• markovs_gun@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      I think you’re getting your timeline mixed up. Paul converted to Christianity some time after Jesus died and quickly became a leader in the early church due to his prolific letter writing, with letters on all aspects of Christian life. Many of these letters (and a few that modern scholars believe are from people pretending to be Paul) ended up getting included into the New Testament as scripture because they were so popular and influential on early Christianity. However, these did not invent Christianity. All of these letters are to Christian communities that already existed in Paul’s own time, and a few of them mention how he used to persecute Christians because he was a hardcore Jew and thought they were corrupting Judaism.

      • Xanthrax@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        All of the apostles saw Jesus. That’s what makes them apostles. I think your timeline is off. Paul was there after the crucifixion and witnessed the ascension. He was also a disciple, which means he followed Jesus when he was alive. (Judas is the only disciple who’s not an apostle)

        “Jesus called him “Saul, Saul”[38] in “the Hebrew tongue” in the Acts of the Apostles, when he had the vision which led to his conversion on the road to Damascus.[39]”

        They met on a road.

        After Jesus died, he traveled to Rome to spread the word, where he was beheaded. I believe that’s also where Peter died by inverted crucifixion.

        At least that’s the biblical canon.

    • Xanthrax@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      I always thought the timeline was really confusing. That was the narrative we were taught in church. He persecuted early followers.

      “According to the Acts, Paul lived as a Pharisee and participated in the persecution of early disciples of Jesus, possibly Hellenised diaspora Jews converted to Christianity,[12] in the area of Jerusalem, before his conversion.[note 1]”

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle