Hi Adam,
Paul was a Roman. How can we trust his work? How do you know he is not a false apostle and teaches against the original teachings?
Enchanted by Judaism, Cape Town
Paul was a Hellenised Jew, born with Roman citizenship (Acts 22:3). He was born in Tarsus, but grew up and studied in Jerusalem under the respected Jewish Rabbi, Gamaliel. This means he was of Jewish ethnicity with Jewish heritage but was born in a territory influenced by Greek culture. He had access to Greek education and an understanding of their culture. And he was a Roman citizen, which enabled him to travel freely and appeal to Caesar after his final arrest. But Paul was very Jewish, and a highly qualified Jewish rabbi and Pharisee (Philippians 3:3-6). He was very invested in his Jewish faith and when Christianity first started, he persecuted the Christians. He even stood by in approval, looking after the coats, while Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:58).
There was no reason for Paul to switch sides. Paul met with approval from the Jewish authorities when he sought to persecute the Christians (Acts 9:1-2). Converting to Christianity caused him pain and suffering, multiple arrests, and ultimately, execution (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). This did not come as a surprise. The book of Acts, written while Paul was still alive, records that Jesus told Paul at the beginning of his ministry how much he would suffer for the sake of Jesus’ name (Acts 9:16). The only logical reason for his conversion is that he genuinely believed he had encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Paul taught a gospel he received from Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:23). It was a gospel he asked to have confirmed by the other apostles who had walked with Jesus (Galatians 2:2). He met with the original disciples, and they checked his theology and endorsed it (1 Corinthians 11:23). We can also trust his writings because the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, referred to Paul’s writings as scripture in his own letter (2 Peter 3:16).
Paul was a devout and well-educated Jew, who feared the Lord. His conversion to Christianity was the result of Paul meeting the risen Jesus. His ministry was conducted at great personal cost, following the example of Jesus in laying down his life, even to death. We can be very comfortable that Paul was an authentic apostle, who met Jesus and taught the gospel accurately.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam is an Englishman living abroad, who knows this earth is not his home. Married with two children and a leader in his local church, Adam is a musician, artist, writer and teacher.
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