Paul's "persecution" of the early Christians?

[Minimalist]

None of the alleged epistles make reference to any such fact.  This claim is made only in the discredited Book of Acts where it was doubtless inserted to con morons like you.

[Drich]

Paul claims to have persecuted the early Church, but, to me, his claim seems rather dubious.  After all, Paul was not a Roman official or a member of the legions, and given Roman federalism, it seems unthinkable to me that Paul, a mere Roman citizen, could harass Roman subjects?  It seems that not only the Roman authorities, but the local ones under Roman governorship, would object, strongly, to such behavior.  Some will cite 2 Corinthians 11:24 where he states, "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.", but this claim is also odd, given Paul's Roman citizenship.

It seems to me that the story of Paul's persecution of the early Church was invented, and was (and is) pure myth.

It is unthinkable because you do not understand the infra/social structure of rome at the time. Instead of a modern united states, think of a colonial united states/ what the US look like after the revolutionary war. in that each state had it's laws and mandates that to a degree allowed them to self govern so long as the did not break the constitutional law. We were up to the civil war a united nation of many smaller nations/states.


Jerusalem (as well as ever other roman held territory was a state of Rome.) laws in that state concerning the destruction of Christians was not against any Roman 'constitutional law.' Roman 'constitutional law' only protected it's citizens. and citizenship was either earned through the army or purchased. it was not a right or entitlement. if you weren't a citizen you life was not worth very much

To kill a non citizen was to kill a potential problem. Paul was held up and thanked for what He did with Christians.

[The Grand Nudger]

LOL< was he, by whom?

[Jehanne]

LOL< was he, by whom?

It's just absurd to claim that a Roman citizen could persecute a Roman subject. Even in colonial America, people were hanged for such offenses.

---

Paul claims to have persecuted the early Church, but, to me, his claim seems rather dubious.  After all, Paul was not a Roman official or a member of the legions, and given Roman federalism, it seems unthinkable to me that Paul, a mere Roman citizen, could harass Roman subjects?  It seems that not only the Roman authorities, but the local ones under Roman governorship, would object, strongly, to such behavior.  Some will cite 2 Corinthians 11:24 where he states, "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.", but this claim is also odd, given Paul's Roman citizenship.

It seems to me that the story of Paul's persecution of the early Church was invented, and was (and is) pure myth.

You were being told that Paul was a Roman citizen, you didn't listen. There was a difference in being a Roman citizen and a Roman subject. Roman citizens had many rights, Roman subjects had few to none. The Romans were having enough trouble with the Jews at the time to worry about a man persecuting his own people, to them this amounted to help rather than a problem. Jesus being a Roman subject was by manipulation able to be arrested by non-Roman citizens and tried and found guilty outside a Roman court. Pilate himself found it easier to allow the Jews to fight among themselves because it distracted them from rebellion against the Roman Empire.

GC

What a bunch of crap. Pilate did NOT allow the Jews to fight amongst themselves. Who arrested Jesus in the Temple? The Romans!

[The Grand Nudger]

Rome isn't exactly famous for treating jewish zealots causing trouble in their provinces with gratitude.

[Minimalist]

Jerusalem (as well as ever other roman held territory was a state of Rome.) laws in that state concerning the destruction of Christians was not against any Roman 'constitutional law.'

What "laws" might those be, dickhead?  Please cite them so we can all learn what you alone seem to know.

Do you ever know what you are talking about?

[Jehanne]

Rome isn't exactly famous for treating jewish zealots causing trouble in their provinces with gratitude.

The Romans arrested and often executed ANYONE who was causing trouble within the Empire; the local authorities were free to do the same, as long as they were obedient to Rome (hence, federalism). If Paul did arrest individuals on his own, such would have been an affront to both the local authorities as well as their Roman overlords, but if he was only making such outlandish claims as part of his story, then the Romans and local governors may have written him off as just being a crank, at least for awhile. But, as his stories spread, they may have taken him to task over it; as such, he may have been arrested, tried and executed, not for his religious beliefs, but for having spread political and false rumors throughout the Empire.

[The Grand Nudger]

The story of "paul" being arrested and transported to rome is legendary paul, Acts, yet again.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Then you'd be referring to two line items.

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

and

4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

The rest of his persecutor cred is found in legendary paul.  Are you wondering whether the paul of early paul is a convincing pharisee?  The short answer is no.  He was padding his resume, and displays none of the competence he claims.  Here;s an interesting question, though.  What "church" could he have been persecuting?  The christers claim he converted around 33ad.......

According to the fairy tale Paul created Christianity in Antioch = Acts 11:26.

[The Grand Nudger]

The paul of acts isn't the paul op is looking for, lol.