The First Century Void

[RoadRunner79]

It was the proto-Orthodox Pauline Christianity that eventually won as the official religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine, and Marcion's work Antithesis which started the development of the Christian canon that developed into the Bible.

Well how it seems to me is that Paul and people around him invented Jesus à la L. Ron Hubbard. And why do I think that? Because Paul said it himself repeatedly. He constantly claimed that he has received his knowledge directly from Jesus. Meaning no apostles and no actual Jesus, no oral tradition, that it all came down from heaven direct to his ear, either via another vision of his Christ or the Lord God himself; like

Galatians 1:11-12   I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:15-16  But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.

Even more Hubbardian is in 1 Corinthians 9:14 Paul says "the Lord" commands that preachers like him should be supported financially - let's face it it's business for him.

Or 1 Peter where writer identifies himself as an "apostle" and not a "disciple" of Jesus Christ, meaning those who made careful search and inquiry into the Hebrew scriptures in order to get the answers from the "Spirit of Christ within them". So not witnesses or somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody who knew Jesus:

1 Peter, 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated, when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things into which angels long to look!

Considering that Paul's writings date before the gospels, writer of Mark reverse-engineered a cosmic savior deity from Paul into a flesh-and-blood man on earth doing a sloppy job. Because he made numerous geographical mistakes among other mistakes of Roman law, Hebrew law etc.
Then the other writers of Gospels simply plagiarize Mark with some re-writes so that Mark's story becomes increasingly improved in Matthew and Luke; and by the time John's story is written, Jesus has become a cosmic deity from the very creation of the universe who strides around Judea fearlessly declaring to all that he is God almighty made flesh.

I think that there are some flaws in your logic, or at least; you are neglecting a lot of information in your conclusion.  Paul was persecuting the Church and those who followed Jesus, prior to being a leader among them.  The Apostle Paul wrote to churches, that he didn't found.  He met with Peter and James in Jerusalem and confirmed for each other that they where teaching the same Gospel.  We also see that the early church accepted Paul, in teaching the same Gospel and tradition that they where taught.

So what you are doing either intentionally or in ignorance is taking parts of what was said out of context for a self serving purpose.   Even the verse you cited about money, (if you read it) goes on to say, that Paul abstained from taking anything from them.  That he presented the Gospel free of charge.