ANCIENT ECHOES PODCAST: WHY I NO LONGER BELIEVE IN GOD (JESSUP PA)

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

From Jesus’ Jewish Movement to a Global Faith

When Jesus was crucified around 30 CE, his followers did not immediately create a new religion called Christianity. The earliest followers of Jesus were Jews who continued worshiping in synagogues and at the Temple in Jerusalem. They believed Jesus was the Messiah promised to Israel, but they still viewed themselves as part of Judaism. They observed Jewish customs, followed Jewish Scriptures, and lived within the framework of the Torah.

Within a few decades, however, the movement began changing dramatically. At the center of that transformation stood a man named Paul. No individual outside of Jesus himself would have a greater influence on the development of Christianity than the Apostle Paul. His writings would eventually become a major portion of the New Testament, shaping Christian theology, ethics, and understanding of salvation for nearly two thousand years.

The question historians continue to debate is not whether Paul was influential—everyone agrees he was. The real question is whether Paul faithfully expanded Jesus’ message or fundamentally transformed it into something new.

Paul Before Christ

Before becoming the Apostle Paul, he was known as Saul of Tarsus. Paul was born into the Jewish world of the Roman Empire and received extensive training in Jewish law and tradition. According to his own writings, he was deeply devoted to Judaism and identified himself as a Pharisee.

Before his encounter with Christ, Paul opposed the Jesus movement. He viewed the followers of Jesus as a threat to what he believed was true Judaism. To many Jews, the idea that a man crucified by Rome could be God’s Messiah seemed impossible. Crucifixion was associated with shame and failure, not victory and divine blessing.

Paul believed he was defending the faith of Israel. He was not an unbeliever attacking religion; he was a passionate believer convinced that the Jesus movement was dangerously mistaken.

Everything changed, however, on a journey to Damascus.

The Damascus Road Experience

According to the Book of Acts and Paul’s own testimony, he experienced a dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus. Christians traditionally refer to this event as Paul’s conversion.

Some modern scholars prefer the term “calling” rather than conversion. They argue that Paul never believed he was abandoning Judaism. Instead, he believed God had revealed to him that Jesus was the Messiah and had called him to bring that message to the nations.

Regardless of how it is described, the event completely altered Paul’s life. The man who once persecuted followers of Jesus became the movement’s most passionate missionary.

Paul spent the remainder of his life traveling throughout the Roman Empire, establishing communities of believers and spreading his understanding of the gospel.

The Mission to the Gentiles

Paul’s greatest impact came through his ministry to Gentiles—people who were not Jewish.

This created a major challenge for the early Jesus movement. If non-Jews wanted to follow Jesus, did they need to become Jewish first?

Many early believers likely assumed the answer was yes. After all, Jesus was Jewish. His disciples were Jewish. The Scriptures were Jewish. The covenant had been given to Israel.

It seemed logical that Gentile converts would need to accept Jewish practices such as circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath observance.

Paul disagreed.

He argued that Gentiles could become followers of Jesus without becoming Jews. This position would eventually reshape the future of Christianity.

Faith and the Law

Paul’s letters reveal an ongoing debate about faith and the Torah. In writings such as Galatians and Romans, Paul argued passionately that Gentiles did not need circumcision to become part of God’s people.

For Paul, faith in Christ—not observance of the Torah—was the basis for inclusion in God’s covenant family.

This was a revolutionary idea.

For centuries, God’s covenant had been closely connected with the identity markers of Judaism. Circumcision, dietary practices, and Sabbath observance distinguished Jews from surrounding nations.

Paul argued that the arrival of the Messiah had changed the situation. Through Jesus, Gentiles could now enter God’s family without adopting the full requirements of Jewish law.

This position generated controversy and opposition. Some Jewish followers of Jesus strongly disagreed with Paul and believed Gentile believers should observe Torah.

The disagreement became one of the defining debates of the early church.

Comparing Jesus and Paul

When readers compare the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels with the writings of Paul, important differences emerge.

Jesus spent much of his ministry proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He taught through parables and emphasized love, forgiveness, justice, mercy, humility, and care for the poor. His message focused heavily on how people should live in anticipation of God’s coming reign.

Paul’s writings often focus on different themes. He emphasizes Christ’s death and resurrection, salvation through faith, grace, justification, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus frequently discussed the Kingdom of God.

Paul frequently discussed the meaning of the cross.

Jesus often quoted the Torah.

Paul often explained why Gentiles were not obligated to follow many aspects of the Torah.

These differences do not necessarily mean Paul rejected Jesus. However, they do show that Paul interpreted Jesus through a particular theological lens that emphasized different concerns.

Did Paul Change the Movement?

This question remains one of the most debated issues in biblical scholarship.

Some scholars argue that Paul faithfully extended Jesus’ mission to a broader audience. They see Paul as applying Jesus’ message to new circumstances as the movement expanded beyond its Jewish roots.

