Member-only story
Essay
The Biblical Character of Paul
A Critical Analysis of Saul the Apostle
The Apostle Paul is one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity.
His missionary journeys, as recorded in the book of Acts, and his epistles, which comprise a significant portion of the New Testament, have shaped Christian theology and practice for centuries.
However, a close reading of these texts, particularly in comparison with Jesus Christ's teachings and example, raises significant questions about Paul’s character and motivations.
Historically, the version of Christianity that has been most dominant—the one enshrined in creeds, doctrines, and institutional structures—is heavily indebted to Paul’s theological framework.
It emphasizes belief in Christ’s atoning sacrifice over embodied discipleship, individual salvation over social transformation, and submission to hierarchical authority over the radical equality of all believers. This Pauline paradigm has often been used to justify and reinforce systems of oppression, exclusion, and domination, all in the name of Christian orthodoxy.
The problem is that this Pauline Christianity seems to depart in significant ways from the way of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels.
