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Paul the Apostle came from a time very different from our own. To understand what he had to fight against and how difficult his struggle was, let's take a moment to acquaint ourselves with the era of early Christianity, specifically at the time Christ was still alive, and just thereafter.

Early Christianity was considered an intimate fellowship with the common meal or sacrament at its heart. But Jews, who made up the vast majority at these times in Asia Minor, were forbidden by purity laws  during early Christianity to share meals with Gentiles, and even many Christian Jews were hesitant to break this law.

Even though Jesus had taught that purity of heart was more important than these laws, still his followers did not abandon all Jewish traditions.

Development of early Christianity & Jewish laws

In Antioch, during early Christianity the congregation of Christians was mixed between Jews and Gentiles and the Jews, for the most part, had agreed to dine with the Gentiles out of Christian fellowship.

In Jerusalem, the situation was different. This was the city that had stoned Stephen to death. Christians there had to be especially careful to show respect for Jewish law. Many of the Jewish converts in Jerusalem, some of whom were former Pharisees like Apostle Paul, even insisted that Gentiles should accept circumcision, as required under Jewish law.

Reports about the liberal behavior of Jewish Christians eating with Gentile Christians in Antioch, began to give rise to a controversy that lasted for several years.

Apostle Paul started his travel and missionary journeys

After establishing himself in Antioch, Apostle Paul began his extraordinary years of travel and vast missionary work. Paul's work in bringing people, especially Gentiles to Christianity showed phenomenal energy and dedication.

The government officials of Rome found that converts to Christianity, like the Jews, refused to sacrifice to the emperor as a god, as all Roman citizens were expected to do. Not only that, but they openly prophesied the downfall of the Roman state.

The Christian religion interfered with good citizenship, since it kept them from showing the proper respect for both the emperor and his government. While the Roman government had always been fairly tolerant in matters of religion, the Christians were different - an apparent threat to the authority of the state.

As a result, they were cruelly persecuted. No doubt you've heard the term "Throw the Christians to the Lions." which became a common practice at Roman stadium events. Even still, the number of Christians in the Roman empire grew steadily.

These numbers grew in part because there was no faith in the western world that could offer to people what Christianity offered - its promise of an eternal life of beauty; with its fellowship on earth, full of human compassion and brotherhood.

Moreover, these blessings were available to everyone - the slave and the freeman, the humble worker and the aristocrat, the educated and cultured, the poor and the outcast. As time passed, multitudes learned of the new gospel, until, by the second century, it was far outstripping other religions of the Roman Empire.

There was another reason the numbers of Christians grew too - and that was the dedicated missionary work of some of the apostles and their followers. And among these there was no one greater missionary than the apostle Paul.