Paul the Missionary

Paul proclaimed that, through Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, God is reconciling the world to himself. Note that he did not threaten people with hellfire or entertain people with his oratorical or theatrical skills (although he certainly wrote some of the most beautiful passages of the Bible). He just announced the good news that God, through Jesus, is saving the world. People reacted in various ways to Paul’s message: some accepted it, some rejected it and others simply misunderstood it.

Paul’s physical stamina was extraordinary: even today trying to duplicate his voyages would exhaust most people, and it is matched by the strength of his feelings. But he would not have succeeded as well as he did without a whole team of followers that he coordinated. His band of missionaries included both men and women, and the latter often had very important roles.

He generally followed the same pattern: he and a group of his fellow missionaries would arrive in the capital of a Roman province. They would first approach the local synagogue  and preach to the Jewish community. If there was no synagogue, they would see if there was a Jewish community meeting outdoors; if not, they would preach to the God-fearers, those Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism but had not converted. If there were no God-fearers or if the local synagogue had rejected them, they would preach in the local market place to anyone who would listen. If any Christians already lived there, he would contact them and add them to his missionary work.

Paul usually remained in the main city, but he sent followers out to other places in the region. He remained in some areas for a long time as he organized the church there. He spent a year and a half in Corinth and over two years in Ephesus for example. Only when he felt the Church was securely established there would he move on.