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Paul of Tarsus' contribution to the development and expression of Christianity is immense and stems from his writings and missionary journeys which have stamped his ideas and interpretations onto the religion. Without him, it is unlikely that Christianity would be the major world religion it is today.
He was born Saul, in southern Turkey, to a Jewish family who could trace their roots back to one of the 12 tribes of Israel. A Roman citizen, he famously converted to Christianity, changed his name to Paul, and became the leader of a far reaching mission around the eastern Mediterranean where he established and strengthened many churches. The time of his death is uncertain but it is thought he was beheaded by Nero, sometime between AD 62 AND 68.
Paul's work in Antioch may have been the base for his first missionary journeys and the church he helped establish there became the main base for his gentile mission. The Antioch Church is significant as it demonstrated to early church leaders that gentiles could be converted. Paul maintained that the death and resurrection of Jesus meant that there was a new covenant which freed all from the law - an argument he would expound on in Romans.
On his first missionary journey Paul developed the method he used for all his missions. When the Jewish population refused to accept his teachings - as they invariably did - he preached among the gentiles. According to Luke, Paul and Barnabas performed many miracles and were enthusiastically received by the gentiles but opposed by the Jews. It was at Antioch that the follows of Jesus were first called Christians.
Paul's extremely influential Aegean Mission lasted for about eight years. During this period he founded many churches and wrote the majority of the epistles which would come together in the New Testament. Paul's missionary journeys changed the nature of the emerging religion by freeing it from its geographical/Jewish roots, transforming it into a movement with the power to challenge the world.
The impact of Paul of Tarsus on Christianity is difficult to overestimate. He wrote a large proportion of the New Testament. Without him it would be significantly different text and in writing Romans 1 and 2, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 1 and 2, Thessalonians 1 and 2, Timothy, Titus and Philemon, Paul stamped Christianity with his ideas and interpretations.
Romans is perhaps the most important letter ever written by a Christian as it provides a comprehensive outline of the basics of Christian thought. It became the cornerstone of much subsequent Christian theology, particularly in the Reformed and evangelical traditions. A central theme in Romans is the faithfulness and righteousness of God and how God can justify sinners without compromising his own righteousness.
Paul's letters laid the foundations for much subsequent theology. His doctrine of grace was outlined and he was keen to ensure that everyone realised that Jesus' sacrificial death provided freedom from sin. In Romans, Paul also expounded 'justification by faith' whereby those who have sinned are offered salvation if they trust in God through Christ. This strongly contrasted with the Old Testament view.
In Romans, Paul first wrote extensively about the concept of predestination, whereby believers have been called and chosen by God prior even to their conception. These key ideas of grace, justification by faith and predestination are some of the most evangelical Christians.
Paul and his teachings are not without controversy as many authors and scholars believe that Paul 'invented' Christianity and that he steered away from the teachings of Jesus. The concept of justification is an example of this as it is rarely mentioned by Jesus.
Arguments over the nature of justification also played a major role in the Reformation.
