o Convinced by his Pharisaic convictions that Jesus was cursed
by God because of his death (Gal. 3:13), Paul sought to
extirpate the movement.o He had, in his words, an
encounter with Jesus as
Lord (1 Cor. 9:1, 15:8;
Gal. 1:15–16; see Acts
9:1–9) that made him an
apostle to the Gentiles.o Apart from four to six
years spent in prison, he
spent the rest of his life
founding communities in
Galatia, Macedonia, and
Achaia. He died a martyr
under Nero.o Paul is important as
a missionary of the
movement, as a leader in
the conversion of Gentiles, and as the first and arguably most
important interpreter of the story of Jesus.• Scholars debate how many letters were written by Paul during his
lifetime and how many after his death by followers, but the letters
are nonetheless of unparalleled importance for what they tell us
about early Christianity in the cities of the empire.
o Paul’s letters are not systematic but occasional, not personal
but official, not mere rants but rhetorically crafted arguments
meant to persuade.
o He was a firsthand witness to the convictions and claims—and
troubles—found among believers 20 to 30 years after the death
of Jesus.Christ appeared to Paul as
to “one untimely born”; Paul
interpreted that experience as his
commissioning to be an apostle to
the Gentiles.© Photos.com/Thinkstock.