Chrisitanity

Question 1

About St paul

Answer 1

• Often considered to be most important person after Jesus in history of Christianity
• His epistiles (letters) have had enourmous influecne on Chirstian theology, especially on core teachings such as Salvation, the death and resurrection of Christ of Christ and the church as one body with christ
• Instramental in proclaiming the Good News to the Gentiles and ealry Christian communites through his missonaries, journys reinforcing the beliefs of salvation through the death and resurection of Christ
• Continued to establish key expressions of christiany such as baptism and the Eucharist

Question 2

Evangelisation / missionary journeys - Spread of Christianity

Answer 2

• Taking Good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection to not only Jews but genriles also
• Expanded from Jewis sect called the way from Palestine to Greco Roman world through his travels to places like Corinth, Rome Antiochh
• Council of Jerusalem Paul fought to include Gentiles - meant that New followers of Christ do not have to follow the laws of Moses such as dietary laws and circumcision - thereby moving away from Jewish practices and firming Christianity in its own right as a religion. Baptism new covenant with Christ.
• Converted and expanded people to the faith.
• Pauls missionary work spread the Gospel message outside the Judeo-Palestinian confines of Jesus Christs ministry
• Widened christianity from being “a Jewish Sect”
• His status as a Roman Citizen granted him freedom of travel to promote Christianiy to places like Corint, Philippi and even Rome
• He brought the good news of salvation through Jesus’ death and Resurrection to all (not just resticted to Jews)
  Paul embarked on three missonary journeys including a final journey to Rome where he would be martyred for preaching against Mosaic Law

Question 3

Emergence of Christian Identity

Answer 3

• In christian tradition, Paul is known as the Apostle of the Gentiles
• He spent almost half of his life preaching the gospel and establishing Christian communities in the gentile or non-jewish world of Greece and Rome
• His Ministry to the gentiles is significant because it contributed to the rapid expansion of Christianity beyond the borders of Judea and Galilee
• Pauls missonary activity to the gentiles was instrumental in shaping the early Church
• As the number of Gentile christians grew, the jewish character of the movemnt gave ways to an exclusively Chritisn identitiy that acknowleged and built upon its jewish hertiage
• The emergence of a christian idenity was futher advanced the jerusalem council that law observence relating to circumcisio and food laws should not be required of gentile Christians
• Paul accomplished the break with Judaism without destroying the rich heritage from which the new movement originated
• ‘Had the early Christian community succumbed to the Judaisers insistence upon the law as a means of salvation, there would be no christianity today’ - T. Carson et al., New Catholic Encyclopedia, ‘Paul, Apostle, St’ Volue 11, p.2

Question 4

The council of Jerusalem

Answer 4

• “The whole assembly because silent as they listenced to Barnabos and Paul telling about signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them” - Acts 15:12

Question 5

Pauls letters

Answer 5

• romans
• 1 corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• ! and 2 timothy
• titus
• Philemon

Question 6

The Epistles - contribution to Christianity

Answer 6

• Once Paul established a community, he would guide them through writing letters so they could settle theological disputes better understand the word or God and follow Jesus
• Encouraged harmony and unity in the face of division
  Provided consolation and comfort and at times used to admonish them if they turned away from the gospel
• Pauls letters are the first pieces of Christian writing and the first accounts of Jesus and his teachings
• Letters to early communites enabled Christianity to thrive after death of Christ
• The Pauline Epistles comprise 13 of the 27 books in the New Test leaving Paul the most prolific writer of the Bible
• His letters continued tot he development of a united Christian belief system

Question 7

Letters

Answer 7

• Pauls letters to the ealry Christian communites aroud the Mediteranian, as well as those to timothy, titus and philemon, are included in Christianitys canon of scared scripture as they:
  1.) Form part of chrisitan revelation
  2.) Confirm matters concering Jesus Christ
  3.)More fully state christs teaching
  4.)Provide accounts of and insights into the first Christians communites
  5.) Witness to the continucation of Christ’s saving work
  6.)The epistles written by paul are used by all Christian varients as part of the sacred text of Christianity

Question 8

Theology

Answer 8

• considered the first interpreter and theologin of Christianty
• Teaches and cements key Christian doctrine such as One body of Christ, Salvation and ethical teaching of agape as taught by Jesus and strengthened by St Paul. Foundation of church teachings.
• He helped establish the beliefs of the early Christian communties
• These teachings are just as relevant today as they were in the time of St Paul
• Christans have traditionally believed that jesus died for their sins. His death is evidence of the unconditional love of God (agape)
• This is the message that Paul took and expanded upon in the early Chritsian communities
• Universal message for Jews and Gentiles to believe resurection of the body
• Once day they will be transformed and share in the life of Jesus
• Based on the resurrection of Jeuss and was the basis of the message of the Good News that he took to greco-roman

Question 9

Pauls Theology - contribution to the expression of Christianity Baptism

Answer 9

• Central figure in the stufy of Christian baptism
• Theology of Baptism in early church is established
• For Paul, baptism was the means of becoming Christian essential part of the belivers journy of faith and salvation
• Involved repentence, was the means of becoming Christians, essential part of the believers journey for faith and salvation
• Involved repentence, was a rite of passage, renouncing the and life and committing to the new
• Baptism seen to parallel the death and resurection of Jesus providing the adherent with an invitation to live new life, understanding that “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person” 2 Corinthians 5:17
• Teaching about baptism is multifaceted - life shaping event at the heart if the Christian Journey and ministry
• Practice of Baptism and the theology was established asa sign of initiation into the church - essential element of modern christianity in most variants

Question 10

Pauls Theology - contribution to the expression of Christianity Death & Resurrection

Answer 10

• The belief of death and resurrection of christ was reflected in the practice of Baptism in ealry Christian communities
• Sign of new covenant with God through the risen christ
• Belief in risen christ → symbol of the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles into chrisanity and acceptacne that jesus rose from the dead
• Romans 6:3-5
• Jesus died and was resurrected, hence, all humans will be resurrected as well through belief in Jesus Chris

Question 11

Pauls Theology - Contribution to Christianity Salvation

Answer 11

• His insistence on salvation in Christ, rather than Jewish law, laid the foundation of his theology and contriuted to the new religious movement
• The ‘making disciples of all nations’ Matthew 28:19 - began with Paul translating christs message to non-Jews and applying it to all peoples and culture
• Jesus is central to Salvation - through his life, death and resurrection that God has offered salvation to all humanity