Paul (Saul) of Tarsus was one of the most important roles in the early relationship between Christianity and Judaism. Before his conversion Paul was a Pharisee, an educated leader of the Jewish community. Although Paul eventually became an advocate and missionary of Christianity, he was originally strongly anti-Christian. When opposition to the Christian sect became active persecution, Paul became a leader in the persecution of Christians (Acts 8:1-3).
According to the book of Acts this act of persecution stimulated the spread of Christianity by propelling the persecution-fearing Christians out into the world and away from what would be later known as Palestine. From the outside looking in, this Jewish area of the world slowly began to become known as Palestine because of its earlier associations with the Philistines (White 199). This name brought with it the baggage of continuous conflict held between the Philistine and Israel (White 17).
While traveling to Damascus to persecute the Christians there, Paul had a vision in which Jesus appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? …I am Jesus whom you persecute…but get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:3-6).
From that point on, Paul became one of the main supporters of the Christians. While he became a major voice in the Christian movement, he continued to participate in and follow his Jewish heritage much like many converted Christians. For example, during his extensive travels, Paul continued to participate in temple worship and observe Jewish traditions and rituals. In some ways, Paul’s actions served as a bridge between the traditions of the Jews and the new identity of the Christians.
The apostles’ newly converted followers followed this example set by Paul and still adhered to Jewish laws while practicing their new worship in Jesus. According to Archibald G Baker These believers “considered themselves to be ‘the true Israel’ and inheritors of all of God’s promises to the chosen people” (8).
Two tools that Christians used that differed from that of Judaism were creeds and canons. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word credo, which means, “I believe.” “A creed is a summary of statements of Christian faith and belief. The purpose of the earliest creeds was to present a short summary of Christian doctrine, which baptismal candidates affirmed at their baptism. Later, creeds became tools for instruction of new converts, for combating heresy and for use in corporate worship” (Grenz 33). In Christianity, a creed is a statement of belief that attempts to describe the nature of Jesus and God. For example, in the Nicene Creed, Jesus is described as “One Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; Begotten of his Father before all worlds.” It describes his purpose as, “Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.”
The term “canon” refers to “the collection of books that the church has recognized as the written Word of God (Scripture) and that functions as the rule or standard of faith and practice in the church” (Grenz 23). The canon and the creeds are similar in that they both discuss the ideas of who or what exactly Jesus was, and his purpose for being here. While the canons are an extensive collection of writings that are considered to be the most reliable source of faith, the creeds attempt to condense and interpret their message. The Nicene Creed was a result of the Council of Nicea in the year 325 C.E., and confirms the divinity of Jesus (Ehrman, 390).
After this event, Christianity became extremely popular and continued its spread throughout the known world. Over the course of the first two centuries of its existence, Christianity has undergone radical changes since its humble beginnings as a faction of Judaism. It has become even far more universal since then since it is targeted at all races and classes. Despite countless relentless differences with both the Christian and Jewish churches, the similarities that they held with one another are still prevalent to this day.
Works Cited
Baker, Archibald G., et al. A Short History of Christianity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1940.
Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writers. New York: Oxford, 2000.
Grenz, Stanley J. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1999.
Hopfe, Lewis M., and Mark R. Woodward. Religions of The World. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Meeks, Wayne A., ed. The Harper Collins Study Bible NRVS. New York: Harper Collins, 1993.
White, J. Benton. From Adam to Armageddon: A Survey of the Bible. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1994.
