As a spiritual-futurist, I have a BA degree majoring in history. One cannot know the future without knowing the past which holds clues to what is on the horizon. The world is in such a rapid expansion of knowledge that we are close to entering a tipping point that will forever change earth as we know it.
When one looks at the seven books that most scholars attribute to the apostle Paul (Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, and I Thessalonians) and survey the doctrinal landscape of modern-day Christianity it's easy to draw the conclusion that Paul is the founder of Christianity especially in light of the fact that Jesus didn't come to start a new religion. <!--more-->
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It was Paul that basically formulated the meaning of the resurrection. It was Paul that established the first Christian communities, kept people on course, encouraged, and corrected doctrine when local disputes broke out. While Peter, James, and other church leaders carried on the memories of Jesus the man, in Jerusalem, Paul was busy positing the spiritual side of Jesus- the Christos!
Paul struggled with first time questions and comments. It seems as though every community that he founded and birthed became beset with a different set of theological questions as Paul advanced doctrine on the run: literally. He was chased and thrown out of towns. He was whipped, stoned, and otherwise nearly killed for the theological stands that he took.
As a personality, Paul was unique as well.
Paul addressed things that Jesus seldom mentioned, nor got into at all. Paul introduced views on sexuality (individuals and married people), promoted his concepts of idols, and opined on Greek philosophy: all things that were new to the "teachings of Jesus". And then there's the biggie. The Jewish Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles and opened up a whole new world for Christianity to grow and evolve, as it did.
Jesus didn't come to start a new religion. He simply said three foundational things that rocked the world at that time. Jesus said follow me. Jesus said love God. Jesus said love your neighbors. But, Paul made the simple pronouncements of the historical Jesus into a RELIGION full of hard to comprehend doctrines, dogmas, rules, and rituals. Those that came behind Paul would try and make sense of some of his very convoluted and seemingly contradictory statements (especially regarding the role of women) as Christianity took on the flavor of Paul.
You know what I'm talking about don't you ladies? :-)
Is there any wonder Christianity today is seeing a dwindling following in America? The term "Christian" needs some practical definitions and a far more simplified approach to life: something like what Jesus advocated and demonstrated, and not so much what Paul created.
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