Religion and Theology: How Did Paul Universalize Christ - Essay Example

Religion and Theology: How Did Paul Universalize Christ?Introduction The correspondence between world religions and the actual process of Christianity in its rise and spread is an interesting study. It appears to conform to evolutionary laws as regarded in the light of modern interpretation. Paul, who was converted after he witnessed an apparition of the risen Messiah, admonished the first Christians to maintain peace with the ruling Roman government. The wide sovereignty of Rome gave the apostles of Christ access to different nations.

These had become civilized under Roman influence.Paul had an enormously receptive audience because he preached a moral dream in a world of injustices where human freedom and right of will as understood in modern society was unknown. The world was dominated by Roman cruelty where majority of the people were vassals or slaves of Rome. Paul’s religion also guaranteed inclusion to any individual who agreed to believe in its messiah. No wealth or other requirements were stipulated for membership.

This increased its popularity among the lower classes of society.Paul sincerely believed that any individual could become a Christian if they only believed in Christ. The other apostles did not hold the same conviction. To seek the “lost sheep”, Paul would undertake hazardous journeys to spread the Christian faith (Bishop, 2010). He journeyed through hostile territory in Macedonia, Asia Minor, and founded his first church in Phillipi where he encountered some harassment. He then proceeded to Antioch and then back again through Ephesus.

Paul viewed himself as a prophet to the non-Jewish peoples and so felt called to seek them out in order to convert them. He also dictated letters to Timothy, Philemon and Titus. Other letters were directed to groups or communities where he had already established churches.Given that the bible was then not in circulation, it can be assumed that St Paul was a man with great oratory skill. When Paul established a church, he did not leave before it was fully equipped with orders of ministry, sacraments, and tradition.

Though he ordained ministers of the church, he did not burden them with elaborate constitutions nor claim leadership over them. When he departed from these institutions, using the principles he had taught, they were able to continue his work and convert more pagans to Christianity.St Paul’s theory of evangelizing a community was not to sermonize in every locality himself. He believed in instituting centers’ of Christian being in two or three places from which understanding would extend. He abhorred situations where converts would keep the knowledge of Christianity to themselves.

They sometimes did this because they did not understand how to spread it or realized that it was entrusted to them for that purpose. He also seized chances to argue with theologians of other religions, seeing these as God sent opportunities for reaching the lost.ReferencesBishop, P. (2010). Adventures in the Human Spirit. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.