Page 137 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1438 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

ters (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians,
Patriarchy 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon) are the earliest New Tes-

tament writings and thus the earliest Christian docu-
See Kinship; Matriarchy and Patriarchy ments available. These letters are indispensable for any
study of the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in
the first-century church or any examination of first-
century church controversies, doctrines, and practices. In
Paul, St. the history of Christianity, Paul’s letter to the Romans
(10–67 ce?) facilitated St.Augustine’s conversion in the fourth century
Early Christian theologian and Augustine’s development of the doctrine of salvation
by grace in the fifth century, buttressed Martin Luther’s
lthough he considered himself a Jew throughout his insistence on salvation by grace through faith alone in
Alife, St. Paul is recognized today as the first distinctly the sixteenth century and anchored Karl Barth’s work in
Christian theologian. Paul was the first follower of Jesus the neoorthodox movement of the twentieth century.
to insist on the inclusion of Gentiles, or non-Jews, into Born a Jew in Tarsus in the early first century CE, Paul
the family of God. He also was the first to insist upon the persecuted followers of Jesus early in his life.After seeing
importance of Jewish Scripture for the earliest followers a vision of the resurrected Jesus, Paul became a follower
of Jesus, and his insistence indirectly helped to form the himself and worked as a missionary between 35 and 60
two-part Christian Bible, which includes the Hebrew Scrip- CE, traveling throughout the ancient Near East and the
tures and the New Testament. His seven authentic let- Mediterranean and establishing churches. The disso-
nance between Paul’s earlier
life as a practicing Jew and his
new life as a follower of Jesus
was not lost on those around
him, and Paul had to spend a
great deal of time defending
his right to be an apostle for
Jesus, or a preacher called to
spread the gospel (Galatians,
1–2 Corinthians).Paul appears
to have been executed as a mar-
tyr during the reign (54–68 CE)
of the Roman emperor Nero.
Paul’s churches consisted
mostly of Gentiles, and Paul
argued vigorously that Gen-
tiles did not have to adhere to
Jewish traditions in order to
be considered followers of

A map of
St. Paul’s journeys.