Other scholars argue that Paul significantly transformed the movement. They note that Jesus focused on the Kingdom of God and remained deeply connected to Jewish life and practice, while Paul’s theology centered on faith in Christ and minimized the importance of Torah observance for Gentiles.

According to this perspective, Christianity gradually became more Pauline than Jesus-centered. The teachings of Paul often became the primary lens through which Christians interpreted Jesus himself.

Whether one agrees with this conclusion or not, it is difficult to deny Paul’s enormous influence on Christian history.

The Jerusalem Church and Paul

An often-overlooked aspect of early Christianity is that the original leadership remained in Jerusalem.

Leaders such as Peter, James, and John continued guiding the movement after Jesus’ death. James, the brother of Jesus, became particularly important.

Many scholars believe the Jerusalem church remained more closely connected to Jewish practices than Paul’s Gentile communities. The existence of occasional disagreements between Paul and other leaders suggests that early Christianity was not always unified in its understanding of Jesus’ message.

The movement contained different voices, different priorities, and different interpretations.

Over time, however, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE and the rapid growth of Gentile Christianity shifted influence away from the Jewish center of the movement.

As that happened, Paul’s ideas became increasingly dominant.

Paul’s Lasting Legacy

Without Paul, Christianity might have remained a small Jewish movement centered in Palestine.

Paul’s missionary work helped spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. His letters provided theological foundations that would influence Christian thought for centuries.

Because of Paul, Christianity became a global faith rather than a regional movement.

At the same time, Paul’s teachings contributed to a growing separation between Christianity and Judaism. As more Gentiles entered the movement and fewer believers observed Jewish law, Christianity developed its own distinct identity.

By the second century, the separation between church and synagogue was becoming increasingly clear.

Conclusion

The Apostle Paul stands as one of the most influential figures in world history. He helped transform a Jewish movement centered on Jesus into a faith that spread across continents and eventually reached billions of people.

Whether Paul faithfully expanded Jesus’ message or significantly reshaped it remains a matter of debate. Historians, theologians, and biblical scholars continue to wrestle with that question.

What is clear is that Paul changed the trajectory of the movement forever.

Jesus preached the Kingdom of God in the villages of Galilee.

Paul carried the message of Christ across the Roman world.

The story of Christianity cannot be understood without understanding both men—and the profound differences and similarities between their visions.

In the next chapter, we will examine the Jerusalem Church, the leadership of James the brother of Jesus, and the growing tensions between Jewish followers of Jesus and the emerging Gentile church that would eventually become Christianity.

Jesus’ Jewish Movement to a Global Faith

When Jesus was crucified around 30 CE, his followers did not immediately create a new religion called Christianity. The earliest followers of Jesus were Jews who continued worshiping in synagogues and at the Temple in Jerusalem. They believed Jesus was the Messiah promised to Israel, but they still viewed themselves as part of Judaism. They observed Jewish customs, followed Jewish Scriptures, and lived within the framework of the Torah.

Within a few decades, however, the movement began changing dramatically. At the center of that transformation stood a man named Paul. No individual outside of Jesus himself would have a greater influence on the development of Christianity than the Apostle Paul. His writings would eventually become a major portion of the New Testament, shaping Christian theology, ethics, and understanding of salvation for nearly two thousand years.

The question historians continue to debate is not whether Paul was influential—everyone agrees he was. The real question is whether Paul faithfully expanded Jesus’ message or fundamentally transformed it into something new.

Paul Before Christ

Before becoming the Apostle Paul, he was known as Saul of Tarsus. Paul was born into the Jewish world of the Roman Empire and received extensive training in Jewish law and tradition. According to his own writings, he was deeply devoted to Judaism and identified himself as a Pharisee.

Before his encounter with Christ, Paul opposed the Jesus movement. He viewed the followers of Jesus as a threat to what he believed was true Judaism. To many Jews, the idea that a man crucified by Rome could be God’s Messiah seemed impossible. Crucifixion was associated with shame and failure, not victory and divine blessing.

Paul believed he was defending the faith of Israel. He was not an unbeliever attacking religion; he was a passionate believer convinced that the Jesus movement was dangerously mistaken.

Everything changed, however, on a journey to Damascus.

The Damascus Road Experience

According to the Book of Acts and Paul’s own testimony, he experienced a dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus. Christians traditionally refer to this event as Paul’s conversion.

Some modern scholars prefer the term “calling” rather than conversion. They argue that Paul never believed he was abandoning Judaism. Instead, he believed God had revealed to him that Jesus was the Messiah and had called him to bring that message to the nations.

Regardless of how it is described, the event completely altered Paul’s life. The man who once persecuted followers of Jesus became the movement’s most passionate missionary.

Paul spent the remainder of his life traveling throughout the Roman Empire, establishing communities of believers and spreading his understanding of the gospel.

The Mission to the Gentiles

Paul’s greatest impact came through his ministry to Gentiles—people who were not Jewish.

