(10-67 C.E), The real founder of Christianity as religion and alleged author of most of books of New Testament is the early Christian missionary and theologian, Saint Paul (10-67 C.E), also known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. His original name was Saul, born as a Jew in Tarsus, Asia Minor. Like many of the Jews there he inherited Roman citizenship, probably granted by the Romans as a reward for mercenary service in the previous century. He used his Jewish name, Saul, within the Jewish community and his Roman surname, Paul, when speaking to Greeks. He was trained as a rabbi but earned his living as a tentmaker. He never met Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) while in Jerusalem.
A zealous Pharisee, (the ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic Law in both its oral and written form) he enthusiastically participated in the persecution and killing of the early Christians. When one of them, Stephen, was stoned to death, the murderers “laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul”(Acts;7:58). Later he converted to Christianity claiming to have experienced a vision of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), while on the road to Damascus. Three years later he met St. Peter and James and was henceforth became to be known as the 13th Apostle. From his base in Antioch, he traveled widely, preaching to the Gentiles (non Jews). [Antioch was an ancient town of Phrygia,a city of southern Turkey on the Orontes River near the Mediterranean Sea. Founded around 300 B.C. by Seleucus I, it was an important military and commercial center in the Roman era and an early center of Christianity. It was a center of Hellenistic influence located north of present-day Antalya, Turkey.]
By asserting that non-Jewish disciples of Christ did not have to observe Jewish law, he helped to establish Christianity as a separate religion rather than a Jewish sect. On a journey to Jerusalem, he aroused such hostility among the Jews that a mob gathered, and he was arrested and imprisoned for two years. The circumstances of his death are unknown. Paul’s ministry and religious views are known largely from his letters, or epistles, collected in the New Testament, which are the first Christian theological writing and the source of much Christian doctrine.
Paul, all but totally obliterated the teachings of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) based upon the authority of his alleged “visions”. Paul’s teachings were based more upon his personal philosophy and beliefs than any attempt to cite words or actions of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) himself (e.g. Galatians 2). His followers slaughtered all Christians who would not forsake the teachings of the apostles for his teachings and he was later made the “majority author” of the New Testament (14 out of 27 books) and countless authentic gospels were burned and labeled apocrypha (Writings or statements of questionable authorship or authenticity) by his followers.
It can be seen that the current religion of “Christianity” is based more on the doctrines and writings of Paul than anything else. The Gospels which are popularly believed to have been written first, were in actuality written long after the writings of Paul. It was due to Paul more than anyone else that Christianity became a world religion. The 73 or 66 books of New Testament include four Gospels. The Gospel, is any of four biblical narratives covering the life, the person, death (according to Christian belief) and the teachings of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), as he was remembered by the Christian community. Traditionally their authorship (highly speculative) is attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (the four evangelists), they are placed at the beginning of the New Testament and make up about half the total text.
The New Testament : http://wp.me/PCgrB-7j
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