St. Paul, whose real name was Saul, is one of those who leave an indelible mark on the pages of history. In whatever form they appear on the stage of the world," they always play a leading role. Though his inconsistent and contradictory actions, Saul became an enigma for the world of religion-a fact that leaves the thinker's mind greatly perplexed.
In the beginning Saul appears before us in the ugly role of a blood-thirsty persecutor and a firebrand lieutenant of the High Priest chasing and hunting the small group of humble people who had accepted Jesus, son of Mary as their Promised Messiah. But a little later we see him being himself hunted and persecuted by his former friends, the tyrannical Jews.
When a Pharisee, he proved himself a thorn in the side of the early Christians and we see him standing self-assured in the crowd that witnessed the martyrdom of St. Stephen. But a few years later, lie himself is slain for championing the cause of Christianity. When brought before King Agrippa we see him pleading for himself in a masterly manner and claiming that he was once a very staunch and practising Pharisee-a very conservative sect that firmly believed in the Commandment, "You shall have no other god before Me."
But only a little later, we find him concocting a theory diametrically opposed to the idea of one God. Although Jesus had repeatedly called himself 'son of man', yet Paul insisted on making him a deity not only equal in rank with the Creator but co-substantial with Him.
The New Testament provides as with abundant proofs of the high-handed conduct of Paul in propagating the new faith. Having met with little success among the Jews, he turned towards the Gentiles. In order to entice them, he 'thought it expedient to recast the whole structure of the Christian faith. He introduced so many changes that his faith acquired a great resemblance to pagan conceptions. Through arbitrary innovations, he made many things lawful which were absolutely unlawful according to the law of Moses. He even mutilated the basic tenet of the law-Unity of God.
Reference: witch-selena.blogspot.com