This created a major challenge for the early Jesus movement. If non-Jews wanted to follow Jesus, did they need to become Jewish first?

Many early believers likely assumed the answer was yes. After all, Jesus was Jewish. His disciples were Jewish. The Scriptures were Jewish. The covenant had been given to Israel.

It seemed logical that Gentile converts would need to accept Jewish practices such as circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath observance.

Paul disagreed.

He argued that Gentiles could become followers of Jesus without becoming Jews. This position would eventually reshape the future of Christianity.

Faith and the Law

Paul’s letters reveal an ongoing debate about faith and the Torah. In writings such as Galatians and Romans, Paul argued passionately that Gentiles did not need circumcision to become part of God’s people.

For Paul, faith in Christ—not observance of the Torah—was the basis for inclusion in God’s covenant family.

This was a revolutionary idea.

For centuries, God’s covenant had been closely connected with the identity markers of Judaism. Circumcision, dietary practices, and Sabbath observance distinguished Jews from surrounding nations.

Paul argued that the arrival of the Messiah had changed the situation. Through Jesus, Gentiles could now enter God’s family without adopting the full requirements of Jewish law.

This position generated controversy and opposition. Some Jewish followers of Jesus strongly disagreed with Paul and believed Gentile believers should observe Torah.

The disagreement became one of the defining debates of the early church.

Comparing Jesus and Paul

When readers compare the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels with the writings of Paul, important differences emerge.

Jesus spent much of his ministry proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He taught through parables and emphasized love, forgiveness, justice, mercy, humility, and care for the poor. His message focused heavily on how people should live in anticipation of God’s coming reign.

Paul’s writings often focus on different themes. He emphasizes Christ’s death and resurrection, salvation through faith, grace, justification, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus frequently discussed the Kingdom of God.

Paul frequently discussed the meaning of the cross.

Jesus often quoted the Torah.

Paul often explained why Gentiles were not obligated to follow many aspects of the Torah.

These differences do not necessarily mean Paul rejected Jesus. However, they do show that Paul interpreted Jesus through a particular theological lens that emphasized different concerns.

Did Paul Change the Movement?

This question remains one of the most debated issues in biblical scholarship.

Some scholars argue that Paul faithfully extended Jesus’ mission to a broader audience. They see Paul as applying Jesus’ message to new circumstances as the movement expanded beyond its Jewish roots.

Other scholars argue that Paul significantly transformed the movement. They note that Jesus focused on the Kingdom of God and remained deeply connected to Jewish life and practice, while Paul’s theology centered on faith in Christ and minimized the importance of Torah observance for Gentiles.

According to this perspective, Christianity gradually became more Pauline than Jesus-centered. The teachings of Paul often became the primary lens through which Christians interpreted Jesus himself.

Whether one agrees with this conclusion or not, it is difficult to deny Paul’s enormous influence on Christian history.

The Jerusalem Church and Paul

An often-overlooked aspect of early Christianity is that the original leadership remained in Jerusalem.

Leaders such as Peter, James, and John continued guiding the movement after Jesus’ death. James, the brother of Jesus, became particularly important.

Many scholars believe the Jerusalem church remained more closely connected to Jewish practices than Paul’s Gentile communities. The existence of occasional disagreements between Paul and other leaders suggests that early Christianity was not always unified in its understanding of Jesus’ message.

The movement contained different voices, different priorities, and different interpretations.

Over time, however, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE and the rapid growth of Gentile Christianity shifted influence away from the Jewish center of the movement.

As that happened, Paul’s ideas became increasingly dominant.

Paul’s Lasting Legacy

Without Paul, Christianity might have remained a small Jewish movement centered in Palestine.

Paul’s missionary work helped spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. His letters provided theological foundations that would influence Christian thought for centuries.

Because of Paul, Christianity became a global faith rather than a regional movement.

At the same time, Paul’s teachings contributed to a growing separation between Christianity and Judaism. As more Gentiles entered the movement and fewer believers observed Jewish law, Christianity developed its own distinct identity.

By the second century, the separation between church and synagogue was becoming increasingly clear.

Conclusion

The Apostle Paul stands as one of the most influential figures in world history. He helped transform a Jewish movement centered on Jesus into a faith that spread across continents and eventually reached billions of people.

Whether Paul faithfully expanded Jesus’ message or significantly reshaped it remains a matter of debate. Historians, theologians, and biblical scholars continue to wrestle with that question.

What is clear is that Paul changed the trajectory of the movement forever.

Jesus preached the Kingdom of God in the villages of Galilee.

Paul carried the message of Christ across the Roman world.

The story of Christianity cannot be understood without understanding both men—and the profound differences and similarities between their visions.

In the next chapter, we will examine the Jerusalem Church, the leadership of James the brother of Jesus, and the growing tensions between Jewish followers of Jesus and the emerging Gentile church that would eventually become Christianity.