Did Paul Convert?

Did Paul really "convert" to Christianity, or is that a modern misunderstanding? In this video, I explore how Paul's own writings describe his experience—not as a shift from Judaism to Christianity, but as a divine calling to proclaim Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. His role in spreading this message to Gentiles and his interpretation of Jewish scripture shaped early Christian thought in profound ways.

Want to dive deeper? I'm hosting a live talk and AMA at the Biblical Studies Academy this week on whether Paul "invented" Christianity. Join the discussion with a 14-day free trial!

#Jesus #Christianity #ApostlePaul #BibleStudy #NewTestament

[mm]

I hope you can present an episode about Paul's relationship with the other apostles and why some Jewish sects hated him and called him the enemy.

[PoeLemic]

I always love listening to Dr. Robyn Walsh, because she is so knowledgeable about early Christianity and so many topics that I care about -- in that period and era of Christendom.

[RussellFineArt]

Paul accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah but continued practicing Judaism, as all of the other disciples did, continuing to attend the temple, honoring Jewish holy days and practices, and living like most every other Jew at the time.

[UmarVye]

Paul was not well liked at his time. He made a claim that he saw a vision of Jesus (which was also made by Joseph Smith, the Mormonism founder). But he never actually met Jesus. Additionally, Paul’s teachings staunchly oppose what Jesus taught.

[SkeletalBasis]

An interesting comparison, which has surely been made, since everything you can think of has generally already been said, -- is with other compelling megalomaniacs who grasp an opportunity to insert themselves into a situation and achieve some kind of success in founding, diverting, and leading a new sect or movement. There's no shortage!

[eltonron]

As long as conversion is called, born again, or saved, confusion, metaphor, allegory, and spiritualism will rule the day. It does.

[geneheard]

question : Is it possible that the adversary(Lucifer) portrayed it self as Yashua to mislead Paul and bring the coming churches down a path of control and fear?

[dukegroovy]

he never mentioned jesus of nazareth once

[varf]

What’s the naked man and angel poster in the background about?

[Darisiabgal]

By birth I think Paul fell into the Saduccees/Herodian side of things. I think this is one of Paul’s thorns. He wanted to be a Pharisee but his family ties are tearing him back to serve the zealots and the temple priesthood. Eventually this conflict I think ends him up in the Aravah seeking mystical guidance.

[luigisangalli]

Thanks. Your view is interesting. But if you are right, why Paul says his Jewish background is rubbish and the Jewish law is abolished? And why he is so much against the other disciples of Juses who knew him personally?

[billstorms-wz]

I figure, while blind, sitting for 2-3 weeks in the house of a goyim, Paul came to believe that he was the preacher to the gentiles. If you recall, b4 he was active in evangelizing and starting Churches [among the goyim] he was a mentee of an unknown sage for about 14 years. When he first wrote, he called self: Paul- a servant of Jesus Christ, in a few short years, this evolved to "Paul-a Bond servant of Christ..Next, Paul -an Apostle of Jesus Christ. So, his understanding evolved; as what he was "taught" went thru humongous shifts; but, his mission remained the same.

[SmartStrt]

I always think of Paul as a bad philosopher. Like he's really taken with the Greek thinkers during his travels, and he tries to use reason and logic in his evangelism, but it just seems like he's not very good at it.

I've read Paul so many times, and still his sentences just wash over me, their words devoid of meanings.

[therenewedpoet]

Very cool. The "invented" Christianity: Jimi Hendrix didn't invent the guitar, but we look to him to understand the guitar
Now I don't know if Jimi saw God, but I believe Paul did

[johnmooers]

Paul seems like a modern day televangelist

[chargingrhino]

I would like to hear your thoughts on Paul's relationship with other Apostles. In Galatians 1:15-20, Paul talks of meeting with Peter and James after his travels in Damascus and Arabia. The writing of Galatians pre-dates Mark by 10-20 years, and many scholars consider Galatians to be Paul's oldest letter, making it the oldest New Testament writing we have. Save for resurrections, which Dr Ehrman discusses in his books, I often wonder why Paul, in his later writings scarcely addresses the miracles witnessed by Peter and James during Jesus' life. The author of Mark is thought to have been an associate of Peter (that's how we know what Peter witnessed). Presumably, Peter, Paul and James discussed those things during their meeting in Jerusalem, which took place long before Mark was written. I'm not a Bible scholar, so I could have missed something. Respectfully submitted to all. Thanks!

[smeatonlighthouse]

And they try to tell you there is no devil or Satan. Just read the majority of the comments below and you will see how Satan is blinding the minds with his lies and deceits.

[madamecurious]

I think, Paul started his own cult and cult following. The 12 apostles were pushed into the background.

[Chrisntaz]

Pharisees believed in the resurrection ??

[georgetravers]

Being like a Jesus who followed the Narrow Way of repentance to fasting and observing in stillness the discovery of an inner revelation to obtain closure; or being like a St Paul who submitted to receive a blessing to avoid a cursing

Two very different psychological events.

Facing your problems for the truth and forgiveness to set you free; or burying your guilt with a mask of promise.

One removed their traumatic attachments by facing their demons, and the other avoided their fears by taking on a new identity.

Becoming sane; or creating an insane eorld to feel sane by comparison.

Born again to become their original selves; or blamelessly riding the coat tails of any authority figure through submisson.

The day Christianity fell with St Paul, it allowed bigger slave-identity cults to freely entered those nations until they were gone.