the people follow the Gods of Rome that people were sure a Messiah would come and save them all. Jesus never fit the requirements set forth in the Bible (Old Testament). So Paul made him fit. Without Paul there never would have been a Christianity, an interesting sect, or anyone would have know about Christ.

Do you realize there is no Roman, Jewish, or Palestinian records of the time that say anything about Jesus. He was first mentioned in passing by Josephus, a Jewish Historian who worked for the Romans. This was about 115 years after Jesus had died. The only proof of his existence is the New Testament. And it is not complete, there are at least six other Gospels that the Church choose not to include.

Answer 3

No. Paul made the Christian religion what it is today. Without Paul changing Christianity to suit the gentile world and spreading it even outside the middle east. It would have died out as a little Jewish sect called "the way" known only by the sign of a fish.
Kisses Betty B.

Answer 4

Thats similar to asking, without Barnabas, would Christianity spread?

You guy's probably don't know who Barnabas is.... And that is quite interesting...

Read the book of Acts and the rest of the NT on what was going on. One of the reasons why the other apostles did not preach in the places Paul did..
Well Paul was already assigned in those places..

Sadly they don't really read the NT to know about that stuff, they only hang by what they read in internet junk sites.

And they call US unquestioning? I betcha they didn't even read the New testament to verify the claims of those websites they go to...

Typical..

Why don't you all stop arguing about that and just prove one simple thing.
That you can be a good person without God.

Well?

Start here.
Be generous and not selfish.
Dedicate at least 10% of your income - ALL INCOME to charity, help the orphans, widows, homeless, africans, whatever.

If you can handle 10% raise it up to 15% then 20% then 25% on and on.
Donate your time in homeless shelters, serve the needy.

Stop making excuses.
All these arguements about religion and yet all you really prove is that you are trying to appease your guilt over your greed.

Do that first, then figure out the next step from there.
Forgive others, be generous, care for others, love your enemies. All those things.
Put your money where your mouth is, all these attacks on religion and you can't even prove that you are better.

__________

As for LADY MORGANA.

I am tired of this nonsense.
Look, if Christianity teaches LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, and a bunch of people crusade against the muslims, rape and pillage their towns. You automatically know that they don't really follow Christianity. They only claim to be just because of their culture.
My stepdad claims to be a christian and he doesn't even read the bible.

Drop outs are not basis for judging the school.
In fact. drop outs prove how high the standards are.

Anyone who judges the faith system because of simple minded people who can't understand nor follow the teachings well... You can go figure if they are one of those people who have those adventures and miss the point..


Anyway to simplify it.
if I claim to be a buddhist and do exactly the opposite of "RESPECT LIFE" would you whine about buddhism?

Do you judge all muslims because of the actions of a sect of islam?

Do you judge a whole race just because of the majority of those you know?

Should people judge judaism because of Christians?
Think about it, Christianity is birthed from Judaism, the leader was a Jew the apostles were Jews the first converts were Jews, All the apostles preached to Jews, only Paul originally set out to preach to non Jewish people.

That is along the lines of discrimination and racism., Narrow mindedness.


Think about it...


Oh yeah, and the catholics consider a different apostle to be their original (first) pope. So go do some research

Answer 5

With or without Paul, christianity as it "exists" in the modern world, has nothing to do with the ORIGINAL disciples called Catholics and Christians of whose message Paul helped to spread. All this by the turn of the 3rd century (200a.d.) had all but died out, but was a heavy ambition of Roman Emperors to eradicate this belief in any way shape or form within all the territories it's Empire occupied. Then comes Constantine with his new found "faith." For those who do not know what this empire was up to for the last 100 or so years, it is easy to credit him with becoming a "christian" and helping the "cause." In REALITY, this empire went around for those 100 or so years KILLING every disciple of Jesus it could lay it's hands on, THEN proclaims the beliefs unto ITSELF,
"CONTINUING" the killing even after the formation of the Roman Catholic heirarchy. CHRISTIAN faith ? Not in my book.

Answer 6

Perhaps not, but think of all the truth we could have gotten by way of the disciples/followers, nazerenes, who didn't believe in the message and teachings of Paul. None of Jesus' disciples agreed with Paul......it is interesting that the actual followers were silenced while the guy who didn't know him came to tell the world his own version of Jesus' message.

Answer 7

The question has been raised many times - why should Christians care about Israel and the Jews? It was they who brought us the Gospels. We can all backseat God and speculate that if it wasn't Paul/Saul, there would have been another. I think not. He was the chosen.

Answer 8

Yes,because,in different parts of all 4 of the canonical New Testament gospels,Jesus preached to large crowds of hundreds,even thousands,of people,in different cities,towns,& villages in southern Lebanon,Galilee in northern Israel,and southern Syria.

Also,in 2 out of the 4 canonical New Testament gospels,during Passover week,before he was tried & crucified,he went to Herod's Temple in Jerusalem & preached to large crowds of people there.

I'm not sure,but I believe that many of them were Gentiles.

In my opinion,it's very hard for thousands of people to keep quiet whenever someone shares good news with them,so,of course all those people were very instrumental in spreading the good news of the gospel message all throughout the Roman Empire during that time period.

Answer 9

Probably not. Read "The Mythmaker, Paul and the Invention of Christianity" by Hyam Maccoby
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Answer 10

It wasn't Paul that led Catholicism, it was the Pope. He was the one that altered the faith. Paul would have kept it the way it was. Saturday Sabbath and all.