Introduction

Jesus and Paul are the two most imposing figures to emerge from the pages of the New Testament, although for very different reasons. On the one hand, Jesus is the subject of every New Testament writing. In each of them, Jesus is affirmed and celebrated as the one in whom life is given and through whom it is constantly renewed and enriched. On the other hand, Paul is the author of more New Testament writings than any other person – and of the earliest. In addition, he is the subject of much of the Book of Acts. And when it comes to plain historical facts, we know more about Paul than about anyone else in the early church. Indeed, we know more by far about his message and mission than about Jesus' own earthly life or teaching.

It is often forgotten that Paul, whom the church came to regard as the greatest apostle of Christ, had not been one of the disciples of the earthly Jesus. Had he, in fact, even known Jesus, or even seen him? Had he ever heard Jesus teach or watched him heal? Had he ever observed him in conversation with his disciples or in dialogue with his opponents? There is no indication of this in the Gospels, where Paul is not even named, nor in the Book of Acts, where we meet him first as an opponent of the church in Jerusalem.

After Good Friday: The Church in Jerusalem

From the stories told about Jesus in the Gospels, we gain the impression that anyone who heard his teaching and observed his actions came away with a definite opinion about him.