Saul of Tarsus - The Deceiver
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Saul of Tarsus – The Deceiver presents a highly revisionist and controversial interpretation of the origins of Christianity. The paper argues that Saul, later known as Paul, was not a saint or genuine spiritual teacher, but an intelligent, charismatic theologian who created his own Jewish-based religious movement while using the name and authority of Jesus. The paper states that Saul’s private letters, later incorporated into the New Testament, reveal his personal agenda, inconsistencies, misogyny and development of what he repeatedly calls “my gospel,” rather than the teachings of Jesus. The paper interprets Saul’s encounter on the road to Damascus as evidence that Jesus was still physically alive after the crucifixion. Drawing on alternative and recently discovered writings, the paper argues that Jesus survived the crucifixion, travelled away from Jerusalem, and was encountered by Saul, whose subsequent conversion story is portrayed as self-serving. A central argument is that Saul transformed Jewish ideas—particularly sin, sacrifice and redemption—into the doctrine of Jesus’ sacrificial death, creating a new religious system distinct from Jesus’ original teaching. The paper maintains that Jesus instead taught personal spiritual development, righteous action and an individual relationship with the Creator. Finally, the paper argues that Roman authorities later adopted and institutionalised Saul’s ideas, assembling them with other traditions into a state-controlled Christianity that increasingly diverged from Jesus’ message. Despite this critique, the paper concludes that valuable spiritual truth remains in Jesus’ recorded teachings and may still serve a wider divine purpose. 10,000 words
Author: Wenham-Prosser, Alan
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204083849
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