PAUL - APOSTLE OR AGENT

the New Testament barely touches upon the many violent Jewish rebellions of the first century or the political struggles between the Jews, Egyptians, and the Roman Empire. There is significant uncertainty regarding the true intent behind the Apostle Paul’s vision of Christianity. Was it a revolutionary doctrine meant to liberate the world from Roman oppression, or was it, in fact, a construct of the Roman Empire itself? Consider how Paul's teachings cleverly merge Zoroastrian apocalyptic beliefs, Greek platonic-philosophical ideas, within a Jewish scriptural context, creating an ideal new faith for the Empire, designed to pacify not only the Jewish people, but also all the Greek territories Rome now held. A religion urging them to "turn the other cheek" and "love their enemies." 446