ABSTRACT
The voice of Christianity is carried to us first in the writings of Paul of Tarsus, a Jew, a Roman citizen and an artisan, but also a scholar and moralist, raised in the tradition of the Pharisees. It is an ancient voice, therefore, springing from centuries of Jewish tradition. The account of Paul's career in the Acts of the Apostles is vivid but unreliable. It brings archaeology to life and helps one to picture the world in which he worked, die weariness and danger of travel by land and sea; the loud and thronging streets and porticoes of the Roman Mediterranean; the public enthusiasm, even hysteria, of its religion. Paul based his personal authority on his calling by Jesus. Acts, written later, links that assurance with Paul's famous vision on the road to Damascus. The text goes on to present a broad canvas, emphasizing Paul's enduring respect for the synagogue.
