Paul’s message depends upon his unique knowledge of Jesus, which he maintains came directly from YHWH, and an original interpretation of Judaism to accommodate his unique understanding. He takes inconsequential sentences and builds them into major arguments. From Habakkuk Paul takes part of a sentence, ‘but the just shall live by his faith’, and uses it to construct an argument in favour of justification by faith in Jesus and not by works of the Law. Out of Genesis Paul extracts the sentence, ‘And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness’, and employs it to construct an argument in which Abraham is seen as the father of ‘they which are of faith’. The gospel of Paul depends upon his identification of Jesus as heir to Abraham and the promises God made to Abraham. Paul argues that the words ‘thy seed’ apply to Jesus: ‘Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.’ However, an impartial reading of the text will show that the author of the Abraham stories envisaged many generations of seed on every occasion he employed the term ‘thy seed.’ It is impossible to assume Paul was unaware the author of Genesis intended readers to understand many generations of seed by the words ‘thy seed.’ Paul may have been convinced God had revealed a unique understanding of the seed material to him. However, his uncorroborated word and unique interpretation of Jewish scripture cannot be regarded as proof positive Paul’s special understanding is valid.
The followers of Paul were told that the prophets had promised the gospel. Paul argues Adam committed a sin of disobedience and caused death to come into being. Death reigned from Adam to the coming of the law. He maintains Abraham is heir to the world, and father of all who believe in Jesus. According to Paul the Law was given for a restricted time: from Moses to the coming of ‘the seed.’ Faith in Jesus has superseded the Law. The Law is no longer needed. When the Gentiles who are going to be saved have been saved, the blindness of Israel will come to an end. All of Israel will be saved. Paul expected a resurrection of the dead at the end-time. He thought of Jesus as the first fruits of the dead. For Paul the second coming of Jesus (Parousia) was imminent. Paul asserted that if his gospel ‘be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.’ In Galatians Paul is critical of Christians who keep themselves under astrological powers - Bornkamm, the theologian, translates some words written by Paul to mean: have nothing to do with Star-Spirits.
Paul may have taken a collection to the original Christian Church at Jerusalem. It is unlikely that the Jerusalem Christians accepted it. Paul had hoped its acceptance would symbolize the gathering of the Gentiles into the one family of God. The two churches remained separate. Paul, on his visit to Jerusalem, was arrested and accused of taking a Gentile beyond the Temple barrier excluding Gentiles. He was sent to Rome, and arrived there in the spring of AD 60. It is not known what became of Paul, although Acts says he spent two years under house arrest awaiting trial before Caesar. Though Paul was not the first to preach to Gentiles, the worldwide Christian Church is seen as his lasting monument. His influence continued after his disappearance. Paul’s letters became a standard reference for Christian teaching. Paul had a deep effect upon the history of Western Christianity through the writings of St Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin.
It seems that the original Christian religion, generated by Jesus and his friends, was outgrown by the religion started by Paul.