Who started Christianity and shaped the stories of Jesus as we know them today? To understand this, many historians point to Paul of Tarsus.
Paul of Tarsus: The Man Who Never Met Jesus
Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles appointed by Jesus, and according to tradition, he never met Jesus in person. In fact, he initially persecuted early Christians. While traveling to continue this work, he reportedly experienced a vision that changed the direction of his life. This experience led him to become a follower of Jesus, claiming that he had heard Jesus speak to him.
A key point is that Paul was highly educated and fluent in multiple languages. He played a major role in shaping the theological structure of early Christianity, despite not having direct contact with Jesus during his lifetime. While he may have known some of Jesus’ followers, there was no formalized “Christianity” in the early decades after Jesus’ death in the way it later developed.
Jesus himself was a Jewish teacher who, according to tradition, taught within the context of Judaism and the Torah. His brother and early followers also remained rooted in Jewish practice. Christianity as an organized religion developed gradually over time.
The Epistles: Paul’s Letters to the Early Church
From this perspective, Paul played a significant role in shaping early Christian doctrine. He wrote numerous letters, known as epistles, to early Christian communities. These letters followed a consistent structure: an introduction, a central message, and a closing blessing or personal note. They were often written and circulated on scrolls.
The epistles are found in the New Testament and make up 21 of its 27 books. Thirteen are traditionally attributed to Paul, including Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
Within these writings are subsets such as the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon), believed to have been written during Paul’s house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30–31). There are also the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus), which focus on guidance for church leadership and early Christian practice.
Paul’s Influence on Christian Theology and Organization
From a historical standpoint, Paul had a profound influence on shaping early Christian theology and organization. His writings addressed issues such as circumcision, the inclusion of Gentiles, and the structure of emerging Christian communities. He also emphasized the idea of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God—interpretations that became central to later Christian doctrine.
However, it is also important to note that there are differences in emphasis between Paul’s letters and other New Testament writings, including the Acts of the Apostles. These differences have been the subject of theological and historical discussion for centuries.
This raises a broader question: how did Christianity evolve from the teachings of Jesus into the organized religion we know today? From one perspective, Christianity can be seen as one of humanity’s great spiritual developments, shaped by many contributors over time, including Paul.
The One Love Perspective: God as Energy and Consciousness
In the One Love perspective, we suggest a different framing: God is energy. Consciousness is energy. And human beings carry that divine energy within them. Jesus himself is quoted as saying, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” From this view, divinity is not external or institutional, but internal and experiential.
Science also supports the idea that everything in the universe is energy, including the human body. From this perspective, spirituality is not limited to traditional religious structures, but can be understood as awareness of energy, consciousness, and connection.
Many belief systems, including Christianity and Islam, are human frameworks developed over time to interpret spiritual experience. In contrast, energy itself is not a belief system; it is a fundamental reality. In the One Love philosophy, we see this energy as the expression of the divine.
We will continue exploring these ideas in future writings.
